$16.95 (Hardcover)
The Secret to Freedom 
By Marcia Vaughan
Illustrated by Larry Johnson
9781584300212
Lucy is just a young girl when her parents are sold off the plantation where her family lives. Oh, how she wishes things could be different. One day Lucy's older brother, Albert, comes home with something that can make a difference — a sack of quilts. The quilts are part of a secret code, and each different pattern gives important information to slaves planning to escape on the Underground Railroad. When Albert is caught one night helping the runaways, he too must flee, leaving Lucy behind. As he disappears into the darkness, Lucy fears she will never see her brother again.
Set during the years before the Civil War, THE SECRET TO FREEDOM is a testament to the enduring bond of family and a celebration of the human spirit. It is a story of triumph over adversity during a difficult chapter in our country's past. An Author's Note further explains the Underground Railroad quilt code.
- Awards
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Children's Books of the Year
Outstanding Merit
Bank Street College Children's Book Committee
Teacher's Choices
International Reading Association (IRA)
Best Books
K-6 Social Studies
Society of School Librarians International
- Interest Level
- Grades 1 - 5
- Reading Level
- Grades 2 - 3
- Themes
- Art, African/African American Interest, Slavery, United States History
- Accelerated Reader
- Level: 3.7
Points: .5
Marcia Vaughan is an award-winning author of numerous books for children, including Snap!, a Junior Library Guild Selection, Whistling Dixie, an ALA Notable book, and The Secret to Freedom, a Teachers' Choices Award winner published by LEE & LOW BOOKS. A full-time author, Vaughan is a popular speaker at national and regional conferences. She lives in Vashon Island, Washington, with her husband and their son.
Larry Johnson is a fine artist who has illustrated several children's books. He also serves as a Youth Minister at a Baptist church and is cohost of a weekend sports radio show. Johnson and his wife live in Stoughton, Massachusetts. To find out more about Larry Johnson, visit his Web site: larryjohnsonart.com
