Books like My name is not Friday by Jon Walter
During the Civil War, free African American brothers Samuel and younger Joshua live in an orphanage. When Samuel takes responsibility for Joshua’s prank, he is sent south, given a new name, and sold into slavery. Facing both the brutality of bondage and the chaos of war, Samuel must endure captivity and fight for survival, all while longing to reunite with his brother.
The narrative follows Samuel’s struggles and resilience as he navigates the harsh realities of slavery, the hope of freedom, and the bonds that keep him moving forward.
Through Samuel’s journey, the story portrays the plight of enslaved youth, the power of brotherly love, and the enduring fight for liberty in a time of division.
First publish date: 2016
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: Jon Walter
★
★
★
★
★
0.0 (0 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for My name is not Friday by Jon Walter are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to My name is not Friday (24 similar books)
During World War II, a foster girl in Nazi Germany steals books to share with neighbors and a hidden Jewish man, proving literature’s power to nourish the soul amid darkness.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A verse novel that follows a ten‑year‑old Vietnamese girl’s first year in the United States in 1975, as she navigates language, culture, bullying, and family change while yearning for home.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Mexican farm workers must adjust to life in California during the Great Depression.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Three teenagers from different eras and continents embark on perilous journeys to escape war, persecution, and tyranny, each facing drowning, bombings and betrayal, yet their stories converge, showing that hope endures across time and borders.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In a tense sixty seconds, a young boy faces a choice that will determine whether he seeks revenge for his brother’s death or walks away from violence.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When the Taliban seize Kabul, 11‑year‑old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy to become her family’s breadwinner and survive the harsh restrictions on Afghan women.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Teenage slave Isabel navigates the American Revolution in New York, using her wit and the help of a Patriot spy to fight for her and her sister’s freedom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In the early‑1800s Charleston, a young enslaved woman named Handful and a free white girl, Sarah Grimke, forge a bond that transforms their lives, as they confront slavery, gender oppression, and the fight for abolition.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Daniel narrates his family's persecution by the Nazis, detailing his time in a concentration camp and eventual liberation during the Holocaust.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Addy, a young girl of African American heritage, discovers friendship and the power of a birthday in 1865 Philadelphia, facing racial prejudice.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A collection of diaries, letters, and manuscripts follows Octavian, a young African American raised as part of a scientific experiment, through his first sixteen years amid the Revolutionary War.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Eleven‑year‑old Zelda lives in Australia with her grandfather, Holocaust‑survivor Felix Salinger, while her physician‑parents work in Africa. A tragic disaster forces the family to confront buried memories of Felix’s first childhood love.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Nine-year-old Grace uncovers the harsh reality of slavery and defies her masters, ultimately escaping with her family into the Dismal Swamp to join other fugitive slaves.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
An orphan girl in 18th century London battles to save a young slave from a cruel master.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A young slave boy named 47 in the World War II‑era plantation of Georgia is haunted by oppression, but a mysterious runaway slave named Tall John sparks a fight for liberty—a compelling blend of history and speculative magic.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
During the early Civil War, a twelve‑year‑old boy from Maryland’s Eastern Shore risks everything to guide an escaped slave toward safety.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
When a death sentence is narrowly avoided, Octavian Nothing and his tutor must flee Boston for refuge while British forces loom; hopeful freedom arrives in Lord Dunmore’s proclamation, sparking adventures along the Virginia coast amid the Revolutionary War.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
During the Civil War, 12‑year‑old slave Gabriel dreams of becoming a jockey while navigating a cruel trainer, Confederate soldiers, and the harsh realities of Kentucky plantations.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Sarny, a life remembered follows former slave Sarny as she uses the literacy skills Nightjohn taught her to empower others during the Reconstruction era, living out a full life until age ninety-four.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Anne Rinaldi’s historical novel follows Oney Judge, lifelong servant and slave of Martha Washington, as she confronts her bondage and contemplates escape to actual freedom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A courageous young black woman, Oney Judge, breaks free from slavery in George and Martha Washington’s household and charts a daring path to liberty as a free woman.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In 1849, Chinese American girl Samantha seeks to escape tragedy, disguising herself with runaway slave Annamae as male adventurers on the Oregon Trail toward California’s gold rush.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In *Juneteenth for Mazie*, a young girl learns that true freedom means more than staying up late; her father shares the historic celebration of Juneteenth and the legacy of her ancestors in Texas.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After his sharecropper father's death leaves his family in debt, twelve‑year‑old Little Charlie follows the brutal overseer Cap’n Buck north to recover stolen money, only to confront the very fugitives he seeks.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
Trouble Don’t Last by Megan McDonaldThe Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Have a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!