If you haven't already heard about the American Girls Collection, it's about time you should! The A.G.C. deals with girls from the past, each girl a different series, covering 6 books... Addy is one of the best of the girls! a former slave, she excaped and made it to Philidelphia-- This play has to do with her life throughout the books, or to be more specific, a small scene out of an average day of her life... Not only do I highly recremend you buy this fun, educational skit-kit, I suggest you go and buy the series of her books as well-- Hand-in-hand they go together (altho' they are plenty enjoyable on their own!) , and make your daughter feel like she's right along in the time-period... Buy this Play-Kit and the American Girls Collection books of Addy today! :)

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Addy Walker, a nine-year-old African-American girl living in the America of 1864. In this book, Addy's parents are preparing to have a church wedding (such being forbidden when they were slaves), and Addy wants to do something special for them. With the help of her teacher, Miss Dunn, and her blind friend M'dear, she decides to make them a quilt, but what special appliqué should she add?

This book is a wonderful peek into the lives of American's of African descent, their lives both during slavery and after. The final chapter is a fascinating look at weddings in 1864, followed by instructions for making a Love-ly pillow. This is another wonderful book, one that shows off the talent of Connie Rose Porter (the author) and Dahl Taylor and Susan McAliley (the illustrators). My daughter and I both loved this book, and highly recommend it to you.

''How stupid I was that night. . . . Thinking he really liked me. As fat as I am. As black as I am. As much as my body look like it ain't never supposed to be loved by no boy.'' --Tasha, IMANI ALL MINE

IMANI ALL MINE is a beautifully written story about a smart 15 year old girl that refuses to be anyone's stereotype of a young unwed mother.

All too often society is quick to disregard or deem as unimportant the suffering and yearning of poor African-American teenage mothers. People may try to paint Tasha as a victim but she trancends the lable, refusing to apply it to herself as she carves out a life for herself and her young daughter in her tough inner city neighborhood.

Tasha's life isn't one that you'll see portrayed on Dawson's Creek, she lives a seperate reality where there are no cotillions or first dates. Porter has an excellent ear for urban dialogue and infuses Imani with a compassionate spirit that speaks to the heart of the reader. IMANI ALL MINE is a touching story that I would highly recommend to anyone.

Let me start off by saying Ms. Porter did a WONDERFUL job with this book. Me and my mother both read this book and cried like a baby at the end. This book was very touching. In the beginning we are introduced to Tasha who finds herself a mother while in high school. Tasha isn't your average teenager. She wants more to life for her baby (Imani) and herself. She wants more than what the streets has to offer you (which is a bullet in your head, or crack in your mouth). Tasha is a very bright young woman that loves her baby so much. Imani actually keeps Tasha sane in a crazy world. From the time you find out Imani's daddy to Tasha dealing with her own demons you are hooked on this book. I thought Tasha's momma didn't really care to much for Imani AT FIRST. But by the end of the book you will see just how much she really cared for her. This book deals with the hard truth of loving someone more that you love yourself. It deals with the day to day struggle of raising a child on your own without being old enough to even have a job. It deals with having dreams bigger than what your eyes can see and reaching for your goals higher than the stars. I really enjoyed this book, but I was frozen at the end. I sat on my bed a cried to the very end. It was a touching and caring book about love and death and moving on. GREAT JOB!

I loved this book and couldn't put it down from page one. Tasha was so real, empathetic, and totally absorbing. Her tragic story is of a teen mother of the innercity has an universality that touches all. Her struggle to do the right thing for herself and her baby make her an admirable heroine of the first order. Her pride makes her so typical of so many with so little, she is so human. Ms. Porter has successfully created an unforgettable American tragedy that is behind today's headlines. I recommend this to all who care about why the violence and crime of the innercity is so rampant. It puts a very human face to a very common yet unique life. As Steinbeck did for the Okies of the Dustbowl - Porter gives us Tasha and Imani, victims of life in the projects today. Oprah needs to find this book.

"Meet Addy" is an excellent book that deals with different cultural backgrounds and diversity. This book is about a family who are slaves on a Plantation, and Addy is a little girl who has to grow up fast. Her father and brother are sold to another plantation owner, so the family is split up. Addy and her Mom venture into the dark woods in hopes of reaching "freedom", and Addy demonstrates so much courage during their journey. Does Addy and her Mom reach the boat that will carry them to freedom? You must read the book to find out.

Meet Addy: An American Girl is about a young girl named Addy whose family are all slaves. This story is told from Addy's perspective about her family's hardships. This story is interesting and keeps the reader's attention. The author uses language that creates vivid images in the reader's mind. The illustrator also uses small pictures in the margins to give a better idea of what the author is speaking about. This book gives the reader the opportunity to experience what a child living in slavery went through. This book is the first book in a series of books about the life of Addy. There are other books about American girls from different eras in history. After reading this book I would like to finish the series on Addy. I recommend reading this book to find out about Addy especially if you are a child. However, I'm an adult, and I enjoyed it too.

Meet Addy: An Amwerican Girl is about a young girl named Addy whose family are all slaves. This story is told from Addy's perspective about her family's hardships. This story is interesting and keeps the reader's attention. The author uses language that creates vivid images in the reader's mind. The illustrator also uses small pictures in the margins to give a better idea of what the author is speaking about. This book gives the reader the opportunity to experience what a child living in slavery went through. This book is the first book in a series of books about Addy. I recommend reading this book to find out about Addy especially if you are a child. However, adults can enjoy it too.

This was a pretty good book. After a few chapters I lost the story line. But it's a good read and everyone should pick it up.

this was a good book, i especially liked the family scenes between samuel and the rest of the family, they were so funny, i didn't like how mikey starting changing after going to the all white school.the only thing that i didn'tlike about this book, was that some of the chapter seemed like short stories instead of part of the novel.

throughout the 20th century, blacks saw the northern united states as an area where they could go to be the people they couldn't be down south, under the cover of jim crow; they arrived in droves, finding work in factories, often living in tenements that were substandard, yet a far cry from the dilapidated accomodations they endured in the south. some blacks went on to live pretty good lives, others barely survived, often feeling as if they gave their soul to the devil to live like white people...

connie got it right: the language, the speech, the atmosphere, the feeling of time and place black people lived. the book starts out with a monstrously good first chapter, introducing samuel as an orphan working in a resteraunt saving up enough money to go north, and the strory gets stronger from there. he goes north and sends for his bride, mary kate, who is idealistic, yet is aware of a black person's place in white society. they go on to have a family, their oldest son, mikey, turns out to be gifted and gets the chance to go to private school, but in an attempt to better himself, he loses site of his identity. samuel and mary kate are aware of this, but at the same time, they encourage him to better himself, looking to him as a ticket to a better life.

it was interesting the way connie portrayed the two young black males, mikey and issac: mikey becomes educated and sophicticated and eventually becomes ashamed of his blackness, while issac, the same age as mikey, is ruined by the public school system and spirals downward into ruin. some the black people in the novel try hard to adapt to " whiteness" in order to survive. issac, in one scene cuts lawns for one of the bosses,and when he offers samuel the chance to make some extra money( their steel mill is on strike ) samuel refuses, calling issac an " uncle tom " and vows never to be " a white man's n----r. " there is another scene which mary kate is getting mikey ready for his first day at prep school; she checks to see if he is totally clean, finds out he isn't and proceeeds to scrub his body with clorox. that scene was very disturbing, just to show the lengths black people will go to keep up with whites... connie also did her homework in regards to the steelworkers and the life they lead: it's like you're working with them first hand. she also touches on quite a few other issues, most notably the racism blacks have for other races. this becomes apparent when she brings spanish characters into the all bright court. spanish people can be either black or white but are often look down on by some blacks and whites. the book reminds me of " the women of brewster place, " because of the tone and the way the chapters are set up. the writing is flawless,poetic and beautiful. in the chapter " november 22, 1963 " she talks about the kennedy assaination, but doesn't address it directly, instead she speaks through metaphors. you will never look at cotton or snakes the same way again...this book has a healthy dose of black folklore and magical realism. i can see why it got the praise it deserved.

The Addy Short Stories aren't as good as the big books, but they are good. This Addy book touched my heart and I wanted to read it again. Addy, a young black girl who lived in the time of the Civil War, has a mystery to solve. Her friend, Sarah Moore has a cousin who is instantly a magnet to Addy's big brother, Sam. Her own brother doesn't seem to have any time for her! Why is Daniel acting hurt and mysterious? It's up to Addy to solve this mystery.

"Addy's Little Brother" combines a story by Connie Porter with illustrations by Gabriella Delossa and Dahl Taylor. It is part of the "American Girls Short Stories" series of books for young readers. This volume tells a story about Addy, an African-American girl who lives in Philadelphia in 1864. As the plot unfolds, Addy becomes jealous of the relationship between her older brother Sam and Daniel, a young boy who has recently moved to the city.

Porter tells her story well, and makes effective use of black vernacular English in the characters' dialogue. Like the other volumes in this series, this book includes an "About the Author" page and other educational supplements. The "Peek into the Past" section is an informative look at African-American churches in 1864. This article is illustrated with historic photos, and discusses such topics as the churches' relationship to the abolitionist movement. The "American Girls Pastime" supplement includes instructions on how to make letter cookies. Overall, a solid entry in a consistently enjoyable and educational series.

A terrific set of short stories for young readers. My 8 year old loves the fact that these books are small and fun to read, she enjoyed every single one! I would encourage any reader to get your hands on these, just the right size, especially for bedtime, full of FUN Books.

I think the American Girl series are very interesting, learning about the past your in a fantastic adventure. I started reading one book just to see if I might like it, now I'm almost through the series!!! Learning new information while having fun is a very important thing in an education.