This story held both a heavy historical and educational value. Reading the story of Banneker's life and effort to not only publish his almanac but to be recognized as a free, educated black man fighting for the rights of others was inspiring. He went so far as to even write to Thomas Jefferson to address a very important question as to why if Thomas Jefferson, who stated that everyone had rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" - though it did not apply to the slaves that even he owned. Prior reading this book, I did not know who he was and learned that his was born to a free parents that owned a farm, wrote an almanac not once but twice before it was published, was in communications with Thomas Jefferson, argued against slavery and became a symbol of the betterment of America, and did not live to see the abolition of it. ( )

This book is a biography of the first African-American scientist. He wrote a letter to the Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson speaking out against slavery. He voiced his opinion by saying people of color should be free as well. Using this book, a teacher can begin to show how some African-Americans did receive an education and because of that we're able to help others who were enslaved. ( )

"Dear Benjamin Banneker" outlines the life of astronomer and mathematician Benjamin Banneker. Banneker was born a free person in 1731; his father was a former slave and his mother was also born free. As a child, he questioned the stars' movements in the night sky; the book illustrates Banneker's curiosity with math well in the first illustration, with a picture of him counting on his fingers. As a grown man, Banneker had little time to himself because he worked so much on the tobacco farm, but he was able to teach himself astronomy at night. After writing his first almanac, Banneker tries again and again to get it published, but many white publishers didn't think a black man could accurately create an almanac. However, James Pemberton gave Banneker a chance, and published his second almanac. After its publishing, Banneker wrote to the Secretary of State at the time, Thomas Jefferson. He spoke to him about the hypocrisy in fact that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to say "all men are created equal" while also owning black slaves. Banneker wanted a chance for all black people to learn and be educated just like he was able to, even if it was on his own. His 1792 almanac had sold out immediately.
This book does a very good job retelling Banneker's life in an engaging way, and I love the illustrations that accompany it. However, a significant portion of the book is dedicated to the letters between Thomas Jefferson and him. This would be fine, but the inclusion of large chunks of the original letters seems unnecessary and daunting for such a young audience. I feel the language used in these large chunks would discourage the young readers, , and book doesn't do a very good job of explaining what exactly is being said in the letters, either. I think it would be better to have used much smaller pieces of the letter, only those that are most important and easier to understand. Perhaps this would be too risky or inappropriate for a children's picture book, but I feel it would have been worthwhile to examine Jefferson's reply to Banneker, to make it known that despite his pretty words, Jefferson made no attempt to either release the slaves he owned nor to progress the fight for slavery to be abolished. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend this story to a friend. ( )

Most people think of Benjamin Franklin when they reflect on almanacs written during the 1700s but this beautifully illustrated book introduces another author of almanacs during the late 1700s. The book gives an account of the achievements of Benjamin Banneker. Benjamin Banneker lived during a time when many people believed that African Americans were not as intelligent as other Americans. Banneker didn’t let the perspectives of others stop him from studying astronomy and overcoming obstacles to reach his goal. This is a great book for anyone who may feel they can not accomplish their dreams because of setbacks or other peoples beliefs of their abilities. ( )

Benjamin Banneker was a child born free, in a time when most African Americans were not born free and only a hand full where considered truly free. From an early age Benjamin wondered about the stars in the sky and the moon and why they appeared differently every night and why the seasons changed with the stars and moon. Benjamin worked hard after his parents passed and left him the Tobacco farm but he never stopped wondering about how the stars and moon and how it affected the crops and how he could show the world that a black man could make an almanac just as good as a white man if not better and how Thomas Jefferson should really rethink the fact that he stated that all men are created equal and yet he owned slaves and slaves where not allowed to learn to read and if for some reason slaves did know how to read the almanacs of white men or the one that would soon be published by Benjamin would never reach the hands of slaves. Benjamin Banneker died no longer working on his tobacco farm he died doing what he loved which was watching the sky and publishing an Almanac and showing the world that a black man was just as smart if not smarter than a white man.

I relate to this book because in this day and age men and woman are suppose to be equal and yet they are still not treated as equals. Woman in this day have to work twice as hard as a man does that holds the same position. I have worked in a position(oilfield) and because I was a woman and the only woman in the field for the company at the time in the district, I put in more hours and put up with more than anyone should have to but I had to prove to not only to myself but everyone that I worked with and everyone that I told me that I couldn't do it because I was a women and at the end of the day, I PROVED my point.

I would relate this story to my kids by asking them to watch the sky at night for a few weeks and draw a picture of what it looks like and during the day watch how their pets acted, where they super silly, did they take a lot of naps, did they eat a lot and compare the pictures of the sky that they drew to the behavior of their pets. Do they think that the moon and the stars affect their pets behavior, do they think it affects the way they act ?