Meet Addy
In 1864, nine-year-old Addy and her mother plan and undertake an escape from slavery after their family is forcibly separated. The short historical novel centers courage and family love without softening enslavement’s violence.
- First published
- 1993
- Reading stage
- For older children
Reading this with your child
Name the system, not only cruelty
Explain that the family’s danger comes from slavery as a legal and economic system, not merely from one cruel enslaver. The sale of Addy’s father and brother makes that structure personal.
Center Addy’s decisions
Track what Addy notices, carries, fears and chooses during the escape. Her courage includes dependence on her mother and on knowledge shared within Black communities.
Use the history section critically
Read the “Looking Back” material after the story and distinguish documented context from Addy’s fictional experience. Ask what the back matter clarifies and what questions require another historical source.
Compare before choosing: Both follow a young girl confronting violent adult authority in a historical setting, but Addy’s fictional story is anchored to the documented system of US slavery and family separation. View the comparison title →
Falling Up
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban