Engle, Margarita. 2006. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. Ill by Sean Qualls. New York. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805077065
1. Review of Book:
In The Poet Slave of Cuba, Margarita Engle uses verse poetry to tell the biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, a Cuban slave who escaped to become a famous poet. The poems are written from Juan's point of view as well as a variety of others' perspectives. They begin when Juan is born into the household of a wealthy slave owner in Cuba in 1797. From there we follow Juan throughout his life as a slave and learn of his numerous owners and the pain he endured for so many years. Even though he was denied an education he still had a love and an exceptional talent for poetry. In the final few poems we learn of Juan's courageous escape to freedom. In the back of her book, Engle also gives further insight to Juan Francisco Manzano's poetry, his life as a slave, and a little about his life after slavery even though not much is known today. Due to the graphic and emotional subject matter of slavery, this book is truly meant for middle school children and up. However, even though Juan endures and manages to survive the worst, Engle uses skillful verse to show that Juan never gives up hope during his challenges and eventually overcomes it, something that younger students can also relate to and understand. Sean Qualls' black and white illustrations paint small pictures for the reader at times portraying a face or an expression, but they lack color and details to leave much up to the imagination. Overall, this book will bring insight to the issue of slavery in Latin American countries and would be an interesting read for students studying this topic.
2. Classroom/Library Connection:
The Poet Slave of Cuba will best be understood after reading the entire book portraying Juan's point of view as well as the other characters. However, the book can be introduced and will draw children in by beginning by reading the first verse of the book about Juan.
My mind is a brush made of feathers
painting pictures of words
I remember
all that I see
every syllable
each word a twin of itself
telling two stories
at the same time
one of sorrow
the other hope...
Follow-up Activity:
After reading this first poem invite volunteers to take on the roles of Juan and the other characters of the novel. Have them read the rest of the poems aloud acting out each of the characters. The book ends learning of Juan's escape, but not much is known about his life afterwards. As a result, students can choose Juan or one of the other characters from the biography and write a conclusion to each of the character's stories.
3. Review Excerpts/ Awards Won:
Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, 2007 Winner United States
IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award, 2007 Winner Young Adult-Nonfiction International
Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2007 Special Recognition United States
Pura Belpre Award, 2008 Winner Narrative United States
In plain, stirring free verse, Engle dramatizes the boyhood of the nineteenth-century Cuban slave Juan Francisco Manzano, who secretly learned to read and wrote poetry about beauty and courage in his world of unspeakable brutality. His present-tense narrative begins when he is six, when his parents are set free. He remains behind with a mistress who treats him like a pet, making him perform for guests. When she dies, five years later, he is given to a cruel, crazy woman, who has him beaten and locked up at whim. He doesn't escape until he is nearly 16. Side-by-side with Juan's anguished voice are the narratives of other characters, including his mother, his demonic owners, and the white child who secretly tries to help. Qualls' occasional black-and-white sketches express Juan's suffering and strength, and a brief afterword fills in historical background. Related in fast-moving poetry, the cruelty is vivid, as is the boy's amazing inner power: tied, gagged, and beaten, Juan knows his owner "can't hear the stories I tell myself." Today's readers will hear the stories, though--and never forget them. Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Feb. 15, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 12))
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