The Poet Slave of Cuba

A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano

By: Margarita Engle

Illustrated by: Sean Qualls

Published by Henry Holt and Company, 2006

Reading Level: Lexile 1200

Read Aloud, 6.1

 

Powerful, Heartbreaking, Amazing, Tragic, Brilliant 

 The Poet Slave of Cuba, was awarded the American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Award in 2008. The award is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

 

“An absolutely lovely book … that should be read by
young and old, black and white, Anglo and Latino.”
- School Library Journal, starred review

Juan Francisco Manzano was born into slavery in Cuba in 1791. He never knew any other life but the life of under a slave owner. A woman named, Dona Beatriz, who referred to Juan as the child of her old age.  Juan was to call her his Mama, even though he already knew who his real mother was. Juan’s freedom will be granted once Dona Beatriz dies and his birth mother were to be free for what was seen as a small amount of 300 pesos and all her children born after Juan were free born, but not Juan. Dona Beatriz treated Juan as her poodle, she took him wherever she went. Denied an education, Juan learned to sing and recite and was always put on display at gatherings the master took him too. At age 11 his master died, but was his freedom granted?

Note: Some of the scenes described are graphic. However, it is important for students to know that slavery was not only African Americans but Latin Americans who were considered to have dark skin color.

Key Vocabulary:

Succulent (3), Sonnets and ballads (10), inconsolable (14), vile (37), thrashed (52), shun (52), arrogantly ( 76), ominous (86) haven (131).

Spanish words are written throughout the book, however, the English translation is directly underneath it.

Teaching Suggestions –

Before Reading:  Show where Cuba is on a map, and who Juan Francisco Manzano is. It would be best to read this book during Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th through October 15th, brief history of how the Month came about can be explained to your students. Read the first verse of the story and then have your students fill out a Bio-Poem.

Ø  AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL:  Write a poem about yourself using this form or another poetry form.

Line 1: __ Your name
Line 2: _, _, _ 3 personal characteristics or physical traits
Line 3: Brother or sister of__ or son/daughter of
Line 4: Who loves__, __, and __ 3 people, things, ideas
Line 5: Who feels__ about__1 emotion about 1 thing
Line 6: Who needs__, __, and __ 3 things you need
Line 7: Who gives __, __, and __3 objects you share
Line 8: Who fears__, __, and __3 items
Line 9: Who'd like to see, __1 place, or person
Line 10: Who dreams of __ 1 item or idea
Line 11: A student of__ your school or teacher's name
Line 12: __ Nickname or repeat your first name

http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html

During Reading:

Split students into groups and have them research:

Ø  The emergence of slavery in Cuba.

Ø  The persecution and execution of poets during the 1840’s.

Ø  The lives and poetry of Garcilaso de la Vega, Fray Luis de Leon, Pedro Soto de Rojas, Andres Fernandez de Andrade and San Juan de la Cruz.

http://media.us.macmillan.com/teachersguides/9780312659288TG.pdf

After Reading:

Ø  Students will write a one page paper on their thought of how Juan was treated by La Marquesa de Prado Ameno. Why do you think she treated Juan this way?
What kind of person was she?

Electronic Resources -

Author’sSite: Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been awarded many awards of the Cuban lifestyle throughout history. Her powerful words will give students a different point of view.

HispanicHeritage Booklist: List of books ranging from ages to 3-12 resolved around Hispanic Heritage. Biographies, Cultural Traditions, Family Stories, the site has everything needed to diverse your students learning.