Cover of Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box

by Ellen Levine

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Henry's Freedom Box is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–11
Pages
40
Reading time
about 45 minutes (est.)
First published
2007
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780439777339

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A fictionalized account of how in 1849 a Virginia slave, Henry "Box" Brown, escapes to freedom by shipping himself in a wooden crate from Richmond to Philadelphia.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Henry's Freedom Box→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on slavery, fiction and african americans, fiction; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

slavery, fiction · african americans, fiction · underground railroad, fiction · slavery

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Henry's Freedom Box?
Henry's Freedom Box is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Henry's Freedom Box?
It takes about 45 minutes to read Henry's Freedom Box (40 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 45 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Henry's Freedom Box?
Henry's Freedom Box appears on reading lists for Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Henry's Freedom Box banned in schools?
Henry's Freedom Box does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Henry's Freedom Box explore?
Central themes in Henry's Freedom Box include slavery, fiction, african americans, fiction, underground railroad, fiction, slavery. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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