Multicultural Book Review: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

"Young Jack helped me believe I'd get back to my momma someday. Truth was, I'd be lost before I got through the fields, them being so big and all. But I didn't give up dreamin'." - Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: James Ransome

Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. 

Copyright Date: 1993
Number of Pages: 40 pages
Reading Level: Grades 1-3

Genre: Multicultural 

Cost: $7.72 (Amazon)

Rating: ★★★★★

Being separated from family was an unfortunate reality for many slaves, and that is what happened to Clara in the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. She was torn from her family and moved to another plantation to be a field hand. The work was difficult and it left Clara exhausted. An older woman at the plantation saw how tired Clara was, and knew that she wouldn't be able to continue with that work much long. So she taught Clara how to sew. As you read this book, you will see how Clara uses her sewing ability to try to achieve her goal of returning to her family.  

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is a book about slavery and the Underground Railroad, which would make it easy to use in the classroom. This book could be read as an introduction to a unit on slavery, then the students could research different Underground Railroad safe houses with a partner. After researching, the students could draw a map of their safe house and key points near it, such as rivers or fields. Then each pair of students could present their safe house and the map of it so the whole class could learn about the safe houses of the Underground Railroad. 

Book Rating:

	★★★★★	★★★★	★★★	★★	★	COMMENTS
PLOT	Plot is well developed with all five elements of a good plot structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution).	Plot is developed, but lacking one of the five elements of plot structure.	This book has a decent plot, but is lacking two of the five elements of plot structure.	This book has a weak plot that is lacking three of the five elements of plot structure.	This book does not have a defined plot, and is lacking four or more of the five elements of plot structure.	★★★★★ I give Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt five stars for plot. By using the five elements of good plot structure, this book tells an intriguing story about Clara, a slave, and what she does to get back to her mom.
CHARACTER	The characters are well developed, have personality, and are believable.	Characters are well rounded, but lack in personality or they are not totally believable.	Characters are somewhat developed, and lack in personality or they are not totally believable.	The characters are underdeveloped, lack in depth and are not believable.	The characters are not developed   so the readers cannot connect to the book.	★★★★★ I give Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt five stars for the characters. This book is written from Clara's point of view, which allows the reader to get better insight about her thoughts, which makes her a well-developed and believable character.
PACING	The story flows freely and is not rushed or slow.	The story moves freely for the most part, but there are a few spots where it feels rushed or slow.	The story moves freely for about half of the book, but the other half is rushed or slow.	The story often moves too fast or too slow and does not move freely.	There is no pacing in the story, which makes it difficult to read.	★★★★★ I give Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt five stars for pacing. This book tells part of the story of Clara's life, and, due to the well-developed plot, the story flows freely.

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