Dear Benjamin Banneker

by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Other authorsBrian Pinkney (Illustrator)

Paperback, 1998

Status

Available

Call number

B1731

Genres

All Topics

Nonfiction

Publication

HMH Books for Young Readers (1998), Edition: First, 32 pages

Description

Throughout his life Banneker was troubled that all blacks were not free. And so, in 1791, he wrote to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who had signed the Declaration of Independence. Banneker attacked the institution of slavery and dared to call Jefferson a hypocrite for owning slaves. Jefferson responded. This is the story of Benjamin Banneker--his science, his politics, his morals, and his extraordinary correspondence with Thomas Jefferson. Illustrated in full-page scratchboard and oil paintings by Caldecott Honor artist Brian Pinkney.

User reviews

LibraryThing member cvyork

Very informational, and good developing plot that keeps the biography rolling and interesting

5 more

LibraryThing member Ms.Penniman

Retelling: Benjamin Banneker was one of very few, landowning African Americans born free in Virginia in 1731. His mother taught him to read from the bible, the only book she had. Between his arduous duties on the family tobacco farm, Banneker studied the sky and used his findings to publish an

almanac. His almanac was published by abolitionists and gained popularity. He famously wrote to Thomas Jefferson encouraging him to be true to his words and free his own slaves. Thomas Jefferson replied.

Thoughts and Feelings: Benjamin Banneker was fifty-seven when he started teaching himself astronomy and that's back when people didn't live as long as they do today. I will remember that fact the next time someone tells me they're too old to learn something.

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LibraryThing member brangwinn

Great story about the creator of an almanac. Good read a loud to share with students before introducing an almanac in school

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26

Author Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrator Brian Pinkney - the wife and husband team who produced such titles as Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down and Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra - present the story of Benjamin Banneker, the extraordinary eighteenth-century

African-American astronomer and almanac writer, in this picture-book biography. Born free, at a time when most black people in America were held in bondage, Banneker was raised on his family's small tobacco farm in Maryland, and taught to read by his grandmother, from the family bible.

A self educated astronomer, Banneker began working on his own almanac in 1789, but was rejected by a number of publishers, until James Pemberton, of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery, heard of his efforts, and helped him to find a publisher willing to take a chance on the first almanac to be written by a black man. Conscious of the role his own freedom played, in allowing him to develop his mind, and troubled by the fact that so many of his fellow African-Americans did not enjoy that same privilege, Banneker took the unusual step of writing to then Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, and posing a simple question: if he, Jefferson, truly believed the words he had penned, in the Declaration of Independence, then why did he own slaves...?

With an engaging text that presents the story of an fascinating figure from the early days of the American republic, and lovely scratch-board art - I particularly liked the depiction of the night skies - Dear Benjamin Banneker is a book I would recommend to young picture-book readers who enjoy biographical tales.

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LibraryThing member SimoneAlexis

This is a story of a black man living during the late 1791s. Benjamin Banneker was very smart for the position he was in. He had gotten an education and was interested in science and politics. However, he was deeply troubled by the facts that blacks did not have their own freedom. In this

biography, the author tells the story of how Benjamin Banneker wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson and published his own almanac.

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LibraryThing member memaldonado

Benjamin was born free, and he worked on a tobacco farm with his parents. When he was 21, he worked harder to maintain the farm his parents left him. After many years, he began to study astronomy. He had a few astronomy books, but he mostly taught himself to study the movements of the stars.

Benjamin wanted to create his almanac. An almanac had the cycles of the sun, seasons, and weather. Benjamin created an almanac, but no one wanted to publish it for him because he was African American. Eventually he sent an almanac to Thomas Jefferson, and a letter criticizing slavery. Thomas Jefferson responded to Benjamin and published his almanac. The almanac sold out quickly, and Benjamin sold his farm. It is always a pleasure to read books by Andrea Davis Pinkney because her stories always keep me interested. The story gave me background about Benjamin, and provided letters that Benjamin wrote to Thomas Jefferson. This book will be great for children, because they can learn more about African American History. I would provide some type of math activity for students.

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