The Underground Railroad

December 1, 2017

Gr 2-4-American Girl Addy appears in a new series that pairs her fictional story with factual information about the Underground Railroad. As an enslaved girl in 1864, Addy lives on the Stevens's plantation and spends long days worming tobacco plants under the eye of a harsh overseer. Her father is planning the family's escape, but when he and Addy's brother are suddenly sold, Addy and her mother must leave on their own. Heartrending descriptions as the family is torn apart and difficult decisions that must be made lend immediacy and tension to the story. The fictional sections, written in Addy's first-person voice, appear in brief two-page sections interspersed with chapters providing basic information about slavery's beginnings in the United States, abolitionists, and how the Underground Railroad operated. The large typeface, black-and-white illustrations, and stories of actual people make the book accessible for beginning readers. VERDICT For readers wanting to dip their toe into learning about historical events, this new series for American Girl fans and beyond will be welcomed for its pairing of fiction and fact.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX

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