Addy is a young black girl who has recently escaped with her mother from a plantation in the south. Weeks before her escape her father and brother were sold to another plantation owner, and they left her baby sister behind with her aunt and uncle. Addy is a very smart and very mature girl who only wants one thing for her family to be be together again in the free land of the north. Addy and her mother reach free ground safely and and with the feeling of bittersweet happiness, ready to start their lives as free people. The only thing that is missing is the rest of her family, because they are still slaves on plantations. Addy and her mother settle in Philadelphia ready to start their new lives. Addy is very happy about beginning her new life, because she knows her life will be better in Philadelphia. Soon after her mother finds a jobs working in a dress shop for Ms. Ford. They live in a room above the dress shop that Ms. Ford. has given them.
Addy is excited about the new things that are to come. Through the church Addy meets a girl named Sarah and they become very good friends. Sarah shows Addy around Philadelphia and introduces her to all her friends. Addy starts school and she is thrilled beyond belief, she will have a chance to learn to read and write. Addy loves going to school and she loves her teacher, but the one thing that does not please Addy is the girl everyone hates, Harriet. Harriet is very smart, popular and her family is wealthy. Addy is jealous of Harriet because Harriet has the life Addy thought she should have when she arrived in Philadelphia. Although Addy does not like Harriet she wants to be her friend, because she is the popular one with all the friends, and Addy wants to be a Harriet clone. The only problem is Addy can not be friends with both Harriet and Sarah, because Sarah does not approve of the things Harriet does. Addy’s dilemma makes her find the meaning of true friendship.
Although Addy and her mother have a better life then on the plantation, they feel it could be better. Addy’s mother does not make much money working in the dress shop, but the one thing she has a lot to give her daughter is love. Addy quickly learns to read and write. Now she is able to help find the rest of her family. Her mother and her are reunited with her father. The three of them set out to find the whereabout of the rest of their family. Addy is a big help, because she is able to read information sent out by the organization on run away slaves. She also writes letter to the same organizations to give information on what her brother, sister, and aunt and uncle look like and their last whereabout.
Addy’s brother is reunited with the family, when they spot him in a parade honoring the soldiers who fought in the war. In the war he lost his arm, but it doesn’t matter to him because he is alive and with his family on free soil. The only piece that was missing now is their sister and aunt and uncle. Time had passed and they heard bits and pieces about description that sounded liked them, but nothing ever came out of it. One day Addy’s mother was in the church and saw an old lady and a child. She thought it couldn’t be, but it was her daughter and her sister. They had made it to free land. Everyone was together again, except her uncle who could not survive the trip. His body was to weak. In the end Addy has everything she needs to make her happiness come true, her family and her freedom.
Lesson for Addy Book Series
Objective:
-
1) Student will complete a family tree
-
2) Students will piece together a quilt that expresses something special about their family.
Materials: pieces of cloth, colored fabric glue, fabric glue, filling
Method: Students will be given a worksheet to complete their family tree. Students will draw a picture of something special about their family members.
Students will then redraw the pictures on the cloth with the fabric glue, and let dry. Then the students will glue pieces together to tell a story about their family. Students will then cut out a piece of cloth that measures the same size to glue for the back of the quilt.
Glue three sides of the quilt together, before gluing fourth side stuff with light amount of filling, and then glue side together.