Scan barcode
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
A story told in verse of living in and the escaping slavery. Grace and her family make their way to the Great Dismal Swamp to love as hinterland maroons. Captivating and well told. Grace has a fire in her that young readers will identify with.
amelia_herring's review against another edition
4.0
Well-written, compelling story of a young girl working on a plantation.
acourtofreading's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a perfect book to introduce middle school and upper elementary students to slavery from the perspective of someone their own age. It was written in simple, yet expressive language that demonstrated just how hard it was to be a slave, to keep your head down when people were constantly belittling and mistreating you simply because your skin happened to be a different color.
hamckeon's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't love this book, though I found learning about the maroons interesting. I usually do like novels in verse, but I didn't think the poetry added anything to the story. Also, I am okay with writing in dialect but having "what" replace "that" so many times bothered me for some reason. Those are just my nitpicks.
kayharkness's review against another edition
5.0
Compelling, riveting, realistic, heartbreaking tale based on the tragic reality of slavery. Did not know the plot of the story before picking it up as it came highly recommended. Incredible storytelling and left me feeling very humbled by the reality of the situation. Highly recommend this book.
makennabrown's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
librariandest's review against another edition
5.0
I remember being a young kid learning about slavery and thinking something along the lines of, "Why would anyone accept being a slave?" At the time I didn't understand a lot of things. I didn't understand the drive to stay alive, even if it means living under unbearable conditions. I didn't understand what it means to be born into a culture that denies your humanity. If I had had the opportunity to read this book back then, I think it would've helped me understand the psychological shackles of slavery, not just the literal ones.
Grace is nine years old and has always lived with her mother in slave quarters on a tobacco plantation. But now Grace is being forced to live and work in the Big House serving the white Master and Missus. It's just on the other side of the hill from her family, but it means Grace won't see her mother. And it means Grace will be scrutinized by the hateful Missus. Through poetry, the reader feels Grace's fear, her intense love for her mother, and also her desire to speak her mind even though it's forbidden. When Grace discovers the Master and Missus intend to sell her mother and brothers at a slave auction, she finds the courage to try to save her family.
This story is based on new research about the Great Dismal Swamp, a seemingly uninhabitable area in Virginia and North Carolina that was a refuge for people escaping slavery. You can read more about it here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/?no-ist
Grace is nine years old and has always lived with her mother in slave quarters on a tobacco plantation. But now Grace is being forced to live and work in the Big House serving the white Master and Missus. It's just on the other side of the hill from her family, but it means Grace won't see her mother. And it means Grace will be scrutinized by the hateful Missus. Through poetry, the reader feels Grace's fear, her intense love for her mother, and also her desire to speak her mind even though it's forbidden. When Grace discovers the Master and Missus intend to sell her mother and brothers at a slave auction, she finds the courage to try to save her family.
This story is based on new research about the Great Dismal Swamp, a seemingly uninhabitable area in Virginia and North Carolina that was a refuge for people escaping slavery. You can read more about it here: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/?no-ist
lbrauz's review against another edition
5.0
Grace is such a powerful female character!! Grateful to have known her for a bit while reading this book!
dogtrax's review against another edition
4.0
Grace is someone worth caring about, and Berg's use of verse is a way inside Grace's head as she and her family try to make their way to Freedom as a Maroon.