Nine-year-old Addy Walker escapes from a cruel life of slavery to freedom during the Civil War.

Addy and her mother forego their Christmas plans to help the newly freed slaves arriving in Philadelphia during the Civil War.

Trying to shape a new life of freedom in Philadelphia after having been a slave, Addy finds inspiration from a new friend.

The boy knows that times are tough for his family. Every night, his father goes out hunting with their great coon dog, Sounder, to try to put food on the table. But even with the little they bring back, there is still never enough for the family to eat. When the boy awakens one morning to a sweet-smelling ham on the table, it seems like a blessing. But soon, the sheriff and his deputies come to the house and take the boy’s father away in handcuffs....

Traces the life of the Black woman orator who spoke out against slavery throughout New England and the Midwest.

Describes the origins and practices of Kwanzaa, the seven-day festival during which people of African descent rejoice in their ancestral values