Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee has earned the Top Choice Award from LitPick based on multiple five-star reviews from its student reviewers.
The latest review from Oldies_but_Goodies stated:
Looking for an attention-grabbing story? Maybe some adventure as well? Look no further! In this story, Thomas is a young Chinese Yankee who works his way into the Union Army to battle in the Civil War. However, for a Chinese teenager, war is not the only conflict. Thomas must fight against the teases and prejudices of the other soldiers, while at the same time fighting against his own negative feelings and doubt. Will he be able to get freedom, not just for the slaves, but for himself?
Freedom for Me: A Chinese Yankee is a definite page-turner! What I enjoyed about this book was that the story unfolded at the perfect pace, not too slow or fast, and that the story was very believable and realistic, since it’s based on a true story. All things were explained clearly and thoroughly but not overly explained to the point of boredom or confusion. I enjoyed the realistic emotions of Thomas. One thing I enjoyed was how the book was creatively written to intertwine the present and Thomas’ past. I would not recommend this for very young children because there were some tear-jerking parts with deaths on the battlefield. I would recommend this to young teenagers and any history lover.