"Judi Howe has written a poignant, page-turning story woven through with vital history—about plantation life, slavery, abolitionists, the Underground Railroad, Nat Turner's Rebellion, The Middle Passage, and more. I wish I'd had The Freedom Stone to read when I was a child." Pam Kelley, author, Money Rock,
"The Freedom Stone is a story of triumph of family, friendship, and courage. Full of meticulously researched history, readers are transported into the everyday lives, joys, and fears of enslaved people in Virginia in the 1850s. Teachers will find that The Freedom Stone provides multiple opportunities to help students understand the complex and terrible history of slavery and the people who risked - and even lost - their lives to fight against it." -Todd Miller, M.Ed, 5th Grade History Teacher
"Delivering difficult and complicated content to children with both sensitivity and honesty is no easy feat. Judi Howe's The Freedom Stone does just that. Her book explores a chapter of history our children need to understand - a chapter that is too often ignored or sanitized - through a story that will engage the minds, the hearts, and the imaginations of young readers. I hope this book finds its way onto shelves in schools, libraries, and homes far and wide." -Kathryn Hill, President and CEO, Levine Museum of the New South
"Judi Howe captures the harshness of the life of an enslaved person in the American South - from the fear they faced, to the laborious work endured, and to the discovery of a potentil better life in the North. Howe expertyly connects you to her chracters and the arduous journey Moses, Addie, and Mama undertake to escape from bondage and seek their freedom." -Morgan Pierce, Executive Director, Museum of Culpeper History
"If we don't understand and learn from history, we will not understand when history is being repeated. The Freedom Stone presents an accurate historical detail of what the eperience was like, both on the plantation, and on the path to freedom. This valuable work invites middle-grade readers to put themselves in the shoes of Moses and Addie, two runaway slaves seeking to escape the atrocities of slavery and flee to the North. More importantly, this book will be a useful tool in the classroom for educators who wish to go beyond the all-too-often laundered version of American history." -Howard N. Lee, Founder and President of the Howard N. Lee Institute for Equity and Opportunity in Education