Real Stories from My Time: Underground Railroad

Published: 2018. Author: Bonnie Bader (with excerpts from Connie Porter's Addy stories). Illustrator: Kelley McMorris

Summary

Addy's perspective is told through excerpts from Meet Addy, starting with her overhearing her parents plan how to escape to the North. They'll need to make it to a safe house owned by a Miss Caroline, a white woman who can get them to the next stop on the Underground Railroad. Her father and brother are sold before they can act on their plans, forcing Addy and her mother to leave her baby sister behind with older slaves. Under cover of darkness, they bravely make their way through a raging river, a group of Confederate soldiers, and other dangers before finally reaching Miss Caroline's. There's one last excerpt from Happy Birthday Addy! about the Civil War ending, and Addy's family (her father has joined them) determined to reunite fully.


Misc

Dedicated to "David, my history buff." The book also includes Connie Porter's dedication from her Addy books: "For Rachel Dunn, my mother's great-grandmother, born into slavery in 1807, and her daughter, Hannah, my mother's grandmother, my "Addy," born into slavery in 1850. She died free. Your strength inspires me today."

The book includes several anecdotes about real people who traveled and "worked" on the Underground Railroad, like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman. It also goes in to the history of slavery in the US starting before it was even country, the Abolitionist Movement, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the end of the Civil War.

The excerpts are edited slightly to help them fit the flow of the historical narrative better.

It makes sense, but it didn't occur to me that some slaves in more southern locales escaped to Florida (then under Spanish rule) or Mexico. Those in Florida often lived with Seminole tribes.

The book includes a note about Addy's dialect, explaining that since it was illegal to teach slaves to read or write or give them any education, they often had poor grammar. Portraying Addy speaking "improperly" isn't meant to denigrate her intelligence but to be historically accurate.

The Baby-sitters Club Netflix Series: Kristy's Great Idea

Netflix has a new original series: The Baby-sitters Club! The first season covers the first eight books plus a sort of adaptation of of the second super special, Baby-sitters Summer Vacation. AND...it's set in the present day (2020s). 

Naturally, a lot is updated, like Kristy's mom joining an expy of care.com to look for a sitter for David Michael. Claudia's working on a sculpture about menstruation and takes a life drawing class. The girls have cell phones and email, and use social media. The calendar is kept on a laptop. And the girls reference current pop culture AND look like seventh-graders. 

There's a big effort for inclusion, too. A lot of background characters aren't white, and same goes for more of the main and supporting cast than in the books. Mary Anne is biracial: her mother was black and her father is white, which is a clever way of explaining her perpetual braids, as it's the only hairstyle her dad knows how to do with her more textured hair (he doesn't require braids unlike the books, but Mary Anne assumed she was only allowed braids because it's how he did her hair when she was young). Dawn is Hispanic. Charlotte Johanssen's parents are both women. One of the kids the club sits for (Bailey Delvecchio) is transgender. Ethnic and sexual orientation diversity are far more common here than in the books, which makes sense--when the first books came out, it was unusual to even have divorced parents in children's and young adult books, but society marches on! Overall, I think it's a fun update, but the original holds a special place for me because of the nostalgia. I'm also not the target audience. I'm glad I watched it, and I'm happy it's been renewed for a second season.

The plots are largely the same as the original books, so I won't rehash that except for the episodes that veer way off. But here are some things I noticed:

What stood out as surprisingly (not necessarily good or bad) different to me:

Mr. Redmont is a misogynistic jerk in this version. Kristy doesn't get in trouble for jumping out of her seat at the end of class, but for yelling out why Thomas Jefferson didn't say all people are created equal instead of all men. 

Watson isn't heavyset or balding. He also helps the club get a lot of clients by word of mouth.

Kristy sees Stacey in Stoneybrook when she's supposed to be in New York City, but doesn't tell Claudia or Mary Anne. Stacey knows Kristy saw her and is grateful to Kristy for keeping her secret. Stacey doesn't mention her diabetes yet.

What I was happy stayed the same:

Claudia still has a landline.

Louie is still a rough collie.

The girls' friendship is great.

PSA Time: Don't give the Heimlich maneuver when someone's coughing! 

Other interesting touches:

Mary Anne uses a backpack that she pulls behind her rather than the typical kind, perhaps a nod to her over-protective father.

Season 1 Cast

Kristy Thomas: Sophie Grace
Claudia Kishi: Momona Tamada
Stacey McGill: Shay Rudolph
Mary Anne Spier: Malia Baker
Dawn Schafer: Xochitl Gomez
Mallory Pike: Vivian Watson
Jessi Ramsey: Anais Lee
Logan Bruno: Rian McCririck

Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer: Alicia Silverstone
Charlie Thomas: Ethan Farrell
Sam Thomas: Dylan Kingwell
David Michael Thomas: Benjamin Goas
Watson Brewer: Mark Feuerstein
Andrew Brewer: Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguz
Karen Brewer: Sophia Reid-Gantzert

Mimi Yamamoto: Takayo Fischer
Kimiko Kishi: Diana Bang
John Kishi: Kevan Ohtshi
Janine Kishi: Aya Furukawa

Edward McGill: Peter Benson
Maureen McGill: Shauna Johanssen

Richard Spier: Marc Evan Jackson

Marc Schafer: Andy Canete
Sharon Porter: Jessica Elaina Eason
Esme Porter/Morbidda Destiny: Karin Konoval

Deidre Pike: Caitlin Howard
Forrest Pike: Stephen Weigand
Jordan Pike: Remi-Gael Panon
Adam Pike: Valen Peyton
Byron Pike: Brock Brown
Vanessa Pike: Daphne Hoskins
Nicky Pike: Connor O'Mahoney
Margo Pike: Evelyn Burke
Claire Pike: Sara Halliburton

Dr. Johanssen: Kalyn Miles
Mrs. Johanssen: Luvia Petersen
Charlotte Johanssen: Naomi Tan
Kim Newton: Christina Sicoli
Jamie Newton: Sawyer Frasier
Baby Lucy: Stella and Sophia Rahou
Natalie Barrett: Rebekka Johnson
Hamilton Barrett: Matt Hamilton (funny coincidence)
Buddy Barrett: Benjamin Jacobson
Suzi Barrett: Nadia Batista
Marnie Barrett: Julianna and Emilia Lucente
Todd Delvecchio: Todd Matthews
Francine Delvecchio: Julie Lynn Mortensen
Bailey Delvecchio: Kai Shappley
Nate Marshall: Seth Ranaweera
Mrs. Papadakis: Malaika Jackson
Mrs. Rodowsky: Krista Magnusson
Other Parent #1: Kareem Malcolm

Mr. Redmont: Milo Shandel

Mr. Thompson: Faustino Di Bauda

Claudia's teacher: Jasmine Lukuku
Trevor Sandbourne: Bodhi Sabongui
Shillaber Twin #1: Angelina Belsey
Shillaber Twin #2: Kiara Belsey
Lacy Lewis: Madison Guppy
Michelle Patterson: Kenya Jordan
Janet Gates: Katarina Mueller
Luke Howard: Connor Wong
Caleb: Ben Cockell

Laine Cummings: Beatrice Kitsos

Scott: Kyle Clark

Alex: David Raynolds
Toby: Mason McKenzie

Philomena Means: Tami Sagher
Barb: Heather Feeney
Nurse: Helenna Santos

Doctor: Eric Ruggieri
Sarah: Jacqueline Breakwell
Nurse Diane: Kendra Westwood
Cop #1: Celia Aloma
NYC Camper: Alozie LaRose
Camper #1: Emily Delhunty
Camper #2: Romy Sanchez
Paola: Valeria McNicol
Mean Girl: Zoriah Wong
Saleswoman: Angela Galanopoulos
Nora: Mila Morgan
Doctor: Donna Soares
Teenage Counselor #1: Kenneth Tynan
Glam Squad Member: Garth Hodgson
Old Man Carl: Alex Kliner
Gus: James Reed
Nurse: Charles Singh
Bruce: Cedric Ducharme
Teen Girl: Asia Lizardo
Teen Heckler in Car: Lyric Kennedy
Saluting Camper: Amelie Timer