* Ain't Nobody a stranger to me      Ann Grifalconi

This is a historical fiction novel about slaves and their quest for freedom.  It begins with a young girl named Honey who is with her grandfather,  and he is telling her about how he got his freedom from slavery and is now able to own his own applefarm and numerous apple trees.  He says how he and his young wife and child decide to run away before they are split up and sent away.  One night they take off during the night and travel for a long time, and decide to slip into a barn for some sleep.  The next morning they hear a man rusitng in the barn and are afraid they are going to get caught and sent back!  They are very quiet... but then the new baby is hungry and begins to cry.  The white man hears this and begins to look for grandpa and his wife and child, and soon finds them,  They are freightened but it turns out this white man is an abolishinist and wants to feed and help them get their freedom.  It was their lucky day and soon get help getting their freedom, and grandpa knew he wanted to plant apple trees and have land.   It is a great read and is great for lessons during the slave era and underground railroad.  It can be used for any age group, but 1st grade and above would benefit from the illustrations and easy reading content.