I enjoyed reading Copper Sun. I found it enlightening, thought provoking, and appropriate for the audience for whom it was written. I have been taught about the history of slavery but I had never seen slavery through the eyes of one of its victims. It is one thing to be told slavery is wrong, but Copper Sun was very effective in showing exactly how wrong it is. Even after years of learning about the inhumanity of the slave trade, I was still surprised by some of the descriptions Draper gave. The slave auction was especially powerful to me because I live near Charleston and have stood in the same place where Amari was sold. The circumstances of our visits to Charleston are so drastically different that while I read I found it difficult to compare the place I know and love to the setting described in Draper’s novel.
I appreciated Draper’s description of the initial kidnapping of the Africans from their villages and the journey up until they were forced onto the slave ships. I have heard many stories about the horrible conditions faced by slaves aboard the ships and on the plantations, but this was the first time I have heard about what they had to go through before they even began the trip across the ocean.
I think this is an important book for teens because it gives not only a realistic view of the evils of slavery, but also a clear message of hope and overcoming obstacles. Everyone should learn the truth about slavery so we can be sure never to repeat history. Draper helps educate teens about the past while giving them hope for their future. Copper Sun’s message of hope can be applied to the difficulties teenagers face during the transitional period of their lives. Though the obstacles they face may not be as large as those faced by Amari and Polly, they too can hope for the future while facing the unknown.
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