Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer by Frances Schoonmaker
Sid Johnson awakens to the sound of gunshots ringing out across his family’s farm. Although his Ma explains away everything as a hunting incident, Sid overhears his parents discussing politics and learns that his family’s home isn’t any ordinary farm; it’s a stop on the Underground Railroad. With this discovery comes the realization that Sid’s Ma and Pa, and the entire farm for that matter, are under dangerous threat from the bounty hunters chasing rewards for capturing runaway slaves.
That’s the gripping start of Frances Schoonmaker’s Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer (Auctus Publishers), a middle-grade novel that represents historical storytelling at its finest, bringing to life a fascinating time in American history with a tale of adventure, mystery and suspense.
Amid his family’s involvement in risky resistance efforts, one thing in particular captures Sid’s attention: a mysterious figure who “steals slaves and disappears with ’em into thin air.” His curiosity gets the better of him, and Sid sets out in search of answers that might unmask this “Phantom Slave Stealer.” Unfortunately, his quest is interrupted when bounty hunters burn his family’s barn to the ground, effectively compromising their work with the Underground Railroad.
In the aftermath, the Johnsons decide to move out west to join Pa’s brother in California. Despite more pressing concerns, Sid can’t help but feel disappointed at leaving the mystery of the Phantom Slave Stealer behind. But the shadow of slavery has spread farther than he knows, and his entanglement with this mysterious figure is far from over.
AN IMMERSIVE LOOK AT AMERICAN HISTORY
Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer succeeds not only at educating young readers on the fundamental issues surrounding slavery during the history of the Underground Railroad, but helps them see how this history has shaped the state of American society today. Slavery may have been abolished all those years ago, but the institutional racism at its heart remains as relevant as ever. What’s more impressive, Schoonmaker does all this by creating an exciting story filled with thrills and intrigue that stands up to the entertainment demands of today’s kids.
What’s Schoonmaker’s secret formula? To create the perfect middle-grade reads, Schoonmaker builds a world with words that engage the reader’s imagination with her characters, settings and stories. Her writing paints such a vivid picture, the action plays out like a movie in the theater of your mind. ( I can’t exactly explain why, but Pa gives me Clint Eastwood vibes!)
For this reason, I think that Sid Johnson and the Phantom Slave Stealer would serve as the perfect book to get even the most screen-addicted middle graders out there started on their bookworm journey — and once they get started, this is the kind of tale that will leave them craving more.
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About Frances Schoonmaker:
Frances Schoonmaker was reared on a farm in Western Oklahoma. Growing up on a farm gave her many opportunities to explore and use our imagination. She learned about hard work, success and failure, and to care for the world around her. Her first published work was a mystery series that appeared as a serial in her high school paper. She taught in elementary school for a dozen-plus years before becoming a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. Since retiring, she has been writing fiction for the fun of writing. She lives in Baltimore.
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