My Name Is Not Friday

Reviewed by: Kristin Taylor - Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 6, 2017

Review

Samuel and his brother, Joshua are freeborn black boys during the Civil War living in an orphanage. Samuel follows the rules, but unfortunately, Joshua has difficulties to the point where Samuel is taken and sold into slavery to compensate for his brothers "sins". After being taken, Samuel is asked by the slave trader to remember what day of the week it was, because that will be his name -- Friday.

Well written, coming of age, historical fiction novel, that uses descriptive language to depict the struggles between free, educated blacks and slaves in the South during the Civil War. Walter does an outstanding and though provoking job of showing what the life of a slave was like on a plantation, and that of a plantation owner. This is all done in the first person narrative of Samuel aka Friday. Thoughts of "Twelve Years a Slave" and "Incidents of a Slave Girl" come to mind when reading. There are historical notes at the end that discuss the Economics of American slavery

Recommended for grades 7-12.

Overall Book Score: very good