Changes for Addy, by Connie Porter, Illustrated by Dahl Taylor
           This book is a continuation of Meet Addy and is the last book in the series. Addy's family is in Philidelphia living with more freedom than they ever had on the plantation. However, the family is not completely reunited because Esther, Addy's baby sister, is not with them. However, Esther's caregivers are bringing her to meet the family in Philadelphia. These caregivers are older and the husband dies right before reaching Addy's family, and the wife dies shortly after giving Esther to her mother. This deeply grieves Addy especially since this couple did not get to enjoy freedom for long after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The book ends with Addy grieving the loss of this couple, but still carrying on with her reading of the Emancipation Proclamation for her church around Christmas time. After her reading, the entire congregation breaks into a joyful celebration.
         
This book is most appropriate for third and fourth graders. It would also be a great book for them to transition from picture storybooks to chapter books. It is a short chapter book that has a few illustrations throughout it. This book also focuses on the importance of freedom and how to grieve the loss of loved ones. I would love to use this book to allow students to see how Addy dealt with the loss of her adopted grandparents because many of them may experience a similar loss at their age. This book also has nonfiction details in the back that explains the real history of slaves claiming their freedom in nineteenth-century America. Therefore, this book would be useful to show a first-person view of the effects of the Emancipation Proclamation and the struggle that slaves had to gain their freedom even after this was signed.