They Call Me Teach Lessons in Freedom

This powerful chapter book tells the story of Teach, an enslaved young man who, despite immense personal risk, secretly learns to read, write, and use numbers. He then dedicates himself to teaching these vital skills to fellow enslaved people, from young children to adults, fostering hope and enabling acts of resistance, such as forging passes for those seeking freedom. Told with a spare, moving first-person narration in an era-appropriate dialect and complemented by evocative watercolor illustrations, this book honors the untold acts of bravery and generosity during the time of slavery. It's an excellent resource for introducing children to a difficult historical period with a focus on resilience and the power of knowledge.

"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. ... With a spare, moving first-person narration told in an era-appropriate dialect, complemented by ... watercolor illustrations, the ... 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"--