Nettie's Trip South

Reach for this book when your child starts asking hard questions about fairness in history or when they first encounter the reality of how people were once treated as property. It provides a vital entry point for discussing the legacy of slavery through a perspective that mirrors a child's own dawning realization of systemic cruelty. Based on the author's great-grandmother's diary, the story follows ten-year-old Nettie as she travels from the North to Richmond, Virginia, in the mid-nineteenth century. Unlike many textbooks that focus on dates and battles, this book focuses on the visceral emotional impact of seeing a slave auction and the profound realization that some people were denied their humanity. It is a somber but necessary tool for parents looking to build historical empathy and a foundation for social justice. It is best suited for children ages 8 to 12 who possess the emotional maturity to handle themes of injustice and the loss of dignity, serving as a catalyst for deep, guided family conversations.