Robert Smalls, a slave used by Confederates in Charleston, South Carolina during the Civil War to pilot the steamship Planter, committed an amazingly daring and brave act to win freedom for himself and his family. In the early morning hours in May, 1862, the white captain and crew of Planter were ashore for the night contrary to orders. The ship was loaded with arms for rebel forts. At around 3 a.m., Smalls collected his wife, children, and twelve other slaves, and commandeered the vessel. He disguised himself as the captain (even assuming the captain’s stance), guided the ship out of the harbor, and surrendered to Union forces.

Union press hailed Smalls as a national hero, calling the ship “the first trophy from Fort Sumter.” A Congressional bill signed by President Lincoln awarded prize money to Smalls, which he used to purchase land near his birthplace in South Carolina.

This story, with illustrations by Duane Smith, will amaze and inspire you. ( )

I think this is a terrific book for anyone wanting to know more about the American Civil War. ( )

My definition of a hero ~
"A hero is someone who with great courage and strength of heart considers the condition and needs of others. He or She may or may not be recognized for their deeds (and probably doesn't want to be recognized for them) because what they have done is what they believe is the right thing to do."

Seven Miles to Freedom is the story of African American Robert Smalls. Born a slave in 1839 to the McKee family in South Carolina this is the story of a slave who made something of himself and also made a difference in the lives of hundreds of slaves and future African Americans.

Written for children age 5+ Seven Miles to Freedom begins with the story of Robert Smalls's birth on his mother's master's estate and continues by explaining what slavery is in terms that a young child can understand. We see the type of work Robert Smalls grows up to do and the man he becomes. He is given much responsibility in his work as a wheelman, a position of trust and honor, because of his hard work, his honesty and because he applied himself to a job well done.

And finally you see in the story how Robert Smalls has a hope and a determination to find a way to freedom, for himself, his family, the crew and their families. Everyone trusted him to help them get to freedom, even at the risk of being caught.

The story doesn't stop with Robert Smalls's run for freedom over 7 Miles on the Charleston Bay but we also learn how he continued to fight for freedom for the newly released slaves long into the future. Robert Smalls truly made a difference in politics, taught himself to read and write and helped teach others how important Freedom truly is.

I strongly recommend that all families with children between 5 and 3rd/4th grades read this book. I personally wanted to share this one with you because I believe it's important for children of all ages to have a hero. A hero who stands up for what's right, what's honest and strives to help others. I also wanted to share this book as it's important for children to see that we can all have heroes - and heroes are made up of all races and all kinds of people. ( )

I first learned about Robert Smalls and his heroic journey on the Planter through Bruce Burnside's song about him on the album "Unsung Stories of the Civil War." This book details Robert Smalls and his family and his amazing accomplishments, particularly his sailing to freedom. ( )

I recall reading biographies of Jacques Cartier, John Paul Jones, and Davy Crockett when I was in the 4th grade. These stories took my imagination along great paths of discovery and ignited a love for history for me.

I wish I could have read Halfmann's version (Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story) of the Robert Smalls (1839-1915) story of escaping from the Confederacy during the Civil War when I was 10 or 11. It would have fired my imagination and interest in the American Civil War much earlier.

Halfmann's version of the Smalls story is refreshingly accurate and very well written. The text moves along at a good pace. Unlike Kennedy's new book on Smalls (Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s American Heroes: Robert Smalls, the Boat Thief), Halfmann is faithful to the true story in what she covers and what she has to omit for a children's audience.

A real surprise is the bibliography in the back of Halfmann's book which will serve the curious teacher and student well.

I would add one book to the reading list (for the teacher) that Halfmann does not cite as a source for her book: Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families, by Andrew Billingsley.

Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story book should be in every elementary school library in the United States. ( )