This Coretta Scott King award-winning book teaches about the underground railroad. Told from the unique perspective of a hand-made doll, called Sally by her owner Lindy, Sally witnesses the beating of the young girl who is her owner. The doll also tells the tale of Lindy's father who is severely beaten when he tries to escape and find a way for his family to become connected to the underground railroad.

The story gives credit to white people who risked their property and lives by helping those who desperately need to flee from the brutal life of long days working in the fields picking cotton with no water and very little food, and the harsh treatment by those who claim to "own" those who work for them.

When the ability for the family to flee occurs, they are almost discovered in the cellar of those who are helping them. In rushing to escape, the doll is left behind. Later, another young girl whose family is also finding freedom by the help of kind people who run the "railroad" to freedom in the northern states. ( )

Almost to Freedom is an imaginative story of the Underground Railroad told from the POV of a rag doll who becomes an observer to all the things that are happening to her little girl, Lindy, and her family. She sees Lindy’s father taken away for trying to escape, and then sees Lindy beaten by the plantation’s overseer. Then one night, Lindy and her mother steal away and are later reunited with her father, before taking a dangerous journey across the river and through the woods to a home where kind white people hide them in their cellar. But when slave catchers come searching, they, once again, run, leaving the little doll behind, wondering what’s next for her.

I’ve been searching for good diverse children’s literature that will teach kids about various aspects of history, and I can say that this would be a good book to help them learn about slavery and the Underground Railroad. It can be difficult to find a balance between a story being realistic but also appropriate for younger readers, and I think this one found that balance. It shows how slaves were mistreated and the dangerous reality of attempting escape, but manages to do so in a relatively gentle way that hopefully wouldn’t upset children. This is accomplished in part by telling the story from the doll’s POV, which is definitely an imaginative and different way to narrate. Colin Bootman’s illustrations won the Coretta Scott King Award and I can see why. They are extremely well-drawn and a beautiful complement to the story. My only issue with the book is that, because the little doll was dropped in their haste to leave, the reader never finds out what happened to Lindy and her family. After reading the author’s note at the end of the story, which explains her inspiration for writing it, I understood why she wrote it the way she did, but I still couldn’t help being just a little disappointed. Otherwise, Almost to Freedom is a good book that I would recommend to anyone who wants to teach kids about slavery and the Underground Railroad. ( )

I really liked this book and thought it was a heartwarming story. I love the fact that the story was from the perspective of the girls doll. I think that this story would be good to use in a history class because it gives incite into what it was like for African American children during this time period. I think the use of the doll will help more children to feel connected to the story. ( )

I thought this book was amazing for good elementary readers. This story was written from a young slave girls rag doll, made by her mom, Miz Lindy. The little girl goes through some pretty bad things but the story was really good. ( )

This story was written in the perspective of a young slave girls rag doll. Her doll was made by her mother Miz Lindy. The doll explains her and Lindy's road to freedom. The cruelty that the little girl endures is very upsetting so I do not think that I would read this book to younger students. The message is a very good one. At one point Lindy's family is staying with people that will house them before they go on the underground railroad. When the house gets raided poor Lindy leaves Sally (the doll) behind. The doll is left in the cellar for years and years, but one day a new family moves in another girl named Willa adopts her. Sally then lives many years alone and lonely in the white family’s cellar until a new family of slaves on the run appear, and a little girl adopts Sally as her own doll. i enjoyed that the story was written in the perspective of a doll because it is more enjoyable for a younger audience. This story was inspired by a museum exhibit that was in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There was a rag doll and the author was inspired to write a story about it. I would definitely read this book to my older students and it is a chance to educated them on slavery without having to lecture them. ( )