The Journal of Leroy Jeremiah Jones, a Fugitive Slave Book

Author's Comments
I am a teacher/school librarian/book reviewer who published PIRATES (Franklin Watts) as well as several magazine articles. My middle-grade novel, THE JOURNAL OF LEROY JEREMIAH JONES, is about a 12-year-old slave boy who lives on an Alabama cotton plantation in 1855. It is based on many years of researching slavery and reading slave narratives. Leroy, with the help of his best friend, Eddy, the wicked plantation owner's stepson, hides his family in a nearby Appalachian cave. Leroy's family consist of his Mammy, Bothersome Sister Beulah, mischievous twins, Buster & Bizzle, and Baby Ernestine. In the cave the family is joined by their friends, Mule Man Max and Gal Nancy. Before the family's dangerous excapade, Leroy and Eddy have many daring and humorous adventures together. I have written this book with humor to entice children to read it to the end! But in The Author's Note I included factual information for teachers to aid them in teaching this dreadful time in American history. I also included photos with informative captions. Children of all ages, teachers, and librarians should enjoy my middle-grade novel. K.J. McWilliams (Naples, FL)