Stealing Freedom

Gr 5–8—The Underground Railroad takes center stage in Elisa Carbone's story of the Weems family who live as slaves in Maryland in the mid 1800s. John, the father, is a free man, but the rest of his family is owned, mistreated, and sold whenever the master feels like it. After three sons are sold, John buys freedom for his wife and one daughter with the help of the Vigilance Committee, a group of northerners dedicated to helping slaves escape. The master refuses to sell the Weems's 12-year-old daughter, Ann Maria. Determined to obtain freedom for his entire family, John secures passage for Ann Maria on the Underground Railroad with the help of a white abolitionist so that she can join the family in Canada. To survive the journey, Ann Maria is cleverly disguised as a boy who works as a horse and carriage driver. Carbone's historical novel is based on the life of a slave named Anna Marie Weems and much of the information has been culled from primary source documents. Robin Miles's narration is strong, but a bit bland, and utilizes some unusual pronunciations for homographs (primer, short-lived). That aside, this , compelling audiobook t, will be useful in social studies classes serving upper elementary and middle school students.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA