Meet Addy, by Connie Porter, Illustrated by Dahl Taylor
This American Girl book is set in the mid-1800s during the Civil War. Addy is a young girl who is a slave on a tobacco plantation with her mother, father, older brother, and baby sister. Addy overhears her parents wanting to run away from the plantation to freedom before Master Stevens can split the family up by selling them. However, shortly after this conversion Master Stevens sells her brother and father. So, her mother decides to run away to Philidelphia with Addy. The mother has to leave Addy's baby sister, Esther, behind at the plantation because she would give them away by crying loudly, and they would be captured again. Her baby sister, Esther, remains with two other slaves on the plantation who acted like grandparents for Addy. Addy and her mother face many dangers as they journey through the woods. They are bruised and scratched from the rocks and thorns around them. They hide during the day and travel at night. Additionally, they almost drowned while crossing a rushing river in the night. In the end, they arrive at the safe house and from there travel to Philadelphia to reach freedom. Addy and her mother hold on to the dream of their whole family reuniting in Philadelphia one day.
This book is most appropriate for third and fourth graders to read. I would love to use this book when teaching about the Civil War because of the point of view it offers. The reader has the opportunity to develop empathy by reading about the way that Addy and her family are treated and how they react to situations. This book has the potential to start great conversations about this time period and allows the Civil War to come to life. Additionally, this book is great for transitioning students from picture storybooks to chapter books. This book is divided into chapters and does not have an overwhelming amount of words on each page. There are also a few illustrations scattered throughout the book. Overall, this book is beneficial in developing a deep connection to history and for introducing students to chapter books.