This image is the cover for the book Freedom Train

Freedom Train

An enthralling account of a young boy’s struggle to help freedom triumph over fear in the 1940s American South.

It’s 1947, and twelve-year-old Clyde Thomason is proud to have an older brother who guards the Freedom Train—a train that is traveling to all forty-eight states carrying the country’s most important documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Clyde hasn’t told his parents he won’t perform the Freedom Pledge because of stage fright, nor has he mentioned his confusing friendship with a boy of color. So when the townspeople threaten William’s family, Clyde has a choice to make: Will he keep quiet, or stand up for real freedom?

Ideal for classrooms, Freedom Train contains historical photos of the Freedom Train and its guards, as well as an author’s note that provides additional information about the history of the Freedom Train.

Evelyn Coleman

Evelyn Coleman believes unicorns are real and that one day she will return to her own planet. In the meantime, she has written more than ten award-winning books in different genres, from picture books to middle grade to YA to adult thrillers. She was the president of the Mystery Writers of America and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her book Freedom Train was on Georgia Center for the Book’s inaugural list of 25 Books All Young Georgians Should Read, and Shadows on SocietyHill was nominated for an Edgar Award. Coleman has written several books for American Girl, including her most recent novel, The Cameo Necklace, a mystery about the doll Cécile. 

Margaret K. McElderry Books