Freedom to Read
The Story of Teacher Mary Peake and One Mighty Oak Tree
$33.99
- Hardcover
48 pages
- Release Date
4 January 2027
Summary
“A thoughtful double portrait that reaches forward and back.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
From Newbery Honor author Lesa Cline-Ransome and ALA Children’s Literature Legacy Award recipient James Ransome, this inspiring picture book biography tells the story of Mary Peake, a courageous teacher who started a secret school for Black children.
So many found sanctuary in Mary’s secret schoolhouse. They found freedom in letters. …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781534463509 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 153446350X |
| Author: | Lesa Cline-Ransome, James E. Ransome |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Imprint: | Simon & Schuster |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 48 |
| Release Date: | 4 January 2027 |
| Weight: | 483g |
| Dimensions: | 10mm x 229mm x 279mm |
| Audience Age: | 4-8 |
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Critics Review
An important picture book biography about an unsung figure in Black history…. A recommended purchase, offering accessible prose for younger readers and strong social studies connections for older ones. – School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW * 7/1/26 *
A child and a tree mature to reveal an interconnected legacy… Spotlighting a living historical landmark and a pioneering teacher, it’s a thoughtful double portrait that reaches forward and back. – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW * 5/15/26 *
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Lesa Cline-Ransome is the author of numerous nonfiction and historical fiction titles for picture book, chapter book, middle grade, and young adult readers. Her One Big Open Sky was both a Coretta Scott King Honor book and a Newbery Honor book. Her picture books include Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis, Game Changers: The Story of Venus and Serena Williams, and The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne. Her verse biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and received a Jane Addams Children’s Book Honor, Christopher Award, and Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Her debut middle grade novel, Finding Langston, won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and frequent collaborator, James Ransome, and their family.
James E. Ransome’s Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis was called “a warm tribute” by Kirkus Reviews and “highly recommended” by School Library Journal, both in starred reviews. His highly acclaimed illustrations for Before She Was Harriet received the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor. His other award-winning titles include the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor Book The Bell Rang, Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book Uncle Jed’s Barbershop, Reading Rainbow Book Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, and Let My People Go, winner of the NAACP Image Award. James is also a recipient of the ALA Children’s Literature Legacy Award. He is on the faculty at the School of Visual Arts in the MFA Illustration Visual Essay program. James frequently collaborates with his wife, author Lesa Cline-Ransome. They live in New York’s Hudson Valley region with their family.
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