Five Langston Hughes Picture Books

from "April Rain Song" by Langston Hughes

Our celebration of poetry continues! Here are five picture books that feature poems by Langston Hughes, one of America's great poets. Four of the books are created from a single Hughes poem, while the final book is a collection. All are beautifully illustrated and worth checking out. Enjoy!


The Negro Speaks of Rivers
poem by Langston Hughes, illustrated E.B. Lewis

*The thought of reading this book to children might make some uncomfortable given that the word "negro" is no longer socially acceptable outside of a historical context. I would encourage you to read the book anyway and to discuss the word with the children you're reading with. Sharing with children that at the time Hughes wrote this poem "negro" was an acceptable word, that has now been replaced with "Black" and "African American," will teach them not to shy away from uncomfortable words in the future, but rather to learn from them. In this way, we can all still appreciate the beauty of Hughes' poem and Lewis' art without being intimidated by a word that, in this context, is used to celebrate the beauty of the Black experience.

Five Diverse Middle Grade Novels in Verse

Continuing our celebration of National Poetry Month in the U.S., here are five middle grade novels in verse. Enjoy and Happy Poetry Month!

Planet Middle School
written by Nikki Grimes

You can read a great review of Planet Middle School at Coastline Books.

Inside Out & Back Again
written by Thanhha Lai

This book was showered with praise when it was published, winning the National Book Award, as well a Newbery Honor, and garnering multiple starred reviews. All the praise was well-earned. This semi-autobiographical story follows ten-year old Hà and her family from war-ravaged Saigon to the United States. Though times were hard in Vietnam, Hà was happy with her family, growing her papaya tree, and excelling in her studies. Hà struggles with the harsh realities of life aboard the rescue boat that eventually takes her family to a refugee camp, and with adjusting to her new home in Alabama. Life in the United States is very different than Saigon, and Hà is ostracized, cruelly mocked, and teased in her new school. She struggles to understand not only a new language, but a new culture, foods, and landscapes. The sense of place that Lai evokes in this book is exquisite, making her readers feel they are with Hà on every step of her journey. The poetic form helps readers grasp at least a fraction of the depth and intensity of Hà's emotions as she makes her way through the incredibly tumultuous year chronicled in this book. You can read more about Inside Out & Back Again at Goodreads. 

Five Picture Book Poetry Collections That Feature Diversity

There are so many wonderful diverse picture book poetry collections that it was hard to pick five to feature in this post. We'll do at least one more in celebration of April being National Poetry Month here in the U.S., but for now, here are a few that stood out to us for their inclusion of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity:

Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku
by Paul B. Janeczko and J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Tricia Tusa

This collection is a great choice for fans of humorous poets like Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Wing Nuts: Screwy Haiku features 23 senryū poems which are each three lines of laughs. Senryū is Japanese poetry form similar to haiku but tends to focus on the human experiences as opposed to nature, and are more humorous rather than their serious. This one is ideal for children who are old enough to appreciate puns as many of the poems require an understanding of word play. Tusa's illustrations are just as funny as the poetry and feature a wonderful array of racial diversity.

Book Recommendations: Happy Easter!

Hello everyone and Happy Easter! Here are two book recommendations for today's holiday:

Chicken Sunday

written and illustrated by Patricia Polacco

Book Review at Coastline Books: Planet Middle School

If you're looking for a realistic middle grade book, take a gander over to Coastline Books where Sara has posted a lovely review of Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes.



Sara says: "Written in free verse, Joylin’s flowing narrative voice is pitch perfect. She navigates the highs and lows of early adolescence with her two best friends KeeLee and Jake and when she questions “Where is a parallel universe // when you need one?”, I had to smile. Ah, middle school. How many times did I have that thought, although never quite so poetic!"

To read the review in its entirety, click here.