Anne E. Schraff

I grew up like a neglected weed, ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it. Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is. Harriet Tubman ran away from slavery in 1849, walking one hundred miles to freedom in the North. For the next sixteen years, Tubman risked her newfound freedom, and her life, to help about three hundred other slaves escape. Sorting myth from truth in this amazing tale of courage and heroism, Anne Schraff breathes new life into the story of the show more most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the Civil War, Tubman worked as a nurse and a scout for the Union army, and in her later years, she joined the struggle for the education of her people and for women's rights. show less

A favorite series of my lower-level readers in middle school, this is the first time I'm touching Bluford. The amount of divergent, yet related, plots encompassed in such a short book was admirable. Given that the book is classed as hi-lo, the language was fairly standard with a good smattering of more complex sentence structures and a decent amount of higher level vocabulary. I can see why this is so popular. Darcy was a relatable character with exceptionally relatable issues. None of the show more solutions to her issues are spoon-fed to the audience fable or parable-style, instead allowing the reader to find their own solutions. The ending was ambiguous, but in such a way that it's actually kind of fulfilling. show less

Lost and Found, published in 2007, is the first book in the Bluford High series. The book centers on Darcy Willis. Darcy has a busy single mother who works odd hours at the hospital and a sister with a serious attitude. Darcy, unlike her sister, does the right thing. She finds herself paired with Tarah, a girl whom Darcy sees as "beneath" her. Gradually she finds herself growing closer to Tarah and another young man, Cooper. Things get dicey when a mysterious man begins to follow Tarah and show more the identity of the stranger is a shock to both Darcy and her sister.
Lost and Found is a story with a strong moral message about getting to know people before you judge them and about never giving up on people; even when they have let you down. The Bluford High series as a whole focuses on some issues relevant to young African-Americans and would be great books for reluctant readers. Students in middle and early high school would be the best demographic to recommend these books to. show less

In Lost and Found Darcy deals with problems that many teenagers face – friends, school, younger sisters, single working mom. But she also has the added burden of living with and caring for a grandmother she loves who is suffering from dementia. She must handle her anger and hurt regarding a father that left the family five years before. Then, there’s the stalker who shows up in unusual places. Is he the one who left the threatening note?

I jumped right into this story and worried about show more how Darcy would survive all of these problems. The obstacles were realistic, as were the solutions, which didn’t come quickly or easily.

I think this book is a wonderful read for its intended audience – teens who want a quick read that they can get lost in.

I received this book in a giveaway from the Goodread’s First Reads program.
show less