Author Connie Porter has written all six American Girls tales about Addy Walker. Addy is a young African-American girl who escapes from slavery during the Civil War. The books are fiction, but they are based on history. Porter's latest Addy story, Addy's Wedding Quilt, was published this month.

To write realistic stories about Addy's life, Porter, 40, worked with history experts. "Slavery was not about women's wearing pretty head rags and nice red dresses," says Porter. "African Americans were part of strong families, caught up in slavery, doing what they had to do to survive."

Porter has grown to love Addy. "She makes mistakes," says Porter. "It's more interesting that way."

Daily News from TIME for Kids

February 23, 2001 News Scoop