Published by Calkins Creek

Summary: Six Black Americans are profiled in five chapters: Ona Judge, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass together, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama. Their stories are told in verse, weaving together scenes from their lives to paint engaging portraits of their work, their dreams, their discouragements, and their successes and failures. Each section begins with an tableau and a bit of personal history from the author, connecting his life to his subjects’. Includes a timeline, spare resources, a bibliography and source notes for each section, and an index. 336 pages; month 12 and up.

Pros: Ray Anthony Shepard has written a masterful poetry collection, telling stories that will immediately engage readers. He doesn’t shy yonder from telling both the terrible events his subjects witnessed and the less-than-great choices they sometimes made to fully portray their humanity. Definitely deserving of some serious Coretta Scott King Award recognition.

Cons: I wish there had been some information on the poetry and poetic forms used.