by TimTingle, 322 pages, Grades 6 and up.

Martha Tom is a member of the Choctaw Nation; her family lives near a river right across from a plantation. The men who manage the plantation are cruel and dangerous.  All the Chocktaw know not to venture across the river, but one day Martha Tom decides to be adventurous and crosses in search of blackberries. There she meets Lil Mo who is an enslaved African American kid on the plantation. She learns that Lil Mo’s mom is about to be sold and sent away, Martha Tom’s heart breaks for Lil Mo and she convinces his family to cross the river and hide among the Chocktaw and be free. Lil Mo and his family are hopeful this will be their salvation, but the enslavers are not going to let what they consider “their property” just walk away without a fight. 

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The author, Tim Tingle, is a Chocktaw himself and has written a number of books for middle school kids. If you enjoyed this book, you might also like: How I Became a Ghost, House of Purple Cedar, and No Name are a few.

Tags: friendship, historical fiction, Choctaw Nation, slavery, enslaved people, Native Americans, adventure, magic