My Name Is James Madison Hemings Illustrated by Terry Widener Random House (Schwartz & Wade), 2016
New York Times Notable Children’s Book New York Times Best Fall 2016 Picture Book NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Children Junior Library Guild Selection
REVIEWS…!
“This soulful book honestly explores the predicament of a sensitive, inquisitive boy — the son of Thomas Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings — who spent his life ‘owned’ by his father, a founder of our democracy.” (The New York Times Book Review, Notable 2016 Children's Books listing) Read the review
“Readers averse to smiling countenances in books about the enslaved will have nothing to fear in “My Name Is James Madison Hemings.” In fact, they will be hard-pressed to find a single one.” (The New York Times Book Review) Read the review
“At a time when many kids are hearing disturbing stories about the behavior of our president-elect, this gentle, emotional book is a reminder that many presidents’ biographies have distressing aspects. It’s told from the point of view of one of Thomas Jefferson’s sons with his slave Sally Hemings, an inquisitive, melancholy boy who tries to understand how his own father, one of the founders of our democracy, could treat him as a piece of property. Winter and Widener provide a simple but historically solid introduction to some of the moral crises slavery presented for our nation.” (The New York Times Book Review, Best Fall 2016 Picture Books review) Read the review
“In ‘My Name Is James Madison Hemings,’ Jonah Winter not only names all of Jefferson’s children with Sally Hemings, he encourages young readers to consider the perspective of Hemings’s third child…. In trying to promote both knowledge and empathy for others, Winter supports an open discussion of American injustices.” (The Washington Post) Read the review
*“Through a poignant first-person monologue, Winter imagines the peculiar upbringing of Virginia slave James Madison Hemings, son of Thomas Jefferson and his enslaved mistress, Sally Hemings.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review) Read the review
“The creators of You Never Heard of Willie Mays?! bring poignant and personal dimension to the story of Thomas Jefferson’s family with Sally Hemings through the fictionalized first-person perspective of one of their sons.” (Publishers Weekly) Read the review
“The strength of this telling is the way it encourages readers to empathize with Madison's plight, making it a solid entry in that class of picture books tackling tough topics.” (Kirkus Reviews)
