MEET ADDY

An African-American, widely praised for her first adult novel (All-Bright Court, 1991), initiates a series about a girl born in slavery and growing up during Reconstruction. This first book is not so much plotted as planned to exemplify carefully researched experiences: after Addy's father and older brother are sold in 1864, she and Momma easily follow Poppa's plan to flee from North Carolina to Philadelphia, with just a couple of suspenseful episodes en route. A number of grim details are included (Addy knows hunger, an overseer once forces her to eat tobacco worms, and the whip is a constant threat), but the emphasis is on the courage, love, and solidarity of Addy's family (Momma's charitable words when half her family's just been sold stretch credulity). An authentic (if slightly bland), accessible story for those who aren't ready for the grim reality of books like Paulsen's Nightjohn (p. 67). Touching, well-crafted realistic paintings; historical note. (Fiction. 8-12)