Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar - ESSENTIAL

Never Caught: The Story of Ona Judge (Young Readers Edition) by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve, 252 pages. NON-FICTION. Aladdin (Simon and Schuster), 2019. $19.  9781534416178

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Ona Judge was a slave of the Washington’s and was highly regarded by Martha and George. The Washingtons felt like they treated Ona well and for this reason they were devastated and angry when Ona ran away. Ona, despite being relatively well treated, was a slave and for that reason alone found the courage to run.

I find it so exciting that this next generation of readers will grow up with books that challenge them and offer complexities and dualities that they must examine critically. These young readers learn about George Washington in the context of being the president, but a book like this offers a competing image of the Washingtons as slave owners.  

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher