A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) [Hardcover]

Patricia C. McKissack (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

In 1859 twelve-year-old Clotee, a house slave who must conceal the fact that she can read and write, records in her diary her experiences and her struggle to decide whether to escape to freedom.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6. Clotee is an orphan living on the plantation of "Mas' Henley" and "Miz Lilly." Her owners have put her to work fanning Miz Lilly and her young son William during tutoring sessions. William may not be keen to learn, but Clotee is. She has learned to read while looking over the boy's shoulder and eventually she teaches herself how to write. She practices her newfound skills by writing in a makeshift, secret diary, which is found by William's new tutor. Luckily, he turns out to be an abolitionist. Through his work, Clotee helps some of her friends escape to the North, but she herself chooses to stay behind on the plantation as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Clotee is such a vibrant, fully rounded character that it is almost painful to think of her left on the plantation while her friends and fellow slaves go to freedom. McKissack brings Clotee alive through touching and sobering details of slave life, told in such a matter-of-fact way that their often brutal nature is made abundantly clear. However, this is in no way a depressing book. In fact, it is an inspiring look at a young girl coming of age in terrible circumstances who manages to live life to the fullest.?Melissa Hudak, Northern Illinois Medical Center, McHenry, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Praise for A Picture of Freedom “Clotee is such a vibrant, fully rounded character.... [A]n inspiring look at a young girl coming of age in terrible circumstances who manages to live life to the fullest.”—School Library Journal

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 202 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590259881
• ISBN-13: 978-0590259880
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story about the power of literacy in a slave girl's life., August 4, 2000

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

Clotee has lived all twelve years of her life as a slave on the Belmont Plantation in Virginia. Now it's 1859, just before the start of the Civil War. Although she has known no life other than that of a slave, she has secretly learned how to read and write, and that ability gives her a glimpse of the world out there. To practice, she keeps a secret diary that she hides in a hollowed-out tree. An orphan most of her life, Clotee has managed to make the best of her circumstances, and writing is one of the few things that brings her any joy. When a tutor comes to the plantation to teach the master's young son, Clotee figures that he'll just be another predjudiced southerner. But he's an abolitionist that further expands Clotee's horizons, and he may be able to give her the one thing she longs for: freedom. I highly reccomend this beautifully written account of one year in the life of a fictional slave girl who lived in circumstances typical of the time. The fact that it is told through Clotee's diary allows the reader to really get inside her head and know her innermost thoughts, hopes, and dreams.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Picture of Freedom: A Exellent Diary of a Slave Girl, December 5, 2001

By 

Veronica Lee (Mt. Kisco, New York United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

This book is about Clotee, who is a 12 years old slave girl in Belmont Plantation, Virginia. She taught herself how to read and write. Her mom was sold to other plantation and died when she was young. Clotee grew by Aunt Tee and Uncle Heb. Her friends were Hince, spicy and Wook. Wook was killed when she tried to runaway. Clotee met Mr. Harms who was an abolitionist on the Underground Railroad. She wanted to be an abolitionist too.

In the book, Clotee shares her feelings, experiences and thoughts about slavery. She describes her life on the plantation and talks about the Underground Railroad. I liked this book because it gave me a window onto the live of slaves in 1859. The details were very vivid. I also liked this book because it taught the lesson that if a person has a goal ad dream, he/she should go for it and they will reach it. Another reason that I liked this book is it showed me how terrible slavery was an how wrong it was. I recommend this book to any teenager who is studying the U.S. Civil War or slavery.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching, inspiring account of slavery, March 9, 2005

By 

Y. Swinson (st. george, UT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Belmont Plantation, Virginia 1859 (Dear America Series) (Hardcover)

I just finished reading this book to my 7-year-old daughter and we both really enjoyed it. I thought at first the language might be slightly above her, but she was thoroughly engrossed in the story. It held her attention well enough that as we drew to the close of the book, we had a hour-long reading session while she eagerly listened.
The plot, in brief, involves 12-year-old Clotee, a slave girl on the Belmont plantation in Virginia. She has managed to teach herself to read and write while fanning her young master William during his lessons. She keeps a make-shift diary in which she records life on the plantation.
When reading to a young audience, you will want to be prepared to address a couple of issues - there is the terrible beating and subsequent death of one of the slaves. Although it is hard to read about, no accurate portrayal of slavery would be complete without such incidents. There is talk of one of the slaves who is suspected to be the son of the master. Also briefly mentioned is the issue of a white overseer who desires for himself one of the slave girls. This cannot be glossed over becuase it becomes critical later in the book in a very climactic incident. I personally felt it was a good opportunity to review "inappropriate touching" with my 7-year-old who knows the basics, but not all, of the "birds and bees".
For some, there will come the issue of whether it is okay to use dishonesty to achieve what most would call a higher cause. It makes for a good philosophical discussion. Most of the people I have talked to agree with me on this, but I have one sister-in-law who differs powerfully. In any case, and whatever your personal feelings on the issue, it would be a shame to miss this book - use is at a teaching tool.
I do think some great moral lessons are present in the book - self-restraint, personal sacrifice, restitution of wrong-doing, and many more.
One thing that I especially loved about the book was that despite the terrible circumstances of slavery which are clearly addressed in the book, you end the book with the feeling of triumph and appreciation for those who gave so much to the cause of freedom.