Aduke Walker was the fifth American Girl doll added to the Historical line. Her character is a fugitive slave who escapes with her mother from a plantation in North Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1864, during the American Civil War. Addy's stories explore themes of freedom, familial love, prejudice and racism. The six-book series was written by Connie Porter and originally illustrated by Melodye Rosales and Bradford Brown, but were later redrawn by Dahl Taylor. A stage adaptation of Porter's Addy book series was commissioned and produced by the Seattle Children's Theater in 2007. "Addy: An American Girl Story" was subsequently taken on a limited national tour from January through May 2008 through Kids Entertainment, Inc. Addy was the first African American character made by American Girl, eventually followed by Cécile, Melody, Gabriela, Makena, Evette, and Claudie.
