The Mighty Macy by Kwame Alexander, illustrated by Kitt Thomas (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 144 pages, grades 2-5). Macy’s busy with school, violin, friends, and family, but when she discovers her school library is going to a two-day-a-week schedule, she puts everything on hold to get that decision reversed. Following in her poet dad’s footsteps, she offers to read an original poem at the school board meeting to express what the library means to her and her classmates. She soon regrets the offer, as she can’t come up with a single idea, but the support she gets from those around her helps her to incorporate their voices into her work. Success breeds success, and after a big win at the meeting, Macy is ready to give a flawless performance at her violin recital. Includes an author’s note about his own daughter and how she inspired this story.
Kids will embrace this engaging illustrated novel in verse that would make a perfect quick independent read or group read-aloud. Readers will see a lot of themselves in Macy’s struggles, whether it’s dealing with a father who travels a lot, persisting in difficult endeavors, or enjoying the support of friends at school. And, of course, I’ll always give two thumbs up to a book that emphasizes the importance of school libraries and librarians.
Melodies of the Weary Blues: Classic Poems Illustrated for Young People by Langston Hughes, compiled by Shamar Knight-Justice, art by 23 remarkable artists, HarperCollins, 48 pages, grades 1-5). Shamar Knight-Justice writes in the opening “Letter from the Editor” how he discovered the poetry of Langston Hughes as a 14-year-old and how Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” helped him to connect with his own mom. The 23 poems cover a wide range of topics: jazz, Harlem, Black history, the ocean. Each one is accompanied by an illustration created by a Black artist, all profiled with thumbnail portraits at the end of the book. There’s also a timeline and additional information about Hughes.
My first thought as I read this book was that I wanted to buy a copy or two and take it apart so that I could put the beautiful poems and illustrations up all over my school for National Poetry Month. Some of the poems, like “Winter Moon” and “Sea Charm” would fit in nicely by the kindergarten classes, while others such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “The Weary Blues” would be fine additions to the fifth-grade wing. Each distinctive illustration will grab kids’ attention and allow them to linger over the poetry.
A Kids Book A Day 