COMMENDED REVIEW
This book was heart breaking and eye-opening. It is such an important book for young readers. It was a very quick and easy read and is dyslexia friendly. Although it is very fast-paced and short, it kept me hooked and the fascinating flow allowed me to finish it quickly.
This book tells the story of a young boy who was captured to be a slave to white people. Olaudah is caught in a terrifying, enormous new world and life – nothing like his old one. Things we don’t seem to find unusual, such as paintings and clocks, were seen as terrifying to the young African boy. He was also immensely fascinated and shocked by snow – as he had never seen or felt it before. Olaudah was a determined boy, who was committed to his job and earning 40 pounds to buy his freedom.
The book made me feel worried and scared for Olaudah, eager to find out what happens next in his life. I was glad that he made some new friends, as I did not want him to be alone and clueless in this new world. In the story, some wonderful things happen to Olaudah, however, at the same time, there are moments in which we see the true realities of what life was like for an enslaved person.
This story is a wonderful insight into what Equiano went through, told in a way young readers can understand. I had never heard of Equiano before, however, after reading the book and the author’s notes [which explain more about Equiano’s life], I realised that he is such an important figure in history.
Overall, this was a very good book and I recommend it to young readers who would like a fast paced, easy read. This book was too short and fast-paced to my liking, and to what I usually read, so it wasn’t my favourite – however I enjoyed reading it.
– Olivia, All Saints RC School

This brilliant 105 page story by Catherine Johnson has a simple but effective storyline about a young boy called Olaudah (Olu) who is from an African background but gets abducted to become a slave and bought for £40, and goes on an emotional, scary, thrilling adventure to find freedom, but will he survive and find his dream? The plot contains some very happy and sad parts. Olu is my favourite character. In this heroic story you can’t tell what happens next.
I gave this story four stars because I liked the way the tone was set (an emotional and realistic novel based on a real story). Also I loved the way the page was set out with the writing and then a strip of scenery at the bottom of the page, I felt like you connected and felt what Olu was feeling. After the final line, ‘I smiled and said, “Perhaps one day.”‘, it was a sigh of relief.
This book was amazing! However there were a couple of things I would like to pick up on. I think they could have put a bit more detail, such as maybe at the start of each chapter write the dates of when this happened so we know the time period they’re in. Apart from that this was perfect!
I recommend this to anyone who loves a multi-cultural, historic read that glues you to your seat.
– Amara, St Peter’s 8-13

This is the story of Olaudah Equiano’s journey around the world, in this quest to find freedom. It covers many years of his life, from when he was 11 to when he was 21. This story shows how he witnessed many terrible sights, but also found freedom and hop on his voyage. The opening jumps straight into action when the dramatic chase from his slave traders, but also after introducing his peaceful previous life, highlighting the change that was about to come.
The main character was Olaudah Equiano, but he also makes friends including Richard Baker, Rufus Gibson and William Prudy. Olaudah is also known as Gus, is a freedom loving character that just wants to be free, happy and educated. His friends, however, are happy in their lives under the maters and always comply to the rules. Olaudah is always wondering about western things and wants to know more about their world, but his ship mates mainly focus on current events. There were many conflicts between Gus and his masters, with him not understanding their orders and relationship with him. Olaudah changed a lot through the story becoming less scared and bolder and free.
This story is written in first person, from his point of view, which I think contributes greatly to the book because you an see his feelings. The settings are described in much detail and the author mainly focuses on his mindset not the surroundings. The main attitudes described was his wonder for all new things he is seeing, his desire to learn and his pang for freedom.
I enjoyed this story as it is true and for showing how Black people were treated at the time. I particularly enjoyed the part where he is trying to earn enough money to set himself free, as you can really see his determination.
I think Catherine Johnson chose to tell this story because it has only been told in factual format and the real reason is feeling what he felt. After reading it, I felt the urge to read more, and I had to look up the rest of the story just to satisfy myself. I wouldn’t usually read this type of book, but I quite like it! I would like to read another book by this author because of the concise writing style.
– Manor CofE Academy

This biographical fiction is from the point of view of Olaudah Equiano, who was an African boy who was stolen from his family at a young age and was sold into slavery. This book was based off of Olaudah’s autobiography, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”. It is shortened and rewritten by Catherine Johnson to make it easier for kids and neuro-divergent people to read. Olaudah did have an easier time in slavery than most. Overall, a great book with a much-needed story for kids to learn.
– Arabella, St Peter’s 8-13

I loved this book, however at certain points it’s sad as I know these things happen to this person.
Journey Back to Freedom is about a boy who is kidnapped at 11 and sold to work at sea. The reason the book is called Journey Back to Freedom is because it tells the reader about his journey to be a free man. Over the course of time he was a slave/ person working for someone else. He realises how bad the slaves were treated. That’s when he realises he
wants to be free.
However, his master won’t let him go as he paid £40 for him. The only way he could be free was if he earnt that £40 to pay his master back. This is only the beginning of his story. After 10 years (he’s now 21) he had reached his goal. He was now a free man.
However, he had one last mission. Whilst travelling the Captain takes control over the direction of the ship and ends up crashing it. With only one lifeboat, the crew had to escape. Fortunately, they did and then the boy could go free and do what he wanted. He was a free
man!
When reading the book, you will encounter quite a few characters. Each and everyone of the characters have their own special personalities and connections to Gus. This story is written in the first person meaning you are the character metaphorically. This story is important as not only does it show the life of an African black person, it tells us what slavery was in the
past. Overall, this book is really good but if I had to change anything. I would give the sentences, settings and characters more details.
I think the writer wrote about this because they wanted us to realise how cruel the past was. Whilst reading this book I felt sad and intrigued. Sad as Gus spent most of his life trying to free himself and I felt intrigued as I wanted to know what happened to all the other characters. I think I’ve learnt about how horrible people used to be in the past, only caring about themselves and treating black people terribly.
– Manor CofE Academy

Journey Back to Freedom is about a boy called Olaudah Equiano and his journey back to freedom. It starts when he is 11 years old in Essaka which is in Africa. He then gets captured and sent across to America to be sold as a slave. He is mistreated there like the other enslaved people. He then gets bought by a naval officer and starts his adventure across the sea. He makes friends with a boy called Richard and learns much from him. He goes to battle against the French and enjoys it very much. He then stays with two lovely women and he attends school. The story continues and the little boy turns into a young man still fighting for his freedom.
I found this book was very well written and gave it 4 ½ stars. It was an incredible tale that I felt myself being drawn to. I would definitely recommend it. I enjoyed every second of reading it especially the end. I wouldn’t usually pick up this kind of book but I really enjoyed it.
– Daisy, All Saints RC School

This was a sad and moving story because it really shared the cruelty and the uncertainty faced by enslaved people. It explained how they were forced to not use their language and how they were given different names which implied they were now objects.
After Olaudah bought his freedom his return to the sisters was very heart warming and a happy ending. I also found the epilogue rather interesting as it showed the bits in Olaudah’s story that had been slightly changed and what had happened to him next.
– Josh, All Saints RC School

I chose this book because it was about people who are enslaved. Learning the story of Olaudah Equiano really made me realise the treatment of enslaved people was worse than I thought. They were being taken on ships and stripped of their lives and identity, by giving them a different name and stopping them speaking their native language.
The cover also sparked my curiosity, with the ship sailing towards some isolated islands. This part of the cover definitely reflected the book, with the ship sailing towards them. The only thing I do not enjoy about the cover is that it has got nothing to do with people being enslaved.
I really enjoy the descriptive language, such as; “My legs were burning. I gulped down air. I could hear Ifeoma behind me, her feet thumping on the Earth.” This makes me feel sad that people could be so cruel to chase and kidnap such young children.
This book tells an important message: That we need to treat everyone, no matter their colour, background or race, equally. I think this is an important message to give people, and Catherine Johnson has done a good job of that.
– Henry, All Saints RC School

The story is to do with a young boy who has been kidnapped for the slave trade. He has two masters before they set him free. With one he asked his master if he could be set free. He rejected and took him to a port where he would be sent to the Caribbean. His master was extremely nice to him in the Caribbean and let him join one of his captains where he bought things and sold them on earnt 40 pounds and his master let him leave. He worked for his master a bit longer but he ended up ship wrecked but was able to move back to London and lived with his first master.
10 years passed because he went from age 11 to 21. As a slave he was taught how to write and read which is very unusual as he also was baptised, which meant he was a part of the Christian family though that didn’t really help him on his journey in life as he was still treated horrendously throughout the book.
During the start of the story there was a lot of action which meant that it was exciting to read and made me want to read more. The events of the story were nicely linked together with description of every part which made it feel very exciting and on edge. The main character had 3 names, they were Olaudah.
The first master was like all masters harsh and hard to please. His second master was an army officer, which meant he had an amazing family but could be extremely harsh sometimes. The officer’s family was amazing and taught him how to read and write and got him baptised. His third master was kind and caring which he said if he could earn £40 he would be set free and his master set him free for £40 and let him on his way. The caption that made this all possible let him go port to port with the sailor which meant he could sell things to earn the money. They were described in enough detail that I could make a mental image in my head but not enough to force anything on me like this is how they should look. I found the army officer’s family most sympathetic as they would help him through his struggles and hard times but also taught him how to read and write and got him baptised. Though all his owners were sympathetic and caring. Some of the characters changed, especially his last owner because he let him go.
It was written in first person, which meant it only portrayed one character’s experiences but it may have been like that for many other slaves in the real world. It wasn’t really key to the story but it was important. Every setting gave me a very clear image in my head but it did give my head a place to play around with the scenes which was very useful. The feelings of the characters were very in depth especially the main character because it only outlined the key points where there were emotions and didn’t document his whole 11 years.
My favourite moment in the story was when he got set free as it was uplifting and nice to see him set free. I think when his first master bought him nothing really happened so I would put a bit of excitement in that section.
I think the reason this story was told is because the side of the people who were catching them is more well told whereas people who were enslaved have never really had their story told. After reading this book it really gave me a strong image of what actually happened in the slave trade. I really learnt that not all slaves had to run away and be free. You could have a nice master who could let you free. I have never really read anything like it so I would have nothing to compare it to. I would recommended Race to the Frozen North, which was also written by Catherine Johnson. Though she has done a lot of other books and if her writing style is the same in all her other books then they would be amazing.
– Manor CofE Academy

This book is about a boy named Olaudah who was sold into slavery aged only eleven. He was kept in Slavery until finally ten years later, he earned his freedom. Interestingly this is a true story. The story was short and fast pace which was nice after reading so many long books. The events that followed on from each other were quite patchy, probably because there was such a long time to cover in a short novel. Definitely one that I enjoyed reading, though!
The character that the story followed was Oluadah, who basically shares his childhood story. He was, as Catherine Johnson mentioned, ‘a tricky character’ and came across as being quite smug in the story. The characters were not described in much detail, though that meant there was a lot more action in the story. There weren’t many relationships in the story, particularly because Olaudah was separated from his family at the start but he does make quite a few friends on his journey. The story was more centred around him, but that made his tale all the more compelling.
Journey Back to Freedom was written in the first person which made the story feel more raw as it was from Olaudah’s perspective. The setting wasn’t described in that much detail again making more room for the action. I think it was a good story because it teaches you about what it was like for those children who were sold into slavery. My favourite part in the story was when he was taken in by his master’s aunt because that was one of the few times that someone stood up for him, or treated him with real compassion.
I think the writer might have told this story because it raises awareness about smuggling slaves and is a good story for classrooms. While reading it, I felt especially sorry for all that Olaudah had been through. I learned from this book that you should never give up, even when it seems nothing is going to get better. Compared to most books I’ve read, it is shorter, but more meaningful as the events happened in real life. I would definitely recommend this book to others. 3 stars!
– Manor CofE Academy

The title of the book is “Journey Back to Freedom.” It is written by Catherine Johnson, who has written many other books about slavery and other events in history, for example, “Race to the Frozen North.” It is a fiction book, however based on a real story.
This book is about slavery. To begin with it is set in Essaka (Africa) in 1745 where the main character, Olaudah, is having a nice peaceful life with his six siblings. This book explains the difficulties the slaves had to face which gives us readers the whole story. Overall, the main setting is boats: some with happy stories, some without. He changes from one to another throughout the story while occasionally going to houses on land.
The main character is Olaudah Equiano (a real boy/man) whose story is famous all around the world! Sadly, in the book his sister and him never see each other again, however his connection with his other family is unknown. He has a few friends throughout his voyages and many people grow to like him later in the book. One of my favourite characters is Mr Robert king of Monserrat, who is his master near the end. I like him because although he paid quite a lot of money for Olaudah as a slave, and Olaudah is very useful, he still helps him get the freedom he deserves.
At the beginning, there was the capturing and selling of Olaudah, which was very deep and written every well. Next was a great description of his voyages on four different ships: the Industrious Bee, the Roebuck, the Namur, and the Charming Sally. That is where his master was Michael Pascal. He made many friends throughout his travels and learned many skills including writing, reading and hair cutting. Eventually, his last master agreed to let him go if he could pay the sum that his master spent when buying him. After a few months of journeys to many different places, he finally worked up the huge sum of money and was freed!
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Due to the fact that it is dyslexia friendly it did seem rather easy. However, it was a great story! I would recommend this to anyone searching for an easy read which has a great storyline. And of course those with dyslexia would love it too! I give this book 3¾ stars out of 5. However, even though this book is easy to read, I know others by Catherine Johnson are great for challenging young readers. I really enjoyed it and would definitely read it again.
– Manor CofE Academy

This book is based around the events of a man’s life called Olaudah Equiano. The story follows the life of Olaudah from when he is captured as a child with his sister to when he is being bought and sold to his masters. It shows how he is treated compared to the other owners and how cruel or kind they were to him. It covered a time period of 10 years, from when he was 11 to 21. Something unusual about this story is that none of his owners treated him terribly compared to some other people during the slave trade apart from the people he was first sold to. The start of the story happens quickly when he was robbed from his home in Esska, Africa. Then the events happen in turn and Olaudah was sold from one slave trader to another.
In this story the main character is a boy called Olaudah, who narrates the book. He was a scared character at the start and was unused to the way his owners treated him. However, in the end, he gained significant confidence and was a very different person. We actually never got a description of Olaudah because that would mean that the narrator is describing himself. In the book, I didn’t feel like I could relate to any of the characters because the book was written along time ago in the slave trade.in the book, there were many conflicts, but one stood out to me between Olaudah and one of his masters. This led to him being sold again.
Throughout the book, it is written in first person, with Olu as the narrator. This was important because we got to see how he felt about situations that he got himself into. The description in the book is a good amount compared to the dialogue, but there wasn’t to much speech. This meant that his feelings were described in depth as well as the area he was in.
 However, through the story it was written in a way that wasn’t boring and was a very readable. I think my favourite moment was right at the end when olu was reunited with some old friends that He met during his time as a slave. I think that none of the moments could’ve been better in the story and that is partly because all of the events really happened.
I don’t know if the writer had a specific reason for telling the story but maybe because it was an amazing tale of this man’s life that needs to be heard. Before reading this book, I had never known about the living conditions on a slave trip but now I know a lot more about them.
Compared to some of the other books I’ve read, in would say that this is a very simple book but the fact that it’s a true story makes up for that. I think it’s important to say that it is simple as it is a dyslexia friendly book, making it more accessible for certain people who want to learn more about the slave trade.
Overall, I think that the star rating would be a 3.5/5 due to the fact that I would enjoy a more complex book though I would give the author credit for making it dyslexia friendly.
– Manor CofE Academy

“I was just a thing. I was no more than a chair or a blunt knife.”
When first reading this book, the simplistic wording and blunt explanations make for a text like a detailed (and well-researched) historical document more so than a story based in truth. However, as I read through Olaudah’s (the protagonist’s) story, I often get taken aback by the sheer violence and ruthless torment of those who have been enslaved.
Throughout the book, we are forever reminded of the innocence of childhood and how that effects Olaudah’s perception of the brand new world he is rapidly discovering and how he searches for the positives: beams of light in the darkness. How through this imaginative spirit and positive attitude he proves he is more than “Just a thing” he proves he is human.
However, as I had mentioned earlier, these descriptions are overly-simplified and the pacing is seemingly random. The author skips over what may be pinnacle moments and rushes over the ones she does pick. Although, I will say this book could be great representation of the slave trade for readers under the age of 10-11.
Overall, I think this is a good representation but written very minimally. I would recommend it as a good book to read about discrimination as an alternative for less mature audiences who may not be ready for books such as The Bone Sparrow (discrimination against refugees) and Noughts and Crosses (racism).
Thank you for reading my review and I hope my opinions offer some insight into this book.
– Clara, All Saints RC School

This was a well-written, thought-provoking story that captures the life of a young boy after he’s cruelly stolen from his family and sold into slavery. It is an easy read because it is dyslexia friendly, but that did not stop it from having a great flow and being very engaging. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the book held my attention from page to page – before I knew it, I had finished reading it. The protagonist, Olaudah, is searching for freedom throughout the story and we follow him on that journey as he grows up. He goes through highs and lows and it’s an emotional rollercoaster for the reader, as we end up becoming attached to Olaudah; the more I read, the more I felt like I had a close bond with him. I would recommend this book for practically everyone – any age and any reading ability.
– Eva, All Saints RC School

I absolutely loved this book from reading the horror of being kidnapped and abused, to making friends and discovering hope and finally earning the freedom and happy ending Olaudah deserved.
I think it is important to write about people like Olaudah as we really shouldn’t forget the past and just disregard it as ‘something that happened in history’. Kindness and acceptance are both keys to peace and ending racism, though it has very much calmed down, I should think it still happens and that there is no excuse for it.
Lastly, I love stories where someone is treated horribly for a long time, escapes the despair and misery of such a life to find freedom, hope and happiness. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in learning about what slavery was like and what people went through when fighting for their freedom.
– Millie, All Saints RC School

I really liked Journey Back to Freedom as it was very well written and flowed very well. I especially liked how it was dyslexia friendly as it made it easy to read, even though I am not dyslexic. I know some people really struggle and books like this help.
Throughout the book, I met and got to understand Olaudah and his character. Through him I felt lots of emotions and really felt like I was there and a part of his story. At the start it showed me fear and loss as well as how Olaudah was always anxious and worried. He was devastated at losing his sister, who he loved so much and his childhood home, which he had been stolen away from, along with his freedom. It showed me his pain and how badly enslaved people were treated.
This book also showed me hope and a happy ending and gave me joy as Olaudah made friends in the darkest of times and found happiness in the tiniest of things. I loved how he was curious and amazed about everything in the world like paintings and shows and all the things I take for granted. Olaudah made friends along the way, discovered new things and found happiness in the end by earning his own freedom. I think this shows me and everyone that there is hope everywhere and there is always light in the darkness. It shows we can make our own dreams come true like Olaudah made his own freedom. This book tells us to never give up hope.
– Panna, All Saints RC School

The first thing I would like to address is that I am pleased that this book is dyslexia friendly. Everyone should be able to read (or at least hear) stories. This book was written very simply, so it was easy to take in, which is good. The simple writing also makes the story very emotional. It certainly pulled on my heart.
This book also emphasises how the slave trade isn’t just a thing of the past. It was shocking how enslaved people were treated as objects. The fact it was based on a true story makes is more shocking. I think the balance of fact and fiction was perfect as the author didn’t change the story much so you could understand the life of an enslaved person. I was somewhat surprised about the happy ending as enslaved people’s lives don’t normally happen like that. However, as it really happened to Olaudah I think it was necessary.
I think the emotional side of things was captured beautifully, the boys giving Olaudah a fight seemed realistic as did Daniel Queen’s straight-to-the-point ness. Captain Pascal’s emotional rollercoaster seemed to fit – he thought little slaves should work and not ask questions. The metaphor of Olaudah being an object seemed like a slight exaggeration at first. But it truly was to be throughout the story, as can be seen in all the different names given to Olaudah. The story addresses racism and the slave trade in a new tone that is easily understandable and is quite emotional.
At the start the imagery is exquisite and shows the reader how ordinary Olaudah’s life is which then contrasts the rest of the book. The capture scene is enough to make you cry and it shows the cruelty of slave traders. This is a fascinating, must-read book that I would recommend to anyone over the age of 9 because the book covers a number of sensitive topics. This is why I rate the book a 4.5 stars.
– Toby, All Saints RC School

Journey Back to Freedom is an interesting and informative book that explains Olaudah Equiano’s life. It tells you about his time in slavery and how he earned his freedom.
This book educations children on the horribleness and cruelty of the slave trade. As I was reading, it made me feel sorry for Olaudah because it really made me think about how hard it must have been to be taken away from his friends and family. This book is well-written and is a very good retelling of Olaudah’s story. One thing I have learnt from this book is how important it is that the slave trade never happens again.
– Lucy, St Peter’s 8-13

Aged only 11, Olaudah Equiano was sold mercilessly into slavery for £40. He spent the next 10 years of his life working for many masters on land and at sea. He witnessed brutal cruelty in the West Indies and faces racism. However, although he is aware of living in this nightmare, he never gives up hope on his dream to eventually live life as a free soul again.
I really enjoyed reading this story as it is a heart-warming novel that kept me glued to my seat. It also really highlighted the social issues that we face today, such as inequality. As the story developed, I loved reading the parts were Olaudah never gives up hope on his dream to be free again and gets the brilliant idea to buy back his freedom. Moreover, the story flowed really well and was easy to understand, however, in my opinion, this novel was just a bit too simplistic. Apart from that, I think this story was a great historical book, based on a true story, so therefore decided to rate this book 4 stars.
– Suhani, All Saints RC School

The main story is about a boy named Olaudah who gets sold and had his name changed to Gustavus. He was shipped across the world and had to fight in wars. Gus was a young boy who had a dramatic event where he got kidnapped and sold. It took place during the slave trade and the main chart Peter was a slave so it was told from a slaves point of view.
The main plot wasn’t unusual but it was fun even though it was about a historical period that was very eventful. The opening of the story was quite fast to get exiting which I loved. The main character was called Gus who was a really kind person who became friends with 3 or 4 other people who were slaves.
The main character was very interesting as we learned the life of a slave. He stayed the same throughout but got less shy. The story was written in first person. It made it better as you could then understand his thoughts and feelings.
They were described a lot. I would not change any characters or their personalities. I think the author wrote this to inform us about the slave trade and what happened in it. I think it is one of the best books I have read. The only main thing I would change is to have less speech in it and more thoughts.
However, I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. The fact that it is a quick read made me happy as I don’t like reading very long books. I rate this book four and a half out of five.
– Manor CofE Academy

I found this book so interesting. When I started reading the book and found out it was sort of like a diary, I was very pleased, and also very intrigued. I loved the slavery part of the book because you got an insight into slavery, and I was sad when the book ended. The only things I would like to see to make it 5 stars is more of a build-up – what his life was like before, and a bit more of an after story. What his life was like when he settled down. Another thing is, I read this book in an hour and a bit, maybe it could have been longer.
All round a good read.
– Annie, St Peter’s 8-13

There are some great parts to this book. An example of this I like is the image at the bottom of the page. It’s easy to tell whether you are on land or on a boat. Another great part is where Olaudah or Gus is so excited about going into battle, even after seeing the consequences of it.
There are places in the book where I feel it could be worded differently – for example I think the owners should be shown to be more harsh on the slaves, to show us a little bit of how real slaves were treated, but this is only my preference.
Overall, I think this book is a great book , and the writer did an excellent job. I would recommend this book to others. 
– Grace, Vale of York Academy