The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft

On My Own History

by Cathy Moore, Mary O'Keefe Young (Illustrator)

On December 21, 1848, Ellen Craft and her husband, William, slipped out into the cold, dark night and took their first steps towards freedom. They were runaway slaves. Posing as a white man traveling with a slave, Ellen courageously boarded a train bound for Philadelphia. Could they actually make it a thousand miles without being discovered? As each tension-filled day passed and freedom got closer, Ellen and William risked everything - even death - to be free.

Genres: History, Biography, Childrens, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this at the library for 50 cents thinking I should take a chance and have my adult students try to read it. It turned out to be a perfect fit for my beginning/struggling/"emerging" readers because it's a great story, the illustrations help with comprehension and decoding new vocabulary, and the subject matter is highly worthy of teaching to adults (i.e., slavery and American history).

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft by Cathy Moore and illustrated by Mary O’Keefe Young is a history story for elementary through middle grade readers. The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft is part of the On My Own History books. Written as a story, this book tells the true tale of how Ellen and William escaped slavery through cunning and Ellen’s fair skin. An excellent book for young readers and educators, I recommend this to parents, children and teachers looking for fun ways to engage with history.

[Janie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost completely sanitized version, but an important story to tell, at any level

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great history book for kids.

[Stephanie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madeline and I read this little book together and loved it! She loves stories about courageous people who overcame obstacles or fought for justice.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crafty! A good synopsis of and/or introduction to: Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom; Or, the Escape of William and Ellen Craft from Slavery to Freedom, 1860.

[Kendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Book is very good for readers of all ages. It shows and tells how slaves were treated in the 1800's. Ellen Craft is a very amazing woman. Find out how she made her daring journey to the North in The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with Angel.

[Alenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to read more about this brave woman!