They Call Me Teach

Description

They Call Me Teach
by Lesa Cline-Ransome

ISBN: 9780763681555
Hardcover, new

Brief Description:
In this stirring and powerfully illustrated story, an enslaved young man
uses his ability to read and write to educate others in the pursuit of
freedom. Back inside the store I write up receipts for Master’s deliveries
for Master’s orders In ‘tween I write up a receipt for her freedom The
young man known as Teach secretly learned to read, write, and use numbers
growing up alongside the master’s son. And although on this Southern
plantation these are skills he can never flaunt, Teach doesn’t keep them to
himself: In the course of a week, he’ll teach little ones the alphabet in
the corner stall of a stable and hold a moonlit session where men scratch
letters in the dirt. He’ll decipher a discarded letter bearing news of
Yankee soldiers and forge a pass for a woman hoping to buy precious time on
a perilous journey north. And come Sunday, Teach will cross the swamp to a
hidden cabin, reading aloud to the congregation God’s immortal words to the
pharaoh: Let my people go. With a spare, moving first-person narration told
in an era-appropriate dialect, complemented by stunning watercolor
illustrations, the celebrated duo of Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E.
Ransome honor the bravery and generosity of spirit behind countless untold
acts of resistance during the time of slavery. An author’s note highlights
the vital role of literacy and education toward the securing of freedom,
both historically and to the present day.

Target Age Group: Ages 5 to 8, Grades K to 3