Langston Hughes

Children's Literature - Sheree Van Vreede

It is truly amazing to discover how much someone's life can be intertwined with history, politics, education, music, and poetry. There are a lot of levels to learning about the life of Langston Hughes. He was an activist, a poet, and a black man witnessing the effects of two World Wars and the Depression. Living with prejudice and poverty, he still found the power to create a language and a voice that touched so many. This is certainly a story worth reading. Detailed and thorough, this 200-page book will be challenging. Artistic and interpretive illustrations accompany the text.

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up--A handsomely illustrated edition of Meltzer's 1968 title. Meltzer and Hughes were friends and collaborators on book projects, so the portrait painted here is more personal than many of the other available offerings. Alcorn's stylized, two-toned prints pique excitement and interest and invite repeated viewings. The artwork, plus the larger, clearer format for the text, will attract readers who would not have picked up the earlier edition. Each chapter begins with the graphic image of a flower springing from the gutter of an open book, superimposed over the silhouette of a cityscape. Only slight, subtle changes have been made in the well-written text. The word "Negro" has been changed in some places to "African American" or "black." An author's note precedes the text. The bibliography has been updated and includes audio and video recordings. The compelling artistry of this edition makes it a first-purchase consideration even for libraries that own the older title.--Marilyn Fairbanks, East Junior High School, Brockton, MA