Obi had never forgotten the sounds of his mother's screams on the day he was sold away from her. Making plans to run away to find her was a secret game he played with friend Buka, an old African who lived at the edge of the farm.

When the Civil War began, Obi knew it was time to run -- or be sold again. If he was caught, he'd be killed...or worse. But if he stayed, he might never know freedom.

Joyce Hansen is a distinguished author of many books for children, both fiction and nonfiction, who specializes in African American History. Four of her books have received Coretta Scott King Honors, including Which Way Freedom, the first book in the Obi and Easter trilogy.