The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington’s Slave Finds Freedom

This is a good example of biography because it tells about true events in the life of Oney Judge. Oney was a slave of Martha Washington and she decides to run away rather than be sold.

Age Appropriateness: Intermediate

This was a very good picture book, and is based on what is known about Oney Judge, who was a young girl born into slavery and owned by the wife of our first president, George Washington. The book does a good job in telling the story of the fear of slavery, such as Oney's fear that her baby could be

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taken away from her, or that she could be transferred from person to person, and subject to all kinds of abuse. It was compelling to see a girl as the protagonist of this story, connect with her feelings and thoughts, and see directly the paradox between Washington's fight for liberty whilie holding others in bondage.

I think this book would be a great addition to elementary or even middle education about the Revolutionary War, our Founding Fathers, George Washington, slavery, and African American history in the U.S.

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The fact that many of our Founding Fathers (including George Washington) owned slaves is one of those things that, as a country, we mostly try not to think about. It's not explicitly taught to children when they learn history, although they all of them learn that silly little story about the cherry

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tree (which never happened, incidentally). We want to view these people as larger than life, and it's hard to do when they had some major, major flaws.

Of course, hiding from the truth doesn't really get us anywhere, does it?

So this is a book about a slave of the Washingtons who escaped, and lived out the rest of her life in de facto freedom, although they twice tried to track her down and bring her back.

It's well-written, and clear. And those of you who wish to continue to idolize our national heroes will be pleased, the Washingtons aren't portrayed as being monstrous, but as being simply a product of their times.

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Genre: Biography

Critique of Genre: This is an excellent example of a biography because it tells the true story of Oney Judge, Martha Washington’s slave, who eventually finds her freedom.

Age: Intermediate

Critique of Plot: (See star rating above)

Stars for Point of View

This book is a biography of Oney Judge, Martha Washington's favorite slave, who escaped from slavery to New Hampsire. This book is great for advanced readers, and would be hard for young readers to understand and read because it has a lot of text.

This book was really eye-opening, it really gives children the idea how rude and oppressive slave owners were, even the wife of one of our most well known presidents. It offers such a strong way to introduce an aspect of slavery to children.The illustrations help capture the story to engage

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children's attentions.

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5Q 3P
Beautiful and evocative illustrations capture a fascinating and true story of Oney Judge, a slave to Martha Washington. Oney's journey reveals the great injustices of slavery and the sad reality of such an evil system within a country based on the principles of liberty and freedom.
Oney's

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story is laid out nicely and readers will become captivated with her journey to attain her freedom.

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This book describes the daring escape Oney Judge makes to leave the Washington’s and find freedom on her own. Though Mrs. Washington claims to treat Oney as one of the family, she doesn’t allow her to read or earn extra money by sewing. Oney sees other free black people holding their heads high

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and vows to become like them.

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