Charlie Green and The Underground Railroad by Martyn Blunden
Charlie Green is the sort of boy any parent would want: handsome, good-natured and bold. He lives his life to the full, as full as any 11-year-old can make it. He, along with his siblings Ben and Olivia, share a special secret: a magical aeroplane named Jenny that can take them anywhere they wish to go including back in time! Charlie Green and the Underground Railroad takes them to the scene of the American Civil War in 1862, where they attempt to assist a very brave woman named Harriet Tubman free her sister from slavery. Before the war, Harriet had successfully escaped enslavement herself and was a wanted person with a reward on her head. However, she bravely returned and helped many escape using the secret network of safe houses on the route to a safe northern state of refuge. Suspected of spying for the Union Army, a higher reward is put on Harriets head, making their journey even more perilous. After successfully locating her they set off on their journey, only to be thwarted by Charlies friendly nature to a stranger. Harriet gets arrested and they have to come up with a plan to get her free again. They are dealt a second blow when Oliver, their adult travelling companion, gets forcefully enlisted in the Confederate Army. Now its all down to the kids! How can they outwit senior officers of the Confederate Army of the South before Harriet is shot for spying? The chase to Richmond, the confederate capital, is on! Charlie Green and the Underground Railroad is a thrilling historical novel that will captivate the imaginations of children aged 9+ as well as any adults who might read it with them!