The Patchwork Path

The Patchwork Path, by Bettye Stroud

The Patchwork Path is about a little slave girl and her father as they make the great escape to freedom. Using a special quilt that her mother gave her, the little girl and her father use the designs of the patches to avoid danger and get to safety in the North. Each patch has a different meaning of its design, and signs that they must look for as they escape. I would use this book for my class, because I would want them to make their own patchwork quilts, with explanations behind them and everything. This book does such a good job showing how hard it was to stay away from danger, and that slaves even had to go as far as making their own symbols that only they had to understand to get themselves to safety. I would want my students to understand how important and valued learning should be, and how hard it would be to use something like a quilt to get away from slavery.