Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt

by Deborah Hopkinson

The story of a young slave who dreams of one day being reunited with her mother makes a quilt with a secret map to help her and other slaves escape to the north.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Historical, Cultural, African American

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

I write nonfiction and historical fiction, picture books, and Golden Books. I speak at school, libraries, and conferences. I also love to garden and offer manuscript critiques. (Deborahhopkinson@yahoo.com)

NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.

I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.

Reviews

[Audra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading a book called Hidden in Plain View. It's about how quilts were used to help the enslaved escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad. This book was mentioned in that one. It's a children's book, but a great place to begin with your children to show them how quilts were used.

There's, of course, speculation that quilts were never actually used in the Underground Railroad, but Hidden in Plain View shows evidence that they were.

Wonderful little read and beautiful art work.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a little African American slave that started mapping out her territory on her quilt which later would prove useful for slaves to find the underground railroad. Beautiful story and very nice illustrations.

[Errin Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a work of Historical Fiction and a picturebook designed for children P-A.

This was a great children's book about a young girl who learned to sew and created a quilt that became a map to get to the Underground Railroad. Though it took her a great deal of time to complete the quilt it became her map and a map for so many people to get to the Underground Railroad and to their freedom.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It's a great story of determination and can really encourage children and people of all ages to work towards any goals they have set for themselves. Many can be encouraged by this story. I think young children would enjoy the pictures and as they got older they would really begin to understand the meaning of the story. The character in the book, though young, was really determined and used what she was taught, to her advantage. She learned how to sew and was in a bad situation but used it for her good. The use of language brought to life the way African American's used to speak during that time in life. The pictures brought to life the words in the story.

Teachers could use this story as a history lesson and discuss what the Underground Railroad was and its importance. For younger children they could make a class quilt. It could be about special things in their and bring into together as a class to discuss.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! An amazing story of slavery, sewing, longing, and reaching for freedom. Though a work of fiction, it's a good read.
Nice pictures.

There're fun facts about quilting, at the beginning!

[Emily Kriwox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrator: James Ransome
Publisher: Dragonfly Books
Date: 1995

Grade Level: 3
Lexile: 680L
Pages: 40
Guided Reading Level: S
Genre: Historical fiction

Summary: This is a great multicultural historical fiction book. Clara is a little girl that is sent from one plantation to another and forced to leave her mother. It is a very emotional book based on a tough time in history. The main character creates a quilt that ends up being a map to freedom. I would definitely use this book as a teacher because it is talking about a real time in history. Since students may either have no understanding of it or very little, this book is a great way to show them a character their age that they can better understand.

Teaching Ideas: This would be a great book to build a unit around considering the history that comes with it. Students can research this time period and create their own writing piece pretending they are alive during that period. Students have to think what it would have been like for them.

CCSS.ELA.-Literacy.W.7.
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

[Ashleigh Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clara uses the power of community and creativity to sew a quilt that leads her back to her mother and to the Underground Railroad.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is a story all about the life of an African American girl, and her hardships that are presented to her during slavery. During her early years as a slave, Clara and her mother became separated due to different buyers. At her new plantation, Clara meets a woman that becomes as close to family as her own aunts and uncles. "Aunt Rachel" attempts to protect Clara from the harsh conditions of working in the field, and lands her a job inside the Big House of the plantation. Her new job includes being a seamstress, and helping out around the house. During multiple visits to the kitchen, Clara overhears many conversations about runaway slaves and how all slaves could become free if only they had a map to follow to take them to freedom. This message stuck with Clara, and she began to make a quilt with old scraps of fabric. The details of her map came from the friends around her, as well as some who she had never really talked to before. Once it was finally finished, Clara was the first to use it and she made her way towards freedom.

This story is very well-written according to many literary standards. The plot, theme, characters, and setting are well developed. The characters are developed with various conflicts, and they are all developed through their actions, relations with others, and their sense of themselves. Examples could be seen through the relationship developed with Rachel, as well as her younger friend Jack. The setting is brought to life through details and descriptions given by the author. They are all authentic and they do not overwhelm or sidetrack the readers from the actual story. The descriptions are all relevant according to the time period, and they are descriptive of the life that Clara lived. The characters in the story are very believable, and readers would be able to relate to their lives. The role of being a slave and even as a slave owner, are all portrayed very delicately and honestly, which gives readers another in-depth look into that world. The conflicts represent all of the hardships that slaves would have to go through, and they are very believable to readers. Because of the time period, all of the conflicts that are portrayed throughout the story are plausible. The theme is about friendships, and hardships, which are all relevant to the world today. However, I don't know that readers could relate to the adventures and journeys that these details discuss. Simply because of the time period and the fact that the characters are slaves who are attempting to run away.

I thought this was an excellent book that discusses the various aspects of being a slave. I would definitely use this book in any classroom, during discussions of slavery. Many story stretchers and various activities could be made to activate learning through the theme of this book. I enjoyed the tales of adventure that are displayed through the book, as well as the tales of love and friendship. I also enjoyed the authentic facts and details that the author portrayed.

[L11_Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is an historical fiction picture book based on the "true,little-known chapter in African American history" - the Underground Railroad. 11 year-old Clara is separated from her mother and sent to be a field hand on a large plantation. When her sewing proves more valuable than her field work, Clara is moved inside the Big House. There she hears stories from other slaves describing freedom by way of the Underground Railroad.

Clara's sewing of patches on a blue blanket remind her of a pond and "Here it was - a picture that wouldn't wash away. A map!" Careful listening, cautions conversations and intense observations lead Clara to fashiopn a quilt of patterns and pictures whcih provide the desperately needed resource for slaves struggling for escape. When it's her time to leave, Clara relies on her memory of making the quilt to gain her own freedom.

The colorful and expressive language lend to the quality of Deborah Hopkinson's message. James Ransome's paintings bring Clara's quilt straight to the reader. Matching text to picture make this complicated subject simpler for the intended K-3 audience.

I learned more about the Underground Railroad from this book than in history classes and would use it as a read-aloud with my kindergartners - then extend it to a class quilt mapping out our school for that text to self connection. Mrs. Hopkinson follows Sweet Clara up with the companion book, Under the Quilt of the Night and I look forward to reading it.

[Serena Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, Sweet Clara is taken away from her mother and sold to work in another plantation in the fields. She hates it and wants to go back to her mother, and she promised a friend she met that she would one day make it back to her mom. Clara eventually gets to work inside the masters house and overhears a conversation about runaway slaves. She hears about the underground railroad and decides she wants to make a map to get all the way to Canada to get to freedom. She decides she will make a map out of the quilt to try and escape.
The artistic quality in this book was amazing! It depicted life back then as it would have been and the illustrations were spot on in color and exactness. I loved the way the illustrations bled and how well thought out they were. Overall, I believe this is a well written and illustrated story to teach kids about slavery and the tough conditions that they went through. It depicts a young girl with lots of bravery to have even the thought of running away. I recommend this book for teaching young kids about slavery because while it isn't harsh, it still shows the rough life that the slaves endured especially since it is based off of a true story. It is very rich in it's historical content and really shows the lives that they lived.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical fiction children's book with beautiful illustrations. It dodges the graphic nature of slavery, and overly softens how slaves were treated (Clara is said to be "sent" to another farm, instead of using the word "sold. Or how the more comfortable word "separated" is used to describe how she has been torn from her mother, whom she never expects to see again unless she runs away.). The book does indicate that the hard work in the fields is likely to kill Clara if she continues to do so. An older black slave takes it upon herself to teach Clara to sew so she can do work in the house. Once there, she hears information about the Underground Railroad and begins to sew a map into a quilt made of scraps. Eventually, the map is completed and she & a childhood friend run to freedom, leaving the quilt behind to help guide others. This is a feel-good book that doesn't challenge white people's vision of slavery, the treatment of blacks, or is likely to cause much introspection. Granted, it's a children's book...but I still wasn't comfortable with certain word choices to describe the history of slavery in our country

Yet it was a very moving book. I would recommend it, along with a more frank discussion on what slavery looked like.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! A slave girl, inspired by her sewing, chases after freedom. A simple and innocent introduction for children to slavery and the Underground Railroad.

Ages: 5 - 9

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[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clara was an intelligent and strong character, which is not always the case when slaves are portrayed in literature. I liked how the book was written in a dialect, because it made it more believable. Her motive was very believable, because she went to find her mother. My one critique is that the portrayal of time passing was not very clear, and I think it could've been more clear in the illustrations. Clara sewed her quilt over a number of years, and she would've physically changed, but the pictures don't show that.

[Valarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a little dense for the usual picture-book crowd, but older kids might be too sad that Aunt Rachel is unable to reach freedom. As an adult I enjoyed the story and thought it was a good way to introduce the concept of the Underground Railroad, but I just didn't think it worked best as a picture book.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about a girl Clara and her determination to taste freedom.
The sentences are long to I read it aloud for my 7YO. Enjoyed reading and sensing the feelings of Afro American population, it gently introduces to their history.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent for discussion after reading about revolutionist sojourner truth

[Sallie Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is a perfect depiction of historical fiction. Deborah Hopkinson artfully intertwines a heart-warming fictional storyline with historically relevant and informative components. In this story, Clara is a young girl growing up as a slave on a southern plantation. Her Aunt Rachel teaches her how to sew, which becomes her ticket to freedom. Initially her talent secures her a position as a seamstress on the plantation, which is more preferable than her former position as a fieldhand. Her position as a seamstress enables her to overhear conversations between the master and his houseguests, which eventually leads to her learning about the underground railroad. Clara becomes determined to use her gift of sewing to design a map that can be used by many people to escape the plantation to find freedom up north. Over a series of months and years, Clara uses what she hears from captured slaves and conversations between the masters to piecemeal the quilt, which she names the freedom quilt. Eventually, she finishes the quilt, and she is ready to escape the plantation. Her Aunt Rachel is very old and reluctant to watch her escape, and Clara leaves the quilt with her as a parting gift. A treacherous journey ensues, but eventually Clara and her friend Jack become reunited with Clara's mother, and escape to Canada.

This book would be a great way to introduce the concept of the underground railroad. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt could be used to teach an interdisciplinary lesson between language arts and social studies, about historical events during the underground railroad. Additionally, this book could be used to teach dialect, because the narrator speaks in a dialect that is characteristic of that time period. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt would be appropriate for instruction in the upper elementary grades (4th and 5th). This book was a WOW book for me because it was a beautiful and hopeful story that occurred during such a dreadful time in our history, which makes it a unique and heart-warming book.

[Lizzy McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is an excellent historical fiction book that could be incorporated into instruction in a third through sixth grade classroom. The book follows the life of Clara, a young girl in slavery with a goal of being reunited with her mother and making her way to freedom. During the book she begins to work as a seamstress and uses extra scraps of fabric to create a quilt that also serves as a map of the area, which she can use to run away. There are many different ways that this book could be incorporated into the classroom. First, this book can be used in conjunction with a lesson on the history of slavery in our country. This book would be an excellent addition to this type of lesson because it talks about the subject of slavery in an appropriate yet historically relevant way, and when the book begins, Clara is eleven years old, an age that student in middle elementary grades can relate to. Another way social studies topic that this book would be applicable to would be the way maps are created and used. In the book, Clara makes a map out of a quilt. This doesn’t look like a traditional map, but serves the same purpose. An extension activity that I would love to include with this book as a teacher, would be to have students either draw a map, or create their own map out of non-standard materials. As I was reading this book, I was also impressed by the literary elements in the book. There is a lot of clear foreshadowing that could be used to encourage students to make predictions, and the book has beautifully detailed illustrations. For this book, it would be a great idea to start with a picture walk and allow students to make predictions and observations based on the pictures. This book really made me say WOW because as I was reading, I could think of so many engaging ways, across subjects, that I could use it to teach students! It is also written in African American Vernacular English which means this is a great book to include to add more diversity to your classroom library. The author used a dark place in history to depict an inspirational story that teaches valuable lessons to children and adults alike!

[Olivia Fuchsluger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson is a historical fiction story. Sweet Clara is for children who are in kindergarten to the third grade. This story is about the lives of African Americans who were slaves and wanted to travel north to become free. The main character was Clara. Clara was going to have to work in the fields, but she got a job as a seamstress. Clara was very talented with sewing. She decided to sew a quilt that showed the way to freedom. This freedom quilt became a huge part in many lives. I would rate this story a five. I loved the main idea of this story. I really liked how the main character was a child. The whole point of view was through Clara’s thoughts. This story really teaches children about the history of African Americans and all of the struggles they went through. Each painting was majestic, creative, and inspirational. They were so vivid and colorful that as a reader they will feel like they are a part of the story. They were so realistic. I would use this story to teach children about the history of African Americans and everything they had to risk to become free.

[Cheryl Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I used to read it to my class when I taught school. It has been years since I read it. I used to live in Ohio near a farm pretty important to the Underground Railroad, so I have been interested in stories that talk about these escape plans. I love the pictures and the way the author writes. Great book even for young kids to understand history of this time.

[Josephine Burks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book for my daughters and right on time for Black History Month. Unfortunately their school doesn’t teach them about this month so it’s up to us to teach them. This is a great book that explains how quilts were used to help slaves navigate the Underground Railroad.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictional book set during the early 1800s USA about the mythical "freedom quilt." Despite being fictional, it's still a great "living book" that gives insight into the time period. Beautiful pictures. Just a few paragraphs on every other page. Not a long book, but enjoyable and educational.

[Natascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book level: 3.8
Lexile: 680
Fountas and Pinnell: S

Book summary: Clara, a young slave girl, sews a quilt with a map pattern which guides her and fellow slaves to freedom in the North.

Genre: multicultural. Multicultural books detail socio-cultural experiences of underrepresented groups and this book documents the experiences of a young African American slave.

Mentor writing traits:
Voice is an obvious trait of this book since this story is told in the voice or perspective of Clara an 11 -year old slave. Clara's thoughts and actions invite reader's to connect this this character and is very engaging.

Classroom integration/Mini-lesson/Content Connections: This could be used as a mentor text about character traits. As this text is read aloud, students can act as investigators on the hunt to identify traits of Clara. Once traits are identified, students can pick one trait, provide evidence to support that trait, and create a story quilt square for a quilt about Clara.

As a class, you can do a story walk of the book by observing the pictures, stopping to ask questions, and tell the story through what they see. Students can take notes in their writing/reading books on what they noticed and what can be inferred. Students can share with their partner their thoughts and then after a read aloud, students can compare what they observed/inferred from the initial story walk and what they know after reading the book.

[Myka Ellenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Historical Fiction
Grade Level: 3-5
I loved this book. It shows how if you put your mind to something you can complete it. Clara set her mind to make a quilt and with the help from other people she was able to save many people. This is a great children's book and I would highly recommend it to elementary students and teachers.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting that it shows how quilting plays a role in storytelling.

[Andrea Flory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good for grades3-6. It could also be for k-2 but it is a very long story and they may not sit though the whole story. It can teach students about slavery and they do it is a simple way that students will understand and I think that it is a great book to read aloud to students. The genre is historical fiction.

[Mariana Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is about a young slave named Clara who gets separated from her mother and works on a different plantation. She works hard day after day and is always to exhausted or too depressed to eat or drink. One day, an older slave woman, Aunt Rachel, teaches Clara how to sew so she can work inside the house rather than in the field. Clara likes working inside the house because she is around more people like the cooks and maids. She overhears one of the cooks talking about the underground railroad, Canada, and needing a map, so Clara decides to ask Aunt Rachel about it. Aunt Rachel explains how some slaves escape to the Underground Railroad which takes them to Canada, but many don’t make it because they don’t have a map of the land. Clara has the idea to make a quilt that represents the path to the underground railroad through information she gathers. When the quilt is complete, Clara escapes but leaves the quilt at the plantation so other slaves can have the opportunity to learn the way to freedom.

The major themes of this book are slavery/cultural diversity and helping others. The book takes place in the era where slavery still existed and when the Underground Railroad was the road to freedom. The main characters where all slaves who dreamed of freedom or reuniting with loved ones. It also shows the theme of helping others through several examples such as when Aunt Rachel helped Clara work inside rather than in the field, when the other slaves helped Clara gain information for her quilt, and when Clara decides to leave her quilted map at the plantation to help other slaves escape.

I did enjoy this book because the story is very sweet, and readers can learn that anyone of any age is capable of helping others. I feel like the book is good for younger children in elementary because it doesn’t describe the harsh realities that come with slavery. The book also gets the readers to ask questions about the historical content and get interested in learning.

I would recommend this book for both parents and teachers to have in their library. Parents could use the book to entertain their children, or to begin learning how to ask questions. Teachers could use this in the classroom to introduce the Underground Railroad and slavery. I wouldn’t use it as an accurate portrayal of slavery because it doesn’t show the discrimination and torture that they endured, but it would be a good introduction because it describes their jobs, living situations, and the way they escaped from the south.

[Keri Rohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Clara And The Freedom Quilt is a historical fiction book for grades 3-5. This book is based on a plantation during the times of slavery. I thought that this book was a very heartwarming story. I think that this book would be great for a classroom.

[Aonarán · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm slowly realizing there's dozens of picture books for kids about the Underground Railroad. Though I've only read a few, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is so far one of my favorites.

I've been thinking lately about how to talk to young children about race, slavery, and police (not necessarily with any unique insight) and this seems like it might be one of the better books to start with (though in general I find most plots in children's stories to be too upsetting for the age range like, Oh no your mom's gone! or, your best friend doesn't want to talk to you anymore! and elements of this book fall into that at times: Clara being separated from her mother, grueling slave work, etc.) I thought the story had a good balance of taking the subject seriously but not necessarily being as upsetting or graphic as other picture books on the subject.

I liked how Sweet Clara touches on the different parts of the plantation hierarchy and common roles people played. Very little of the dynamics are gotten into but this leaves room for inquisitive young minds to ask more.

I liked too the subtle way ideas were debated and spread amongst slaves—both mundane and subversive ones like running away. The story also points to some sort of idea around individual acts of resistance carrying a collective worth and meaning and how they can inspire others to act.

My two favorite parts:

The feeling of enacting your desires and fantasies Hopkinson describes when Clara and Jack finally set off for freedom, “It was like being in a dream you already dreamed.” The line also struck me as that youthful, surreal feeling of breaking the rules and getting away with it—sometimes being surprised by how easy it is.

And I cried when Clara is reunited with her mother who agrees to run away with her, and then when Clara thinks back about her aunt who raised her who was too weak to make the journey. She says she will stay behind and show others the quilt Clara made which is a map to freedom—a crucial role in itself.

4.3

[Theresa Reifon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Format/Length: Picture book; 40 pages

Award(s)/Distinction(s):
1993 Reading Rainbow Review Book
1995 Texas Bluebonnet Master List
1995 Kentucky Bluegrass Master List
1994 IRA Children's Book Award for Younger Readers
International Reading Association Award

Theme(s): Survival, Freedom, Dreams, Helping Others & Family


Review:

This story is about a young girl Clara who is separated from her mother because of slavery. Her mother lives on another plantation that she does, and Clara dreams about being with her mother again. Clara started out working in the fields, but with the help of an older woman, who she refers to her as her aunt, Clara learns to sew and becomes a seamstress inside the owner's house. Once inside, she hears other slaves mention the Underground Railroad,talking about the land around the plantation, and the way to freedom. Clara uses her skill in sewing to create a map to freedom, which others eventually utilize to reach the same destination. I enjoyed the story, but I loved the illustrations even- rich with detail and the colors are amazing, especially the use of light and dark. A great book to include in a classroom library (maybe 3-6 grade) or even as a read-aloud. I feel that this book would tie nicely into a research paper on the Underground Railroad and slavery.

Writing Instruction:
After using this book as a read-aloud with an entire class or in small groups, I feel that a research paper would tie in nicely with the topics brought up in this book, such as slavery and the Underground Railroad.

[Katie Paciga · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Ransome (the illustrator) uses bright oil paintings to tell Hopkinson's story of Clara, a not quite 12 year old slave on a plantation, and her struggle to find freedom. The young girl learns of the Underground Railroad when her Aunt Rachel brings her to the Big House to work as a seamstress. While working in the sewing room off of the kitchen, Clara overhears the cook and other kitchen slaves discussing the runaways and how the Underground Railroad had helped so many get to Canada. The say, "It be easy if you could get a map." That's just what Clara does...she quilts a map to help slaves find their way to freedom.

I felt the illustrations were a bit too bright, but perhaps that was intentional since the Underground Railroad is portrayed as such a beacon of hope for slaves. Will Clara's quilt help her find her way out of slavery? Can it help others? You'll have to read to find out.

This bit of historical fiction would serve nicely as a piece of literature in a unit about slavery. Titles like Henry's Freedom Box (Levine), and Follow the Drinking Gourd (Winter) could help students begin to understand parts of the story of slavery.

This is a text-heavy book with several paragraphs of text on each two-page spread. It has a lexile rating of 680 and is indexed at a guided reading level S. In other words, this would be a complex text for a read aloud 1-2 and 3rd-4th graders would be able read it independently.