Addy Learns a Lesson

Author: Connie Porter

 Susan Wojciechowski (Author)

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Illustrator:  Melodye Rosales, and vignettes by: Renee Graff and Jane S. Varda

Publishing information: (First Scholastic Printing, October 1994, Ages 9-12)

Number of Pages: 69 pages

Genre: Fiction (with a nonfiction history segment at the end)

Summary of Plot:

            Addy Walker had just come from being a slave on a southern plantation. Her mother and her had sailed on a boat to Philadelphia. They were waiting for an arranged escort into the city. They helped them find a home to stay in. They lived in a small room above a seamstress shop. Her mother found work at the shop. Mrs. Ford was the house and shop owner. She was strict. Addy was bored during the days to start with. Soon she went to school with a girl named sarah (who she met on the pier) Sarah and Addy became friends. Addy wanted to become a friend to the popular girl named Harriet. Harriet and Addy were desk partners. Addy wore the same dress to school every day, whereas Harriet always wore fancy clothing. Sarah helped Addy learn how to read and write, reinforcing what the school teacher, Ms. Dunn, was teaching her. In addition to that, Addy taught her mother how to read and write.

On the day of a spelling match, a beautiful blue dress, made by Addy’s mother, was given to Addy. She got to wear that proudly to school that day. Harriet, as Addy discovered, turned to be mean and using. At the end of the book Addy beat Harriet, a very good speller, in the spelling match. She won the whole competition.   Sarah and Addy renewed their friendship, which they had severed because of Harriet’s supposedly friendly association with Addy.

           

My Reaction to the book: 

            I like the Historic feel it had to it. I really like this series. I think that young girls can learn valuable lessons from these books. The line that hit me the most was in the very back of the book, “They knew that education meant true freedom-that education opened the door to better jobs and better lives.” Education does have a powerful effect on the freedoms we have in life.

Potential Problems:

            Lying, discrimination, hate, prideful people, and other time period talk are expressed in this book.

Recommendations:

            For girls who like the Civil War era, this is a great representation of it. It has great lessons, and information about that time period. The pictures add a nice touch to the book because they almost look life-like. The plot flows very well, and it is not unnatural. Things that happened in the book, did happen in real life. The title suits the book extremely well.