THEY CALL ME TEACH

A young enslaved man risks punishment as he uses his literacy skills to help others.

The narrator, known to those in his community as Teach, learns to read and write while serving as a companion to his master’s son, Thomas. When Thomas goes off to school, the master places Teach in his store. When he can, he clandestinely teaches the alphabet to children in bondage. People in his community save scraps of letters for him to interpret, and at the end of long workdays, he teaches adults who are eager to learn. He incurs Master’s anger when he’s observed looking at a newspaper and realizes he must be more careful. That doesn’t keep him from secretly reading and sharing the Bible on Sundays. Cline-Ransome’s terse, staccato verse reflects the urgency of Teach’s situation; the book is organized by days of the week, culminating with Sunday, when Teach offers hope to those in attendance by sharing the story of how the children of Israel sought their freedom from Pharaoh. Ransome’s stunningly expressive watercolors provide additional clarity, heightening the emotions. This beautifully crafted story honors the enslaved people who acquired literacy skills and found ways to aid those who were denied that opportunity. It also emphasizes that enslaved people understood and valued education, seeing it as a way to actively resist slavery.

A profoundly moving tribute to the resilience and resourcefulness of many who lived in bondage.