As a young boy born into slavery in Virginia, Alec Turner was forbidden to learn to read. Naturally he was frightened when Zephie, his owner's granddaughter, first offered to teach him, but she told him that if he learned to read, he could become a free man. As Alec mastered the alphabet from a small primer, Zephie lit in him a spark of hope, which became a flame. Alec's Primer is based on the true story of Alec Turner (1845-1923), who learned to read and, eventually, just as Zephie predicted, became a free man. Traveling to Vermont where he established his home and became a landowner, Alec kept his cherished primer with him throughout his life. Years later, Alec's daughter Daisy told his dramatic tale of defiance and endurance to the Vermont Folklife Center. Mildred Pitts Walter and Larry Johnson have transformed Alec's powerful story into an engrossing picture book that affords young readers an authentic lens through which to view history.

 

This book was recognised in the Multicultural Nonfiction - Teen category by the Independent Publisher Book Award. It was recognised in the Cover Design category by the Benjamin Franklin Award.

This book is part of a book series called Vermont Folklife Centre Children's Books .

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2005 by Vermont Folklife Center .

Mildred Pitts Walter won the Coretta Scott King Award for Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World and received a King Honor Book Award and the Christopher Award for Mississippi Challenge. Born and reared in Louisiana, she currently lives in Denver, where she is a member of the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Larry Johnson is the Illustrator of one of Daisy Turner's own stories, Daisy and the Doll (2000) by Michael and Angela Shelf Medearis, and Knoxville, Tennessee by Nicki Giovanni. He co-hosts a radio talk show and serves as a church youth minister near his home in Boston, Massachusetts. Michael And Angela Shelf Medearis live in Austin, Texas, where they direct Book Boosters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to tutoring elementary school children. Larry Johnson lives near Boston. He co-hosts a radio talk show and has illustrated over twenty books for children.