Light in the Darkness

An enslaved mother and daughter learn to read in spite of great danger in this beautiful testament to the power of literacy, written and illustrated by an award-winning author/artist team.

Rosa and her mama go to school together-in the dark of night, silently, afraid that any noise they hear is a patroller on the lookout for escaped slaves. Their school is literally a hole in the ground, where they and other slaves of all ages gather to form letters out of sticks, scratch letters in the dirt, and pronounce their sounds in whispers. Young Rosa is eager to learn the letters and then the words, because after the words comes reading. But she must have patience, her mama reminds her, and keep her letters to herself when she's working on the plantation. If the Master catches them, it'll mean a whipping-one lash for each letter. No matter how slow and dangerous the process might be, Rosa is determined to learn, and pass on her learning to others.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/19/2013
ISBN: 9781423134954
Pages: 40
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.60w x 0.60d
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee

Review Citations: Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2012
School Library Journal 12/01/2012 pg. 86
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2013 pg. 238
Booklist 02/01/2013 pg. 59
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2013 - Recommended, Satisfactory

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 156353 / Light in the Darkness: A Story about How Slaves Learned in Secret
Reading Level: 3.6 / Interest Level: Lower Grade / Point Value: 0.5