Freedom River
by Doreen Rappaport, Illustrated by Bryan Collier

One thousand feet across the Ohio River lay Ripley, Ohio?and freedom. Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state, while Ohio remained free. Time and time again, John Parker, an ex-slave who had bought his own freedom, led Kentucky slaves across a thin stretch of river to Ohio, and safety. These dangerous journeys demanded a tremendous amount of courage, planning, and faith.