2 Books Published by Lightswitch Learning on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

TV journalist Cheryl Wills previously gripped readers with her popular illustrated children’s book The Emancipation of Grandpa Sandy Wills. The best-selling book is her intimate story about her great-great-great grandfather Sandy Wills and his transformation from Tennessee slave to courageous Civil War soldier fighting for his own freedom. Now, Cheryl is once again using her voice to speak for the silenced and forgotten in her sequel book, EMMA. Emma was Sandy’s wife, a brave and strong enslaved woman. Emma dreamed of being free and literate. She never let her dreams die. Emma had to fight for everything in her life – her freedom, her hope, and the pension she was entitled to as the wife of a deceased soldier. Emma introduces themes like perseverance, leadership and initiative to students while educating them about historic events. If Emma could achieve her goals, perhaps so can all the girls that have come after her, like her great-great-great granddaughter, Cheryl Wills. Today, Emma continues to speak with encouragement, love and discipline to readers so that they, too, can dare to dream and achieve!

KIRKUS REVIEW
Journalist Cheryl Wills reaches back through her family tree for a story of freedom and self-determination.

Little Emma is enslaved on the Moore plantation in Haywood County, Tennessee, in 1858. She works in the house, caring for and playing with the white master’s children—but not learning with them. More than anything, she wants what they have but she can’t: freedom and literacy. With the end of the Civil War, she gains one but not the other. Emma marries a former black Union soldier and has children, milestones recorded by others. When he dies, she applies for survivor’s benefits but is denied twice due to bureaucratic quibbles about her husband’s name. (The use of this same tool to deny voting rights today goes unmentioned, but the parallels are clear for adults who wish to draw them.) Her third application, based on the records of her children’s births, is approved. It’s an unusual plot for a picture book, but Wills pulls it off, emphasizing both Emma’s unrealized desire to read and write and the importance of literacy to the successful negotiation of power structures. Copious backmatter includes a note on primary sources, discussion questions and activities, and a two-page glossary.

The message is clear and convincingly conveyed: Literacy is survival.

“This picture book comes as some textbooks characterize Africans who were kidnapped during the transatlantic slave trade as ‘immigrants’ and ‘migrant workers’” Cheryl says. “As a proud descendant of Africans who fought mightily against slavery during The Civil War, it’s important that I do my part to set the record straight.”

Wills’ first biography Die Free: A Heroic Family History(2010 Bascom Hill Publishing Group) delivered a captivating narrative filled with historical records that traced her father’s bloodline from modern day New York City to 19th century slave plantations in Tennessee. The success of this biography ignited the demand for a new picture book reaching younger students and helping educators teach the value and practice of tracing family roots.

Researching family roots is valuable to students and families. Studies have shown that the more children know about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives and the higher their self-esteem, which is a building block for academic success. When educators partner with families on this activity, it’s an innovative and thoughtful approach to family engagement that’s linked to learning.

Cheryl Wills is an anchor and senior reporter for Time Warner Cable’s Flagship national news network New York One News. She joined the cable news network during its launch in 1992. She lives in a New York City suburb with her husband and son. Her website is www.diefreethebook.com.


Lightswitch Learning has been a partner to parents and educators for more than 40 years – providing the highest quality family resources and educational materials. Our mission is to help parents and students be the best they can be, and to provide the information parents need to help their children succeed socially, emotionally and physically. www.lightswitchlearning.com.