Mary Peake... Mother, teacher, hero

In a time when it was against the law to teach African Americans to read , a mother in Hampton, Virginia opened her home to teach soon to be free children in her community.

As fate would have it, that tree would soon host the first reading of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation in the south.  Today, the tree is surrounded by Hampton University...  a vibrant campus that prepares students for service around the world.

For the first ime, Mary's story has been turned into a chapter book created especially for young readers.  Generously illustrated with colorful new images by international artist Liu Light along with classic and contemporary images that tell how and where Mary lived and taught.