Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee

Civil War is raging in America and fifteen-year-old Thomas Beck doesn’t quite fit in. He’s neither black nor white, slave nor free, and yet, Thomas dreams of becoming a Yankee and joining the fight for freedom. After successfully sneaking into the Union Army, Thomas gets his wish, but he’s a Chinese Yankee—different in looks and hairstyle, but not in heart. Finding himself unwelcome by either blue or gray, Thomas forms an unlikely friendship with a runaway slave as the fight moves toward a pivotal moment in Gettysburg. Freedom for Me is a historical novel based on a real Chinese Yankee, one of only a few who served in the American Civil War. 

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In its starred review, Kirkus called Freedom For Me: A Chinese Yankee "A moving depiction of courage and immigrant pride amid the horrors of war." 

Readers' Favorite Editorial Reviews

• Five-star reviews from Readers' Favorite professional reviewers 

LitPick Reviews from Teen Students 

• "...an epic tale told from the perspective of a Chinese boy." 

• "A definite page-turner!"

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• How the book was born

• Resources for Chinese soldiers in the Civil War

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• 2018 Literary Classics Gold Medal Winner, Coming of Age Upper Middle Grade Fiction

• 2018 Literary Classics Silver Medal Winner, Historical Upper Middle Grade Fiction

• 2018 Royal Dragonfly Award, Honorable Mention, Cultural Diversity & Historical Fiction

• 2018 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Multicultural Teen Fiction

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