Steal Away Home

Steal Away Home #1

by Lois Ruby

When Dana uncovers a skeleton hidden in the wall of her home, she also uncovers a dark secret that stretches back years.

When twelve-year-old Dana Shannon starts to strip away wallpaper in her family’s old house, she’s unprepared for the surprise that awaits her. A hidden room—containing a human skeleton! How did such a thing get there? And why was the tiny room sealed up?

With the help of a diary found in the room, Dana learns her house was once a station on the Underground Railroad. The young woman whose remains Dana discovered was Lizbet Charles, a conductor and former slave. As the scene shifts between Dana’s world and 1856, the story of the families that lived in the house unfolds. But as pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, one haunting question remains— why did Lizbet Charles die?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Historical

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1994

About the author

Lois Ruby is the author of fifteen books for middle-graders and teens, including STEAL AWAY HOME, SKIN DEEP, and THE SECRET OF LAUREL OAKS. She and her husband live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the foothills of the awesome Sandia Mountains. Lois explores lots of haunted places, including ghostly locations in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and even a few spooky spots in Australia and Thailand. No spirits have tapped her on the shoulder yet, but she hasn't given up hope.

Reviews

[Ejayen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but at the same time I found it one I was stunningly neutral about. Both main characters were interesting, the supporting characters were interesting, and the switches between time periods where well done. It isn't a time travel book.

[emily ☁️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

wasn't the mystery i was expecting 🙃

[Kaylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Steal Away Home was a realistic fiction story. A girl named Dana was working on a house for a bed and breakfast, which was also going to be the house she and her family lived in too. When she was tore off wallpaper and noticed there was a skeleton under the paper. Dana was very confused why there was skeletons in the place that was supposed to be for other people to stay there. Then they had a doctor come out, they realized that the bones where around the 1800's! When they were looking around the house to see if there was anymore suspicious things the find a diary which had more interesting facts about why there was skeletons in the house. They find out that a girl named Liz lived back then and she was known for skinning women. Why she did this who knows. In this story you will find out how Dana and Liz interact and how Dana lives with using the underground railroad system. I also feel that this story is very detailed in how they survived. Steal Away Home is a very good story that is why i gave it a five star rating. Here is the book so if you want to read it here it is- Steal Away Home.

[Ron M · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not exciting, It gave me no thrill. I would not read it again if I had to. It switched from present to past every chapter. This confused me very much. James, he main character, finds a skeleton in their home, and realize that its a dead slave from the underground railroad. In my opinion, this was the worst book I have read in my life.

[Ainsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. I read it during school MTSS snd my classmates didnt feel the same. Some liked it, others thought it was boring. Some parts were really good, and most chapters made me want to keep reading. Others were a little slow. I recommend this book! Especially to people who like mystery.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wished the characters were more developed, especially the modern characters. They and their dialogue were very cliche'ish. The historical part was interesting and I found that I wanted to know more about them. I did like how the chapters switched back and forth.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story, but it lost points for swearing (never acceptable, especially in children's books) and gross out stuff (playing in guts). Plus, the main character disobeys her parents frequently--not a good role model.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical tie-ins! Switches from 1856 to modern day after Dana finds the remains of Lizbet Charles in her attic. She also finds a journal which let's us see into the Weaver home in 1856. This could be a great read-aloud for 5th, but independent readers would need to be advanced 5th+ imo.😉

[Carrie Hamstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of things I want to say about this book, I hope I don't forget anything. Before I get into all that let me give you the synopsis.

Synopsis: The two main characters are Dana and James, about the same age. James was born about 150 years before Dana, but plays a critical role in Dana's story. Dana and her parents just moved to a historical home. While remodeling the home they discover the skeletal remains of a human. Before the crime scene investigators arrive Dana discovers a little black book which she secretly takes. It turns out to be a diary that holds answers to the mysterious body. James is the son of Quaker parents that recently moved from Boston to Kansas. He learns that his mom is assisting in the Underground Railroad when his father leaves on business trips. James struggles to understands his mother and why she would risk her family. (There are so many things to discuss and tackle in this novel: slavery, Underground Railroad, Quakers, the Oregon Trail, Beecher's Bibles, Sack of Lawrence, Border Ruffians, and more.)

So, the mystery is, who skeleton is it and what is it doing there!?

Now my thoughts:
*It's historical fiction. I have done a few basic Google searches and haven't found anything verifying the characters (but if you know me, then you know I am a terrible Google-er), but many events and references to the city of Lawrence are historically accurate.
*There is a little violence and the "n" word is repeated a couple times. I would say you need to have conversations about these before reading with kiddos.
*The book was pretty good. It kept me engaged and interested. I would totally recommend this book to mature readers.
*In the present day story line there are several characters that I don't think had any relevance in the story and just muddled it up.
*We the readers find out the whole mystery, but Dana and her friends never get the full story. They only know what is written in the diary.
*There is a sequel called Soon Be Free. I liked this book and want to read book 2.

[Marissa Wilfahrt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lois Ruby’s Steal Away Home was quite an intriguing novel that never ceased to hold my interest. This book caught my attention within the very first pages, as it maneuvered me through the experience of young Dana, a twelve-year-old who discovered a secret room in her home containing an intact human skeleton! Then, the author uses the third-person omniscient point of view to transition into the life of James Weaver, a boy Dana’s age in 1856, and the member of a Kansas Quaker family. It becomes apparent that there is a strong connection between the events of 1856 and the present skeletal discovery in Dana’s house, especially because her home was also once the home of James Weaver. However, the reader must uncover for themself the mysterious history surrounding both the former identity of the skeleton and the events surrounding her death.
The author’s gradual unfolding of the plot through the lives of Dana and James builds the reader’s anticipation towards the conclusion of the investigation about the mysterious remains of the female African American slave trapped in the secret room, and what will become of James’s family if they are caught illegally harboring slaves. Furthermore, the ongoing correspondence between the two settings (both revealing crucial aspects of the mystery) and the author’s inclusion of entries from a journal found with the remains were ingenious methods of keeping the reader thoroughly engaged in the plot, as was the tense backdrop of the Civil War. As stated by the narrator, “Millicent Weaver’s words and the echoes of the past seemed more real to Dana than the otherworldly voices that floated above the engines’ roar.” In conclusion, Steal Away Home is certainly a novel that I would recommend to anybody looking for an intriguing read that will take you back in time through an emotional journey of American life in the 1850s.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first discovered this book back in the fourth grade at my public library. I started the second book, but when I found out that there was a first book I thought I should read it. My library did not have it so I forgot about it. Then over the years it was hard to find the books, but then I found it on an online book site. I thought the characters were very interesting and I enjoyed the plot. I liked how the story went back and forth from the past to the present where Dana found the skeleton and diary. It was because books like these that got me into History and how amazing it feels to read something from the past and learn something. Now I can not wait to read the next book.

[James Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steal Away Home is a historical fiction book about a kid named Dana who finds a literal skeleton in a room with a bed and a journal. So it's a sort of a time travel book that goes from the 1850s to the modern day. It's pretty unpredictable and at first it seemed hard to connect the pieces in the story, but eventually they all fell into place.

Overall, I thought it was was a well put-together book and it was personal favorite.

[Bexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for battle of the books. Not really that interesting, and didn't connect to any of the characters. Also felt that the only reason Jeep was a character would be so that the other kids would have a black person to look to, even his research wasn't discussed much because it made the one girl feel icky. Just not that great of a historical fiction.

[Ellie Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This chapter book is centered around a girl named Dana who found a dead body in her house. The book jumps from past (Civil War time period) to present while Dana tries to solve this captivating mystery involving the Underground Railroad.

Evaluation: I would rate this book at a 4 because it captured the essence of the history of that time period in an exciting way. It also managed to keep it relate able to children like Dana, the main character of the book. However, I personally felt that this book dragged on just a bit. I kept feeling like the author ineffectively detoured the story line every time the mystery was almost solved.

Teaching:
I would use this chapter book to provide my students with a first-person point of view of some of the struggles involved in the Civil War and the Underground Railroad. It also gave much information having to do with Quakers and their beliefs, which would help my students better understand details of the Underground Railroad.

[BOOK BOOKS]

DID ANY MEMERS READ A BOOK AS KIDS ABOUT A GIRL WHO FOUND A ROOM WITH A SKELETON IN IT WHILE SHE WAS HELPING HER MOTHER REMODEL, AND THEN THE BOOK WAS HALF ABOUT HER AND HALF ABOUT THE MAN WHOSE SKELETON IT WAS, AND IT TURNED OUT HE WAS SOMEONE ESCAPING VIA THE RAILROAD WHO'D DIED WHILE HE WAS HIDING THERE?

[Jessica Nunnally · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read, even for someone older than the target audience. I love that it doesn't drop so many hints that you can see the ending coming from the middle (or earlier), but still wraps up nicely for the reader. The time jumps were done well and both times were enjoyable to read about. I love characters like Lizbet!

[Barb Keltner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I'd missed reading this book when it came out, but while taking a class on the underground railroad, it was recommended to us by a jr. high reading teacher. It was a good choice for his classes, and Mike and I enjoyed it too.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept my interest enough to finish it, but I felt bad that the characters didn’t find out much about what happened to the person that was found in Dana’s house. We as the reader found out because of flashbacks, so at least some satisfaction there.

[Kymberli Briggs]

DNF'd at 30 pages. I can see why I must have liked it as a young teen but it is not keeping my attention now.

Content Warnings up to page 30- the term "Negroes" is used; Dead body; Mentions of dissecting animals/bugs; Dead animals for food

[Eri Ackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child, reading about uncovering a mystery from the past and finding out all the details was something that stayed with me.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 9-year-old liked this one when she read it for school, but I am unimpressed with the writing, the plot, or the teenage talk and antics.

[K.M. Waldvogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. Written to keep middle grade reader engaged while learning about history and tough decisions people faced.

[Whitney Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think of 6th grade when I think of this book. Fun read.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book over and over as a kid, fascinated by the idea of finding hidden dead bodies in walls. No wonder I’m a true crime nut.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that mixes history with today. Had some mystery etc. Loved reading it with my 5th graders!

[Diane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off interesting then went down hill quickly.

[Terresa Uzzle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.

[Rat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could of survived without dana

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read - loved the flash forward and the flashback. A new twist on the Underground Railroad.

[Serena Keene · Rating 5 out of 5]

192 pages a great book about 1856 and what the people did to Survive in times of slavery