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Sharon M. Draper
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Copper Sun Kindle Edition

by Sharon M. Draper (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,433 ratings
Teachers' pick
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A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021)

In this “searing work of historical fiction” (Booklist), Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Sharon M. Draper tells the epic story of a young girl torn from her African village, sold into slavery, and stripped of everything she has ever known—except hope.

Amari's life was once perfect. Engaged to the handsomest man in her tribe, adored by her family, and fortunate enough to live in a beautiful village, it never occurred to her that it could all be taken away in an instant. But that was what happened when her village was invaded by slave traders. Her family was brutally murdered as she was dragged away to a slave ship and sent to be sold in the Carolinas. There she was bought by a plantation owner and given to his son as a "birthday present".

Now, survival is all Amari can dream about. As she struggles to hold on to her memories, she also begins to learn English and make friends with a white indentured servant named Molly. When an opportunity to escape presents itself, Amari and Molly seize it, fleeing South to the Spanish colony in Florida at Fort Mose. Along the way, their strength is tested like never before as they struggle against hunger, cold, wild animals, hurricanes, and people eager to turn them in for reward money. The hope of a new life is all that keeps them going, but Florida feels so far away and sometimes Amari wonders how far hopes and dreams can really take her.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    331 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Atheneum Books for Young Readers
  5. Publication date
    June 19, 2012
  6. Reading age
    14 years and up
  7. Grade level
    9 and up
  8. File size
    6187 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 8 Up–This action-packed, multifaceted, character-rich story describes the shocking realities of the slave trade and plantation life while portraying the perseverance, resourcefulness, and triumph of the human spirit. Amari is a 15-year-old Ashanti girl who is happily anticipating her marriage to Besa. Then, slavers arrive in her village, slaughter her family, and shatter her world. Shackled, frightened, and despondent, she is led to the Cape Coast where she is branded and forced onto a boat of death for the infamous Middle Passage to the Carolinas. There, Percival Derby buys her as a gift for his son's 16th birthday. Trust and friendship develop between Amari and Polly, a white indentured servant, and when their mistress gives birth to a black baby, the teens try to cover up Mrs. Derby's transgression. However, Mr. Derby's brutal fury spurs them to escape toward the rumored freedom of Fort Mose, a Spanish colony in Florida. Although the narrative focuses alternately on Amari and Polly, the story is primarily Amari's, and her pain, hope, and determination are acute. Cruel white stereotypes abound except for the plantation's mistress, whose love is colorblind; the doctor who provides the ruse for the girls' escape; and the Irish woman who gives the fugitives a horse and wagon. As readers embrace Amari and Polly, they will better understand the impact of human exploitation and suffering throughout history. In addition, they will gain a deeper knowledge of slavery, indentured servitude, and 18th-century sanctuaries for runaway slaves.–Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 9-12. Best known for her contemporary African American characters, Draper's latest novel is a searing work of historical fiction that imagines a 15-year-old African girl's journey through American slavery. The story begins in Amari's Ashanti village, but the idyllic scene explodes in bloodshed when slavers arrive and murder her family. Amari and her beloved, Besa, are shackled, and so begins the account of impossible horrors from the slave fort, the Middle Passage, and auction on American shores, where a rice plantation owner buys Amari for his 16-year-old son's sexual enjoyment. In brutal specifics, Draper shows the inhumanity: Amari is systematically raped on the slave ship and on the plantation and a slave child is used as alligator bait by white teenagers. And she adds to the complex history in alternating chapters that flip between Amari and Polly, an indentured white servant on Amari's plantation. A few plot elements, such as Amari's chance meeting with Besa, are contrived. But Draper builds the explosive tension to the last chapter, and the sheer power of the story, balanced between the overwhelmingly brutal facts of slavery and Amari's ferocious survivor's spirit, will leave readers breathless, even as they consider the story's larger questions about the infinite costs of slavery and how to reconcile history. A moving author's note discusses the real places and events on which the story is based. Give this to teens who have read Julius Lester's Day of Tears (2005). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B007QUUMZA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (June 19, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 19, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6187 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 331 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,433 ratings

About the author

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Sharon M. Draper

Sharon M. Draper

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Sharon Draper is a two-time Coretta Scott King Award-winning author, most recently for Copper Sun, and previously for Forged by Fire. She's also the recipient of the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Author Award for New Talent for Tears of a Tiger and the Coretta Scott King Author Honor for The Battle of Jericho and November Blues. Her other books include Romiette and Julio, Darkness Before Dawn, and Double Dutch. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she taught high school English for twenty-five years. She's a popular conference speaker, addressing educational and literary groups both nationally and internationally.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,433 global ratings
Well written, important read. Recommend for Mature Audience
4 Stars
Well written, important read. Recommend for Mature Audience
All that Amari has ever known is gone. Her parents and brother killed by the slave traders, Amari captured, forced onto a slave ship and transported to the Carolina’s. There she’s subjected to even more cruelties, beaten and raped, Amari was certain that her life was over but fate had a different plan.Rumor has it that there is place called Fort Mose in Spanish Florida, where the streets are golden and slaves are freed. This is the hope that Amari and her companions hold onto as they run from the plantation, travel south instead of north and fight for their freedom.This book is categorized as YA and although the writing at times seemed geared toward a younger audience, I personally feel that the story itself should only be read by adults or mature teens. Amari’s story, though important is harsh, the defilement and outright cruelty she experienced shows what the slaves endured on an everyday basis and how she persevered is a miracle. It is a tragic story with a lot of heart and ultimately a good ending. A well written, important read, that I recommend for a mature audience.
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Top reviews from the United States

Milagros Granados
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible story and amazing research ❤️
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2020
Verified Purchase
I read this book in middle school and never got a chance to finish reading it. I’m happy I was able to remember the name of the book and find out what happened to Amari. I loved how the Author put a lot of historical places and research into this book. I love how she added the indentured servant Polly. I never knew what an indentured servant was?
This story was beautiful but I felt Polly, Amari and Tidbit had tremendous luck with getting to freedom. Seems like everyone was willing to help them which I found odd. I understand that the book is suppose to be Fiction but it didn’t seem realistic to only have Clay searching for them?
I’m pretty sure back in those times runaways slaves/indentured servants were hunt down. I just wish the author would have made that part more realistic . I wish she would of added in the story slave hunters and people putting up rewards for them to be captured. It would of made me feel like I was transported back in time. Other than that this was an incredible story. Towards the end of the book is the best part. You can actually look up all the websites/research she used to create this book. I looked up most of those websites and was quite amazed. I’m a huge history buff so this was very exciting for me. 😍❤️😁
3 people found this helpful
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Rami Taha
5.0 out of 5 stars ONE OF THE BEST STORIES! | Review | Rami Taha
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2021
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Quality Rating: 5/5
Based on price: 5/5
Time with Product: 4 years (purchased in 2017)

Review:
I love this book so much! The story is fascinating and beautiful! I don't want to spoil anything but I highly recommend this! WOW! I love it!

The paperback quality is great, the book has held up well for 4 years.

PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT! WOW! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!

Thank you for reading my review!
If there are any questions or concerns please contact me, I am happy to help.
Email - ramit6782@gmail.com

Have fun shopping! :)
- Rami Taha
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Young Adult Literature Fan!
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Young Adult Read!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2012
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Copper Sun is a fantastic and interesting read. It brings the reader into the main character, Amari's life and the obstacles she had to overcome. This book is hard to put down with the rich language and the exciting plot! Reading this book makes the reader feel alive and excited to cheer Amari on! The quest for freedom pulls at the readers heart strings. Young adult readers will relate well to this novel due to the adventure and the Amari's passion for hope and faith. Teen readers can relate to the themes of friendship, love, and death and how a young girl deals with it all. Both boy and girl readers will see this book as a new and different way to read about the historical events before the Civil War and the harshness of slavery. Young adults will love the change in main character from traditional boy protagonists, to Amari, a young girl who has to start a whole new life without family and anyone she has ever known. Draper constantly provides Amari with obstacles to overcome. The rich language and excellent character development provide readers with an exciting and thrilling read. As a reader, you will be on the edge of your seat waiting for whats next in the life of Amari in Copper Sun!
4 people found this helpful
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Lee
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2016
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This book was fantastic! I was watching NY1 one morning and some students were sharing the books they were reading this summer. One little girl shared this book and said it was the best book she'd ever read! So I bought it and noticed it had earned a Corretta Scott King Award, as well. Although it only mildly touched on the horrible institution abd acts of slavery, it was written in a way that a young reader could understand without it being extremely graphic. I am a kindergarten teacher in an African American community and while I cannot use it as a Read Aloud for my students, I will absolutely ask my principal if she can purchase a copy for each upper grade teacher to be used for our daily, morning, read aloud. Our children must learn about their history because in may ways it will give them strength, perseverance and will also assist in shaping their future. Sharon Draper did an amazing job!
9 people found this helpful
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Lashanti Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars Factual young adult read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2024
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The book was as wonderful as could be expected considering the subject matter. The author clearly did her research. That was made apparent early own when she depicted African storytelling. It was fast pace and the writing style was simplistic. I later discovered this is consider a young adult read so that’s why the simplistic writing style and the lack of profanity. Yes, there were racial slurs and derogatory remarks, but nowhere near as heavy and hard hitting as other books I’ve read. I would consider it “clean” and the rape scenes were brief and not detailed. I will say I initially struggled with Polly’s introduction into the story. My mind immediately went to white savior and I was put off. Even after I realized that wasn’t the narrative the author was going for I still struggled to like her detailed presence and felt like the story should have been solely focused on Amari. However after I got about half way through the book the author skillfully made me forget all about that dislike with a surprising plot twist. From then on I had to read with my hand covering the adjacent page because my eyes would try to skip over and read what’s next. The end of their journey had started to feel a bit fairytalish but the author subtly rectified that with numerous clear facts. So that was appreciated. I feel like some authors try to say “well yeah they went through all these horrible things but they finally were free and lived happily ever after”… like no, not quite.

In the afterword, Draper does separate fact from fiction and encourages the reader to do some deeper research of their own. She list numerous informative sites as well as books. I do feel like the simplistic writing style and the fast pace story took away from the emotional depth of the characters. Just to clarify, this is a work of fiction but the facts of the story are true.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An 8th grade teacher reads to students yearly
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2021
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Because she made a point to tell me this has been apart of her lessons and she's been teaching 20+ years I wanted to know why!? Very educational for everyone especially in today's time. Compassion is lacking for people no matter the color of your skin, if every race read this then there would be anger but if they look past that its we as people need more compassion for others.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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luciérnaga
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente servicio, llegó antes de lo esperado.
Reviewed in Mexico on September 26, 2021
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En óptimas condiciones el producto.
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El libro está en muy malas condiciones y con pegatinas de haber estado en librería
1.0 out of 5 stars Muy mal
Reviewed in Spain on October 8, 2023
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El libro está en muy mala calidad y con pegatinas de librería
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sophy
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2021
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Absolutely stunning. I was moved and also felt I learnt a great deal about certain aspects of the history of the slave trade. I had certainly never heard of indentureships before. Told from the perspective of a black slave girl and a white indentured girl this is a journey from ignorance to understanding, slavery and the fight for freedom. This book has deservedly won multiple awards and I urge you to read it. It’s my book of the month.
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Black Forest Academy
5.0 out of 5 stars Judgement is a powerful thing...
Reviewed in Germany on May 14, 2020
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"This book is about a girl trapped in the world of slavery. She journeys through the horrors and joys of this world as she grows as a human & woman. Judgement is a powerful thing. It can propel you for the good or bad. Copper Sun causes you to think about not only the cause and effect but also the why. It can be a very hard book to read. You end up journeying through the horror, pain, joy and agony of Amari's life. A good discussion book."
This was the recommendation a student gave me of Copper Sun when we decided to purchase a copy. It's a captivating story that draws in and engages the reader.
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Rosa M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Llegó mucho antes de lo esperado
Reviewed in Mexico on August 25, 2020
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El producto cumplió con mis expectativas y llegó mucho antes de lo esperado
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