School Library Journal (Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

Gr 3-5 Based on the life of Benjamin Holmes, a slave who taught himself to read at a young age, this picture book is an inspiring account of overcoming oppression. Sherman's fictionalized telling is stirring, especially when Holmes revels in the discovery of new words; readers are moved to cheer on his clandestine efforts to learn. When Union troops approach Charleston, the tailor to whom Holmes is apprenticed leaves town, and the boy is imprisoned indefinitely with other slaves, and he is credited with reading the Emancipation Proclamation to his fellow inmates. The story culminates in a forceful scene when the inmates implore Ben to read the newspaper that contains Lincoln's history-making document. "'Louder,' someone called out. 'Stand up.'" Sherman's text has a stately simplicity. Cooper's paintings glow with a hopeful, golden warmth, and the best of them feature Benjamin and the other imprisoned slaves bearing witness and then celebrating as his voice rings out. This is a powerful tale of a bright ray of light in a very dark period in America. Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Driven by Cooper's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Blacker the Berry) textural, earth-toned oil paintings, this uplifting story spotlights the early life of Benjamin C. Holmes, born a slave in the 1840s. As a tailor's apprentice in Charleston, S.C., the boy discovers “all kinds of secret ways to learn how to read,” deciphering words on street signs and in newspapers. In a memorable scene, Ben, on a rare visit home, reads the Bible to his illiterate mother, and she promises him a gold dollar when he learns to write. Sherman's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Sun's Daughter) storytelling doesn't eschew the darker aspects of Ben's story: his father was sold off after teaching Ben the alphabet; he never sees his mother again after receiving the gold coin; and he's sent to a slave prison when the tailor flees as the Union Army approaches. Rumors that Lincoln has freed all slaves are confirmed when Ben reads a newspaper article announcing the Emancipation Proclamation to fellow slaves in the prison. Though Sherman's narrative ends there, a concluding note touches on Holmes's later life as a singer and teacher. Ages 8–12. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2010)

"Don't let them know you can read" was the mantra of young Ben, a black slave in Charleston during the Civil War. Even though literacy was illegal for African Americans at the time, Ben learned the alphabet from his father and covertly practiced writing and word recognition. One night, after being imprisoned, he read aloud to his fellow inmates from a smuggled newspaper and discovered that Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This fictionalized account is drawn from the early life of Benjamin C. Holmes, who would go on to become a member of the famous Jubilee Singers and a teacher. The inspirational story is well-executed oil-on-board illustrations in sepia tones and rays of gold light, and the close-up depictions of Ben's face are realistically and nobly rendered. With moving language, Sherman clearly shows the ways that the young Ben both strengthened and hid his literacy skills, and how he put them to use as he dreamed of a better future.

Kirkus Reviews

Benjamin Holmes was a young slave in Charleston just before the Civil War who, with some help from his father and a great deal of drive, teaches himself to read. Sherman invents dialogue to flesh out his childhood and his sure knowledge that his skills had to be kept secret. His supreme moment comes when he reads the Emancipation Proclamation to a group of fellow slaves who had been imprisoned after their masters fled at the approach of the Union Army. The story and its telling are inspirational, and Cooper's signature oil paintings featuring muted shades of brown are, as usual, lovely. His use of light on Ben's face on the cover is particularly glorious and will draw readers in. An author's note tells readers that Holmes was a historical figure, but the specific source for this formative moment is not indicated. Nevertheless, a solid Black History choice for younger students. (Picture book. 5-8)