They Call Me Teach: Lessons in Freedom
by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author) James E Ransome (Illustrator)
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.
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Publishers Weekly
Secretly nicknamed Teach by the community in which he resides, the enslaved protagonist of this historically steeped picture book "learnt reading and writing/ comin' up 'longside Master's son Thomas." Though literacy is illegal for enslaved people, Teach, clerking at his enslaver's store, nevertheless knows "numbers and letters near as good as any man," and he uses that knowledge to fulfill his late mother's wish: "Use that learnin' and make somethin' of yourself." Immediate, day-by-day narration and loose watercolor spreads from the married collaborators Ransome (Fighting with Love) give shape to Teach's efforts "to do just that." On Monday, in a corner of the stable, he whispers alphabet lessons to small children. Tuesday involves reading "the words Missus throws away," and Wednesday sees him teaching a group of men to read late at night ("In the dirt I write out letters"). On Thursday and Friday, Teach is caught reading the enslaver's newspaper and determines not to be caught, even as he writes a young woman a receipt for freedom on Saturday. And on Sunday, Teach amplifies a resonant biblical message: "Let My People Go." Amid a potent reminder of the realities of chattel slavery, the creators deliver a powerful ode to the courage of teachers offering unfiltered truth. An author's note and recommended reading conclude. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
A profoundly moving tribute to the resilience and resourcefulness of many who lived in bondage.
Hornbook
A poetic picture book.
JUV016200 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - Civil War Period (1850-1877)
