Lydia Maria Child grew up in the 1800s reading countless books. She defied the idea that girls weren''t supposed to fill their minds with ideas and stories. They weren''t supposed to write their own books, either, but that is exactly what Lydia Maria did. Although she gained remarkable success as a writer for children and adults, she sacrificed everything when she took up her pen against slavery. Lydia Maria believed that slavery was wrong--and she wasn''t afraid to say so. As a result, her courageous words changed her life and helped change the course of American history.