Book 2 in a 7 part series. Family and Friends chart. Information on the time period at the back of the book.

Addy and her mother arrive in Philadelphia to begin life as free people. Everything is new to them in the big city.

Why these books always gotta make me cry?!? This was one was also excellent and reveals a lot about what it might have been like for freed people trying to make their way. I found myself sympathizing a lot with the teacher, Ms. Dunn, who was also a freed slave and then went on to college so she could teach other young children of color. In this installment of Addy's story she learns the true meaning of friendship and self worth. ( )

This is a great book for first, second, or third grade readers. The diction is not too challenging, but still has some sophistication to it. The book is a great insight of how a former slave's life may be and how adjusting to their new world may go. This book could be utilized when learning about slavery or the Underground Railroad. It is also a great text to use to demonstrate the theme of Friendship.

I am a huge fan of t he American Girl series. The writing was engaging and organized, as well as, the character being well developed. The writing was engaging and organized and the characters were well developed for the simple fact that the both reasons were strongly shown. An example of both is when Addy's mother says, "We're in the big city now...and we can;t be trusting strangers." This shows that Addy's mother is smart and knows how to handle new situations, whereas the writing shows the same thing. The main idea of the story is to never be afraid to embark on new journeys, no matter how big or small. The story's there is meaningful and the setting is accurate for the time. For the time period, the characters speak and act in an authentic ways for the time period. ( )