Finding Langston

It is 1946, and eleven-year-old Langston and his father leave Alabama, the only home Langston has ever known, to move to Chicago. Langston’s father says it is for better opportunities, but maybe it is just too difficult for him to be where Langston’s mother died. It is a hard move for Langston. He misses the red dirt of Alabama, his grandmother and cousins, but most of all, his sweet mother. The boys at school tease him unmercifully about being a country boy, and they bully him as well. But Langston finds his way to a public library, one that lets black people in, unlike the one at home in Alabama. There, Langston finds solace and discovers poetry and the man for whom he was named. But the bullies may even ruin that.

Author Lesa Cline-Ransome has written a moving story about loss, love, and finding one’s voice. The character of Langston will worm its way into readers’ minds and hearts and stay there a long time. The writing is lyrical and rich and the story memorable and sweet. This book will help young people find their own voices but deserves readership far beyond the middle grades.