It took profound courage and determination for enslaved people in the 19th-century United States to learn to read. In They Call Me Teach, Coretta Scott King Honoree Lesa Cline-Ransome (Being Clem; Before She Was Harriet) and Coretta Scott King Medalist James E. Ransome (The Bell Rang) honor these individuals through the fictional story of a man who risks his life to teach others to read.
Cline-Ransome's central character is a composite inspired by real stories of those who fought for literacy and freedom. Known by his "secret name," Teach, he learns to read " 'longside Master's son." He is allowed to read only while working in his master's store but secretly instructs others in hidden locations, using a "torn speller." Cline-Ransome's vivid descriptive imagery deepens the narrative: "Crouched low, I teach in whispers with hushed letters and the soft scrape of a stick against slate."
The story unfolds over a week, detailing Teach's covert lessons using sticks in the dirt, a public reading incident that brings warnings from his master, and his help in a woman's escape by writing her "pass" to travel to another plantation: "I write up a receipt for her freedom." The story culminates in a soul-stirring Sunday school service. Illustrator Ransome captures the period's essence with radiant details and a warm amber light, and his unforgettable closing spread at Sunday school, depicting a "time for rest from secrets," is rich with emotion and poignantly reflects the profound impact of Teach's work. --Julie Danielson