"Reading is freedom," Hannah's mother tells her. "The thoughts in books are powerful strong, stronger even than chains," her father says. When ten-year-old Amanda hears noises in the night, she sneaks downstairs and discovers her house is a stop on the Underground Railroad During the brief time that Hannah, a runaway slave, hides out in Amanda's house, the two girls become fast friends. Hannah tells Amanda how she intends to be free in EVERY way--including the freedom that comes from knowing how to read and write. Risking everything, Amanda impulsively decides to help. Crackling with suspense, this moving, accessible story says much about the power of friendship and the power of literacy.