The slave who went to Congress

Gr 2--6--Gaillard and Rosner use a combination of speeches, writings, and other historical documentation to chronicle Benjamin Turner's journey from enslavement to an educated businessman who eventually became the first African American from Alabama elected to the U.S. Congress in 1870. Turner defied Alabama law, which forbade slaves from learning to read. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, igniting Turner's hope for a future that would allow him to rise above the chains of bondage. An author's note explains where the documentation was procured from, and an afterword explains Turner's life after his election and subsequent defeat for reelection in 1872. The use of primary source material to tell a first-person biography is intriguing and will likely interest educators. However, because the text is taken from speeches and writings created in the late 1800s, some of the language will be challenging for younger readers. The realistic digital illustrations work well to depict the events of the narrative, which will be helpful to young readers trying to interpret the text. VERDICT Turner's lesser-known story will appeal to history buffs and readers looking to discover a new historical figure. A suggested purchase for most youth biography collections.--Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL

Benjamin Sterling Turner, the first African American elected to the U.S. Congress from the state of Alabama, is the subject of this picture-book biography. Rosner and Gaillard tell the story in Turner's voice, opening with his enslavement and his "yearning for an education," which "would come alive" during "the reading mornings" when he would sneak and listen to his owner, Mrs. Turner, read aloud to her children. Turner was a tenacious learner. Children who are familiar with stories about Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass will notice this parallel with his contemporaries. From this book, readers learn that Turner was an interesting man who amassed a fortune twice before his death, raised a son alone after his first wife was sold away, and was elected to Congress despite having been born enslaved. However, a problem that presents almost immediately is that this book is related in the first person and therefore reads as though it is an autobiography. The authors mention both this decision and their sources in an opening note, but their fairly unorthodox choice unacceptably blurs the line between the facts of Turner's life and fictional embellishment. Drawing on secondary resources for detail and Turner's few recorded writings for his style, the authors put words in his mouth; a representative example: "I cannot say [my owner] was altogether unkind." With no specific citation for this or other assertions, it is impossible for readers to know whether this was authentically Turner's feeling or authorial imposition. The story is an important one, but this vehicle can't carry it. (Picture book/biography. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.