Stealing Freedom

by Elisa Carbone

Overview

Inspired by a true story, the riveting novel of a young slave girl's harrowing escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

The moment Ann Maria Weems was born, her freedom was stolen from her. Like her family and the other slaves on the farm, Ann works from sunup to sundown and obeys the orders of her master. Then one day, Ann's family — the only joy she knows — is gone. Just 12 years old, Ann is overcome by grief, struggling to get through each day. And her only hope of stealing back her freedom and finding her family lies in a perilous journey: the Underground Railroad.

Ann Maria Weems was an actual slave who lived in the mid-1800s near the author's home in Maryland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780440417071
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/09/2001
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	92,991
Product dimensions:	5.19(w) x 7.63(h) x 0.65(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elisa Carbone has lectured about Ann Maria Weems's life to teachers and historians.

Table of Contents

	The Life and Works of Elisa Carbone	v
	Time Line of Slavery and the Underground Railroad in the United States	vi
	The Historical Context of Stealing Freedom--The Underground Railroad	viii
	Characters in Stealing Freedom	xii
	Echoes	xvi
	Illustrations	xviii
Chapter 11
Chapter 28
Chapter 319
Chapter 427
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 1-4	30
Chapter 532
Chapter 637
Chapter 742
Chapter 849
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 5-8	56
Chapter 958
Chapter 1063
Chapter 1167
Chapter 1274
Chapter 1378
Chapter 1484
Chapter 1588
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 9-15	91
Chapter 1693
Chapter 1799
Chapter 18105
Chapter 19114
Chapter 20120
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 16-20	130
Chapter 21132
Chapter 22137
Chapter 23143
Chapter 24148
Chapter 25152
Chapter 26156
Chapter 27162
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 21-27	171
Chapter 28173
Chapter 29182
Chapter 30192
Chapter 31195
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 28-31	202
Chapter 32204
Chapter 33209
Chapter 34213
Chapter 35218
Chapter 36223
	Respond to the Selection, Chapters 32-36	230
	Author's Note	232
	Plot Analysis of Stealing Freedom	237
	Related Readings
	from Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938	241
	"Harriet Jacob Owns Herself"	245
	"Many Thousand Go"	257
	"Song of the Fugitive Slave"	259
	"I Have a Dream"	263
	Creative Writing Activities	268
	Critical Writing Activities	270
	Projects	272
	Glossary of Words for Everyday Use	274
	Handbook of Literary Terms	281
	Acknowledgments	284

Editorial Reviews

"A deftly crafted story with a strong, appealing heroine." — School Library Journal, Starred

"Imaginatively and sensitively adapted from historical records, [Stealing Freedom] will evoke admiration for the courage of both those who resisted slavery and those who endured it." — Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Riveting . . . a thrilling and hopeful novel." — Columbus Dispatch

From the Publisher

In a starred review,PW called this novel, based on the life of a slave who disguised herself as a boy and escaped at age 13, "dramatic, often poignant." Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 6-10--A deftly crafted story, based on the life of Ann Maria Weems, who was born into slavery in Maryland in the 1840s. Despite the grim realities of her situation, Ann Maria grows up secure in the love of her family. However, her master's debts are many and so her beloved brothers are sold without warning. Abolitionists are able to buy the freedom of the rest of the family, but the master refuses to part with Ann Maria. She suffers regularly at the hands of her mistress, a woman barren, it seems, in both body and soul. At first, Ann Maria nearly succumbs to depression and grief but gradually begins to carve out a life of her own as best she can. She surreptitiously teaches herself to read and falls in love with a neighbor's slave, Alfred. She promises never to leave without him, but there is nothing she can do when she is "kidnapped" by abolitionists and has no way to contact him. Carbone then details the actual route the young woman took and the dangers she faced on the Underground Railroad to Canada. While it is known that the real Alfred escaped to freedom, it is not known whether he and Ann Maria were ever reunited. But there is one source that has led some to believe that they eventually married and it is upon this joyful note that the tale concludes. In the author's note, Carbone sketches the extent of her exhaustive research and provides as much further data on the characters as possible. This is a fine piece of historical fiction with a strong, appealing heroine.--Peggy Morgan, The Library Network, Southgate, MI

School Library Journal

This compelling tale of a passenger on the Underground Railroad is entirely populated with historical figures; not since Gary Paulsen's Nightjohn (1993) has the physical and emotional impact of slavery been made so palpable.

Kirkus Reviews

In this story of a young girl’s escape from slavery via the Underground Railroad—based on the true story of Ann Maria Weems—Robin Miles brings the struggles and triumphs of one slave family to life with her expressive voice and emotional reading. Miles captures the vocal cadences of these Maryland slaves, and her deep tones, even and tempered but never meek, transport the listener into their lives. The stilted Irish brogue of the Prices, the family that owns Ann and her family, is a counterpoint to the voices of the close-knit Weems family. As Ann, assisted by abolitionists, makes her escape to Canada, she encounters many who help her—from the lawyer Mr. Bigelow, who is portrayed in a straightforward, relaxed voice, to the minister who accompanies Ann on the train across the border, whose voice is alternately weary and full of excitement at his part in securing her freedom. E.N. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2012 - AudioFile