The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch

Born a slave, John Roy Lynch would grow up to be one of the first African-American Congressmen, and Barton makes plain both the difficulty of this journey and Lynch’s determination to succeed. After emancipation, Lynch took odd jobs and sought an education, his path into politics beginning with delivering speeches and working as a Justice of the Peace. Barton offers an immersive, engaging, and unflinching portrait of the difficulties of the Reconstruction era, while Tate’s cartoonlike artwork softens moments of cruelty and prejudice without diminishing them. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Apr.)