Nolen, Jerdine Calico Girl.
192 pages. Paula
Wiseman (Simon & Schuster), 2017.
$16.99. Content: Language: G (0
swears) Mature Content: PG Violence: G.
It is 1861 and twelve-year-old Callie lives with her family
on a plantation in Virginia. Her father,
Hampton is a free man, but he stays on the plantation with the rest of his
family who are not. Although the Civil
War has begun, Virginia ratifies their vote to secede from the Union and no
longer adheres to the laws of the United States. Callie and her family leave the plantation
and journey to Fort Monroe, which has become a refuge for slaves. It is here where Callie gets to attend school
for the first time and she and her family experience true freedom.
The book begins with a timeline of slavery in the United
States which gives a historical background for the story. While I enjoy the book being told from the
perspective of an enslaved child, I found it to be a slow read. While middle schoolers may not voluntarily
take this book out for their personal reading, it is a good resource to have for
students studying slavery and the Civil War.
MS – ADVISABLE.
Reviewer: Nancy W.
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