Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

Summary: Young Clara used to work at North Farms with her mother, however, they needed more people over at the Home Plantation, so they took her there, without her mom. Clara was very sad, but she eventually made friends with Young Jack who worked with her in the fields, and Aunt Rachel who taught her how to sew. Aunt Rachel, also helped her become a seamstress so that she didn’t have to work in the fields anymore and instead work in the House. One day she overheard talk of slaves running away to Canada where they can be free forever using the Underground Railroad, only it was hard to escape without a map. So Clara got the idea to make a map quilt that lead to freedom. It took a really long time, but with the help of the other workers, she finished it. Her stitches mapped out the way to the Ohio river and then to Canada. Clara and Young Jack took off one day during a storm, but before they crossed the river, they picked up Clara’s mom and little sister. Clara, Jack, Her mom, and her sister all made it to Canada where they were free. And Clara’s map quilt helped many other slaves reach freedom ,too.

Review: This is great book for ages 6-9, learning about what the underground railroad meant to people, and the significance of a map. This would be a fun, content rich book, to have in my classroom, and the illustrations are beautiful, and are sure to give the students a clear vision of the plantation, the characters, and the amazing quilt that Clara builds.