Grandpa takes his granddaughter on a walk and he's waving to everyone. When she asks him why he tells her all about his days in slavery and how they escaped to free land. He said along their journey of traveling and hiding with a baby, many people helped him. He tells her that he would do the same for people in need because no one is a stranger to him. This book took place after the blacks gained their freedom. Great book and reminder. ( )

A touching story of a grandfather education his granddaughter on the values of being friendly, I feel that this book is one of those books that could be used to discuss friendship and the ways that being a good friend can benefit you and those around you. Especially being from New Orleans, where we are the most friendly people to come across. While using history intertwined from the Underground Railroad days, it brings to life the values of being a good and genuine person, regardless of race or background. I feel that this book could be given to a child at any age as a tool to reference when making a decision ( )

This book tells the story of a young girl listening to her Grandpa tell stories of his escape to the north from slavery. He tells tales of all the kind people who helped them along the way, no matter what their skin color. The two then walk into the Grandpa’s blossoming apple orchard where he explained that he has planted one tree in memory of ever person that helped him and his family escape slavery. A major message I was able to get from this book was that simple kindness goes a long way and that appreciation for the people and the things you have is important. The setting seemed to have played a major roll within the story. The plot line was constantly flipping back and forth from Grandpa’s escape from slavery to present day with his Granddaughter. This created an important contrast as to how things have changed over the years and why the Grandpa’s journey was so important. I think this would be a great book to read to a class, while it does contain an interesting storyline it also involves some important history. ( )

"Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me" is a touching story on an account of a family involved in the Underground Railroad. It is about a grandfather telling his grand daughter about his experience. It is great to use the main character as a young girl talking to her grandfather because many children do this regularly. He tells how difficult and scary it was to escape slavery. He also tells of how unsuspecting strangers can be helpful and kind. This is a great history lesson for children. Children are able to connect to the grand daughter. Overall, I adore this book and I think it conveys a great lesson. I would love to use this book in my classroom in the future. ( )

This story, despite the difficult subject of slavery, has a positive message about hope and kindness. I also loved how the illustrator showed the contrast between the grandfather's past with dark, almost bland pictures, then showed the rest of the story in bright, beautiful colors. It showed the emotions behind each storyline. This story would likely be used during units on slavery and civil rights. I think the contrast of the illustrations could be used for a writing lesson on illustrating feelings.