It may have been published in 1980s/early 1990s, maybe on a Scholastic list, set in the 1800s, a boy visits his ?aunt/uncle one summer, on a farm or apple orchard in New England (maybe Pennsylvania). There is a secret passage used for the underground railroad that is discovered by the boy in the house he is staying at, near the end of the book, when someone is hidden there. Someone may have gotten shot near the end of the book. Boy felt aunt/uncle he was staying with were strict and had a strained relationship with them until their aid to this person near the end of the book changes this. Can't recall the title, but it was long-ish. Cover may have had farmhouse/farm landscape.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
This sounds very similar to the book that I came to this site hoping to find. If it is indeed the same book, my teacher read it to our class in 5th grade, which would have been 1989/1990. The farm had “Strawberry” in its name, and that may have been part of the book title as well, but so far my searching has not turned up anything.
That could be The Secret of the Strawbridge Place by Helen Pierce Jacob from 1976 because the title is similar to what you remember, but if it is, I’m not sure that’s the same book that the poster is looking for because it doesn’t have an aunt and uncle and nobody got shot.
https://forgottenstoriesweb.wordpress.com/2017/06/09/the-secret-of-the-strawbridge-place/
Yes, this does sound like it could be the book that I remember, although I agree that it is probably a different book than the one the original poster is looking for. I’ve requested it via ILL and look forward to re-reading it. Thanks for your help!
Not sure, but could this be Betty Cavanna: Secret Passage?
Reminds me of “Freedom Crossing”.
It was published much earlier and the details are a bit off, but this reminds me of “The Ghost of Follonsbee’s Folly” by Florence Hightower.
The Ghosts of Lee House? I can’t remember the author. There are two houses, and someone playing the “ghost”. There is enough similarity to check it out.