The scarlet ibis is known to the slaves as the Ever-After bird. Legend has it that once a slave sights this bird, he or she will be free. This is also a highly sought-after bird by Alex McGill, bird painter and abolitionist.

13-year-old Cecilia, aka CeCe, goes to live with her Uncle Alex. Luckily, she is allowed to take her horse, Pelican, with her. Living with her uncle is a bit different than dealing with her father. And Earline, slave-turned-free Oberlin student, throws her for a loop.

Helping slaves on the Underground Railroad, telling them how to run and cross the stream in order to cut off the scent so that the dogs cannot track them. Uncle Alex is devoted to visiting Southern plantations, fraternizing with the rich folks who feast on luxury, playing the part. Sick and pregnant slaves merely exist in filth and squalor; Doctor McGill treats their bodies and talks to them about the North Star.

Alex and CeCe cherish each other.

Slave Angus wears a 15-pound metal contraption around his head that rings like a cow bell in order to thwart his chronic runaway behavior. Earline and white carriage driver Ralph get a bit too cozy with one another. Interracial relationships result in death in 19th Century Southern United States. Whippings designed to cause unconsciousness run rampant.

Alex and CeCe circulate among the slaves, educating them, struggling to contain their revulsion.

The Ever-After Bird by Ann Rinaldi, 2009

• Ann Rinaldi's web site
• Books about abolitionists
• Books about slavery