Why is My Name Langston?
Inspiration Book:
Finding Langston by Cline-Ransome, Lesa — Holiday House, 2018 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.2. Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied. CCBC, NSSTB List 2019, Coretta Scott King Honor Award
Rationale: A book like Finding Langston has so many themes and messages that could be pursued, especially the theme of bullies and bullying. Personally, I like the books and reading and poetry theme. I already had lessons in my file about Langston Hughes, the poet, the main character is named after. This title fits right in with those lessons I had previously developed about Hughes’ poetry because it emphasizes the love of books, reading, and poetry. Thus, my new lesson for Finding Langston provides another perspective. I plan to use it in conjunction with those earlier lessons for Grades 3-6. We’ll discuss the emphasis on bullies and bullying, but the skill is that of summarizing. By the end of the lesson, students end up with a mini-book that summarizes the book. The other lessons feature older books that are still excellent to read have been turned into adjunct lessons.
Maybe some of you who have been following the My Books Alive blog, have noticed that I don’t just throw out a lesson when I find a new book worthy of a lesson. I try to combine previous lessons with a new book. Sometimes the new book reminds me of lessons I have previously used, but recently tucked away in the file. Maybe the curriculum changed, maybe a teacher changed, maybe we all just forgot because time ran out, maybe another subject took precedence, maybe…
At any rate, you will find three revisited and revised adjunct lessons plus a new lesson with a new emphasis reinspired by the new book, Finding Langston. The specific lesson for Finding Langston is appropriate for students in Grades 3-6, preferably Grades 4 or 5. ADJUNCT LESSON #1 for Grades K-3 is based on the book My People and emphasizes images of African American people. ADJUNCT LESSON #2 for Grades 3-6 is designed to help celebrate Black Poetry Day on October 17th. ADJUNCT LESSON #3 is meant to introduce poet, Langston Hughes, on his birthday the 1st of February or to begin the celebration of Black History Month in February. Or, combine all of these ideas for a school-wide celebration whenever you want to celebrate Black Poets.
Grades 3-6--Hey, my name is Langston and Langston Hughes is My Hero
Rationale: My teachers and I have often struggled teaching the skill of summarizing without making the instruction tedious and didactic. Recently I tried a different technique with a group of struggling boy readers. A light bulb went on in my head and also in the boys’ heads. Once they understood what summarizing was we could continue on to notetaking and outlining later. An important methodology construct to keep in mind is the attention span of the students. Many reading specialists don’t recommend studying a book for longer than two weeks and I wish more teachers would follow recommendation. I needed a short book that I or the classroom teacher could read aloud in no more than two weeks and also complete a project. Finding Langston at 107 pages met that criteria. It also is about relevant topics, and has scenes that can be easily visualize.
Methodology: This is how we planned and organized the two week unit. Since the topics are cross-curricular language arts and social studies, the fifth grade teacher and I set aside the social studies and language arts time each day for the two weeks. Another advantage of joint planning and flexible schedules. The teacher read two or three chapters per day during the first subject’s session. Then she had the students write one sentence about each chapter, just one. Initially the teacher and student spent time talking about what happened in the chapter, what was important, and what created a visual picture in their mind. After several days the teacher weaned the students from group discussion unless there was a specific point she wanted to emphasize and students could follow through on their own. Once the students had written the summary sentences, they came to the computer lab to do the art work to illustrate their sentences. Some students chose to visualize all summary sentences of the day into one illustration, other students did two or three pictures. Each picture was printed out and compiled into a booklet.
We also switched around a bit from time to time. Some days I did the reading, the teacher followed with extended activities like those suggested in the Teacher Resources below, and I continued with the computer lab aspect of the unit. Some days we needed to complete the computer project before moving on. Some days I did all the lessons for the day, and some days the teacher did. Some days after the read aloud portion, we divided the group to work on extended activities and complete unfinished work. The concept of planning such a unit is flexibility and student need.
In the bibliography for Grades 5-8, locate the following poems by Hughes to share with the students: “One-Way Ticket, “ “Mother to Son,” and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” The Educator’s Guide listed below is excellent and has a long list of probing and thought provoking discussion question. You could use those discussion questions to direct the writing of summary answers, also.
TEACHER RESOURCES:
Educator’s Guide at https://holidayhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/FINDING_LANGSTON_Guide4.19.pdf
Meet-the-Author Recording with Leas Cline-Ransome (2:40 min.)
Audiobook Excerpt narrated by Dion Graham
Finding Langston 05:03 https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=15691
RELATED TITLES:
Black brother, black brother by Rhodes, Jewell Parker — Little, Brown and Company, 2020 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.2. Suspended unjustly from elite Middlefield Prep, Donte Ellison studies fencing with a former champion, hoping to put the racist fencing team captain in his place.
OP Langston's train ride by Burleigh, Robert; illustrated by Jenkins, Leonard — Orchard Books, 2004 818; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.5 Describes how the twentieth-century African American poet Langston Hughes affirms his vocation as a writer through the composition of his famous 1921 poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."
Leaving Lymon by Cline-Ransome, Lesa — Holiday House, 2020 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.3. Raised by his grandparents, first in Mississippi then in Wisconsin, ten-year-old Lymon moves to Chicago in 1945 to live with the mother he never knew, while yearning for his father.
Public school superhero by Patterson, James — Little, Brown and Company, 2015 -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.5. In Kenny Wright's active imagination he's a world famous superhero, but in the real world he's a sixth grade 'Grandma's Boy' whose struggles to fit in at his Washington D.C. inner city school will put his grades and family loyalty to the test
ADJUNCT LESSON--Grades K-3--My Classmates
Inspiration Books:
My people by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Ginee Seo books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, p2009, c2009--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 1.4 Sepia toned photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. accompany Langston Hughes' classic poem "My People" and celebrate the glory, beauty, and soul of the African-American community. King Medal Illustrator Award 2010. A celebration of black beauty and life. Each spread, comprised of the jubilant, loving expressions of black people of all hues and ages, suggests both the wisdom of experience and the exuberance of the next generation. Small photographs, suggestive of old-time filmstrips, repeat the images in miniature on the sides. EP
AND
I, too, am America by Hughes, Langston — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4 Presents the poem of Langston Hughes in which highlights the courage and dignity of the African American Pullman porters in the early twentieth century. CSK Award, Social Studies. List Classroom Bookshelf
AND
Lullaby (for a Black mother) : a poem by Hughes, Langston — Harcourt Children's Books, c2013 p2012--811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4 Pairs a poem about a mother's love for her child with color illustrations. CCBC
Rationale: This ADJUNCT LESSON’S Inspiration Books are picture book versions of three different Langston Hughes’ poems.You may use whichever Inspiration Book you want for this lesson, OR, use all three, one day at a time, not all on one day. I am not an advocate of month long poetry units, nor am I an advocate of a story hour made up entirely of poetry, but I like to use poetry as part of a story hour and I like to have students know about the lives of poets. I also like to have students read poetry orally, learn poetry, and perform poetry. The poetry books included in the bibliography represent several different approaches to these Inspiration Books: African American identity, African American poets, African American experience in poetry and Langston Hughes.
A long time ago in my life as an educator, my husband and I had a grant to introduce at risk middle school girls to the outdoors and camping. At the time I had a connection to a professor who was doing research about student perceptions. When student heard certain words, especially opposites, they were to take photographs of what represented those words in their mind’s eye. He provided our at risk girls with inexpensive cameras and they clicked away the entire two week outdoor experience. Their words were “beautiful” and “ugly.” The photos were amazing and eye opening. Ever since I use cameras as often as possible. Langston Hughes’ poem “My People” and Charles R. Smith’s photographs are the inspiration for this ADJUNCT LESSON.
This is a lesson that works well at the beginning of the year. It’s an introduction to the other students. I vary the exact procedure and product, and list the variations below rather provide a step-by-step lesson. Actually, in the ADJUNCT LESSONS I rarely provide a step-by-step lesson. The library and computer lab emphasis has always been visual and oral for this lesson, not poetry analysis.
• Experiment with inexpensive digital cameras to photograph smiles, eyes, hands, and faces of each student. By the time students are in second and third grade, I allow the students to do the photography.
Additionally, in Kindergarten and First Grades I have students draw pictures of themselves the first few days of school and then again near the end of the year on a split page, and print their name. Then print the drawings off to make a class memory book. Actually we print them twice, once for the class book, a second time for a personal book featuring the individual’s library and computer work. Sometimes I insert their photograph on the split page and make a first day of school page and an end of school page.
In second and third grade, when the students do their own photography, I enjoy students to take photographs of faces from the front and side and also zero in on eyes and smiles and even ears and hands. One of the computer skills we work on is photo insertion and resizing. Sometimes I allow the photographer to PhotoShop one of the photos. There are also phone apps that allow photographs to morph pictures into animals and old people, etc. If you choose that option, allow only one of that type photo to be in a montage. Sometimes I pair students for photography purposes--photograph a friend; sometimes the photographer makes the montage page; sometime the subject makes the page. The perspectives are quite different.
• Download all the pictures that you and/or students have taken into a class file. Have students chose a topic: blue eyes, blond hair, purple T-shirt, etc.and make a scrapbook (one page per student) called “My Friends.”
* Find Ashley Bryan’s spoken word version of it online and compare your interpretation
of it. Then find the audio (available online) of Langston Hughes reading it.
*In the classroom--Encourage the teacher to do one or more of the following activities.
* Write a haiku about your family, friends, or classmates.
* Read and discuss other poems of Langston Hughes. A good place to start is
"Dreamkeeper "by Langston Hughes, illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
* Write a short story, song, or poem about one of the photographs in My People.
* Pair students. One student writes a poem about their friends and the other organizes photographs, from the downloaded collection, to illustrate the poem.
* Poetry is an art that is often performed. Memorize this short poem and perform it.
TEACHER RESOURCES FOR “MY PEOPLE”
Meet-the-Author Recording with Charles R. Smith, Jr. My People | 02:39 Charles R. Smith, Jr. introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating My People. https://www.teachingbooks.net//book_reading.cgi?id=3971
Personal website for Charles R. Smith http://charlesrsmithjr.com
Author Interview https://www.teachingbooks.net/author_interview.cgi?id=31829
Teaching Ideas from Scenic Regional Library https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Stories-Matter-Book.pdf#page=24
Discussion Guide for Coretta Scott King Awards http://www.ala.org/rt/sites/ala.org.rt/files/content/cskbookawards/CSK%20Discussion%20Guide1.pdf#page=5
Ashley Bryan reciting My People https://ashleybryancenter.org/ashley.html
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
RELATED TITLES:
A song for Gwendolyn Brooks by Duncan, Alice Faye — Sterling Children's Books, 2019 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.1. Presents a poem celebrating the life of Gwendolyn Brooks and includes four of her poems.
I, too, am America by Hughes, Langston — Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Presents the poem of Langston Hughes in which highlights the courage and dignity of the African American Pullman porters in the early twentieth century.
Lullaby (for a Black mother) : a poem by Hughes, Langston — Harcourt Children's Books, c2013 p2012 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Pairs a poem about a mother's love for her child with color illustrations.
Young Cornrows callin out the moon by Forman, Ruth — Children's Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low Books Inc., 2007. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. A group of African-American children tell about the things around their brownstone apartments that are better to have than front and backyards.
The undefeated by Alexander, Kwame — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5. . . an ode to black American triumph and tribulation.
Brothers & sisters : family poems by Greenfield, Eloise - Amistad, p2009, c2009--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.7 A collection of illustrated poetry by Eloise Greenfield that describes the relationship shared by brothers and sisters, and other family-related topics.
The blacker the berry : poems by Thomas, Joyce Carol - Joanna Cotler Books, p2008, c2008--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.9 A collection of poems, including "Golden Goodness," "Cranberry Red," and "Biscuit Brown," celebrating individuality and Afro-American identity. √√
Hip hop speaks to children : a celebration of poetry with a beat by - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, p2008, c2008--811.008--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.9 A collection of fifty-one children's poems that features selections from Nikki Giovanni, Queen Latifah, and the Sugarhill Gang; and contains an audio CD with thirty performances.
ADJUNCT LESSON: Grades 3-6--Celebrating Black Poetry Day, October 17
Rationale: By celebrating Black Poetry Day in October and Langston Hughes’ birthday in February, students experience and share contributions of Black poets at least twice a year. The Teacher Resource below lays out a technique for the October 17th day as a day to read poetry by Black poets aloud. The ADJUNCT LESSON for Grades 5-8 is similar but involves illustrating a Langston Hughes poem. You could easily switch activities by grade level or switch the poetry chosen by grade level.
Teacher Resource:
Black Poetry Day is celebrated. 1 - 12 | Calendar Entry | Calendar Books and webpages are gathered that focus on the work of African American poets and students explore the resources and find a poem to contribute to a poetry... URL: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/black-poetry-celebrated-20310.html
Poetry Collections Representing Black Poets
Bronzeville boys and girls by Brooks, Gwendolyn — Amistad, 2007. 811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 3.9. A collection of illustrated poems that reflects the experiences and feelings of African American children living in big cities.
This is the dream by Shore, Diane ZuHone - Amistad, p2006, c2006--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 4.3 An illustrated poem that describes how nonviolent protests helped end the segregation of schools and public places in the United States.
Spin a soft Black song by Giovanni, Nikki — Square Fish, 2012. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.5. A poetry collection which recounts the feelings of Black children about their neighborhoods, American society, and themselves.
Birmingham, 1963 by Weatherford, Carole Boston - Wordsong, p2007, c2007 --811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.6 Describes the feelings of a fictional character who witnessed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombings in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.
Poetry from the masters : the pioneers : an introduction to African-American poets by - Just Us Books, p2003, c2003--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.7 Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-85). Contains thirty-six poems written by eleven pioneering African-American poets, including Phillis Wheatley, James Weldon Johnson, and Gwendolyn Brooks, and includes brief biographies of each featured author.
Words with wings : a treasury of African-American poetry and art by - HarperCollins, p2001, c2001--811.008--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.8 Pairs twenty works of art by African-American artists with twenty poems by twenty African-American poets.
Blues journey by Myers, Walter Dean, 1937- - Holiday House, p2003, c2003--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 5.1 Contains blues lyrics that chronicle the history of the African-American experience, and includes information about the development of blues music.
Soul looks back in wonder by - Puffin Books, p1999, c1993 --811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 5.2
Mother of Brown-ness / Margaret Walker -- Look at us / Darryl Holmes -- Boyz n search of their solar system / Eugene B. Redmond -- To you / Langston Hughes -- History of my people / Walter Dean Myers -- Window morning / Mwatabu Okantah -- Destiny / Haki R. Madhubuti -- I love the look of words / Maya Angelou -- Africa you are beautiful / Rashidah Ismaili -- Rhythms, harmonies, ancestors / Askia M. Toure -- I am the creativity / Alexis De Veaux -- Under the rainbow / Lucille Clifton -- Who can be born black / Mari Evans. Artwork and poems by such writers as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Askia Toure portray the creativity, strength, and beauty of their African-American heritage.
Freedom's a-callin me by Shange, Ntozake r — Amisatd/Collins, 2012. 811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.4. Illustrations and text imagine what it was like for the men and women on the Underground Railroad.
My America : a poetry atlas of the United States by - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, p2000, c2000 --811.008--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.0 A biography of an African girl brought to New England as a slave in 1761 who became famous on both sides of the Atlantic as the first Black poet in America.
My black me: a beginning book of Black poetry by - Puffin Books, p1995, c1994 --811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.2 A collection of fifty poems that explore the African-American world, written by twenty-six African-American poets of modern times.
I, too, sing America : three centuries of African American poetry — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. 811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 7.3. collection of poems by African-American writers, including Lucy Terry, Gwendolyn Bennett, and Alice Walker.
That is my dream! : a picture book of Langston Hughes's "Dream Variation" by Hughes, Langston — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017. 811; Int Lvl: 3-6. Dream Variation,' one of Langston Hughes's most celebrated poems, about the dream of a world free of discrimination and racial prejudice, is now a picture book ... illustrated by Daniel Miyares. An African-American boy faces the harsh reality of segregation and racial prejudice, but he dreams of a different life--one full of freedom, hope, and wild possibility, where he can fling his arms wide in the face of the sun.
Roots and blues : a celebration by Adoff, Arnold - Clarion Books, p2011, c2011--811--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 4.4 Lyrical text explores how Blues have been part of everyday life throughout history, from its origins in the sounds of the earth, through slaves' voices singing of freedom, to today's greatest performers--and listeners. Outstanding Social Studies Trade Book 2011 √√
We troubled the waters : poems by Shange, Ntozake - Collins, p2009, c2009--811--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 5.1 Presents illustrated poetry from African-American playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, in which she explores racism and racial discrimination in the United States.
One last word : wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Grimes, Nikki — Bloomsbury, 2017 811; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.5. In this collection of poetry, Nikki Grimes looks afresh at the poets of the Harlem Renaissance -- including voices like Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglas Johnson, and many more writers of importance and resonance from this era -- by combining their work with her own original poetry. Using 'The Golden Shovel' poetic method, Grimes has written a collection of poetry that is as gorgeous as it is thought-provoking. This special book also includes original artwork in full-color from some of today's most exciting African American illustrators, who have created pieces of art based on Nikki's original poems. Featuring art by: Cozbi Cabrera, R. Gregory Christie, Pat Cummings, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Nikki Grimes, E. B. Lewis, Frank Morrison, Brian Pinkney, Sean Qualls, James Ransome, Javaka Steptoe, Shadra Strickland, and Elizabeth Zunon. A foreword, an introduction to the history of the Harlem Renaissance, author's note, poet biographies, and index makes this not only a book to cherish, but a wonderful resource and reference as well.
Voices from the march on Washington by Lewis, J. Patrick — WordSong, an imprint of Highlights, 2014. 811; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.6. A collection of poems telling the story of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. FREE Teaching Resources available for download at www.titlewave.comm
Maya Angelou by Angelou, Maya - Sterling, p2007, c2007--811--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 6.4
Collects and illustrates twenty-five poems by African-American author Maya Angelou, including "Me and My Work," "Still I Rise," and "A Brave and Startling Truth," and includes poem introductions and notes.a
Freedom like sunlight : praisesongs for Black Americans by Lewis, J. Patrick — Creative Paperbacks, 2013 811; Int Lvl: 5-8. Presents poems and brief biographical notes about such well-known African-Americans as: Arthur Ashe, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Louis Armstrong, Martin Luther King, Jr., "Satchel" Paige, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Jesse Owens, Marian Anderson, Malcolm X, Wilma Rudolph, and Billie Holiday.
ADJUNCT LESSON: Grades 5-8--Happy Birthday, Langston Hughes, February 1, 1902
Rationale: I based the original lesson featuring Langston Hughes around an old issue of Instructor (January/February, 1995) that featured a play. Students did a reader’s theater version of that play as the introduction to Hughes near his birthday. Since his birthday is February 1st, I could often use the play to also introduce the library’s activities for African American History Month. But, I have long since lost a copy of the play from my Langston Hughes file. I suppose I could contact Scholastic, the company that acquired Instructor and ask them to search their files and send me a PDF version.
For this ADJUNCT LESSON, I have chosen not to introduce the lesson as I have in the past, but to use another idea from the same issue. The article was “Kids’ Art Brings Poems to Life: Students at the Harlem School of the Art Illustrate a “found” book by Langston Hughes,” Instructor, (January/February 1995, pp.74-76). In that article students are encouraged to find a Langston poem and illustrate it. Suggestions for implementing that aspect of the article are part of this lesson.
Preparation: Select biographical material about Langston Hughes from resources in Teacher Resource section below. Share biographical information amount needed based on background of students and media on hand.
Gather as many books as possible from the bibliography below.
Introduction: Today is the beginning of Black History Month AND the birthday of one of the most important African American modern day poets. Any guesses who that might be? (Provide as much biographical background as you have prepared.)
Today we’re going browse his poetry and select one each that we will illustrate. All the books on the tables include Langston Hughes’ poetry. (Allow time for browsing--about fifteen minutes) After you have chosen your poem, I’ll explain how we’re going to illustrate the poem.
Ideas for illustrating--be sure to include the text of the poem on the illustration page.
- Free hand illustration
- Computerized sketch
- Collage
- Scrapbook style
- Your original idea
Make a display of the completed illustrations to honor Langston Hughes and Black Poets.
Langston Hughes poetry--
My people by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Ginee Seo books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, p2009, c2009--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 1.4 Sepia toned photographs by Charles R. Smith, Jr. accompany Langston Hughes' classic poem "My People" and celebrate the glory, beauty, and soul of the African-American community.
I, too, am America by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, p2012, c2012--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.4 Presents the poem of Langston Hughes in which highlights the courage and dignity of the African American Pullman porters in the early twentieth century.
Lullaby (for a Black mother) : a poem by Hughes, Langston — Harcourt Children's Books, c2013 p2012 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.4. Pairs a poem about a mother's love for her child with color illustrations.
The sweet and sour animal book by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Oxford University Press, p1997, c1994--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5 Twenty-six short poems introduce animals for each letter of the alphabet, from Ape to Zebra.
The negro speaks of rivers by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Disney/Jump at the Sun Books, p2009, c2009--811--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 3.2 Watercolor illustrations by E.B. Lewis accompany Langston Hughes' classic poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."OP
Sail away by Hughes, Langston — Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.1. A collection of illustrated poems by Langston Hughes.
Coming home : from the life of Langston Hughes by Cooper, Floyd - Putnam & Grosset, p1998, c1994--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.6 Describes some of the boyhood experiences that influenced the development of the African-American poet Langston Hughes.
The dream keeper and other poems : including seven additional poems by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - A.A. Knopf ,Distributed by Random House, p1996, c1994--811--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 5.5 A collection of sixty-six poems, selected by the author for young readers, including lyrical poems, songs, and blues, many exploring the black experience.
Langston Hughes by Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967 - Sterling Pub., p2006, c2006--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.1 An illustrated collection of twenty-six poems by noted African-American poet Langston Hughes, and contains a detailed introduction and biography, as well as brief notes accompanying each poem.
That is my dream! : a picture book of Langston Hughes's "Dream Variation" by Hughes, Langston — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017 811; Int Lvl: 3-6. 'Dream Variation,' one of Langston Hughes's most celebrated poems, about the dream of a world free of discrimination and racial prejudice, is now a picture book ... illustrated by Daniel Miyares. An African-American boy faces the harsh reality of segregation and racial prejudice, but he dreams of a different life--one full of freedom, hope, and wild possibility, where he can fling his arms wide in the face of the sun.
Lives of the writers : comedies, tragedies (and what the neighbors thought) by Krull, Kathleen - Sandpiper, p1994, c1994--809--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 6.9 The lives of twenty writers, ranging from Dickens, the Brontes, and Poe to Twain, Sandburg, and Langston Hughes, are profiled in this eclectic, humorous, and informative collection
Books containing Langston Hughes Poems:
Here's a little poem : a very first book of poetry Candlewick Press, p2007, c2007--811.008--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.5 A collection of poems for children with the various themes of self, family, going outside, and when it is time for bed.
The undefeated by Alexander, Kwame — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 2.5. This poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others,
Hip hop speaks to children : a celebration of poetry with a beat by - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, p2008, c2008--811.008--Int Lvl: K-3--Rd Lvl: 2.9 A collection of fifty-one children's poems that features selections from Nikki Giovanni, Queen Latifah, and the Sugarhill Gang; and contains an audio CD with thirty performances.
Harlem Renaissance party by Ringgold, Faith — Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2015 -E-; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.1. Lonnie and his Uncle Bates go back in time to Harlem in the 1920s and meet famous writers, musicians, artists, and athletes-- from Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois to Josephine Baker and Zora Neale Hurston-- and many more who contributed to the Harlem Renaissance.
Julie Andrews' treasury for all seasons : poems and songs to celebrate the year — Little, Brown and Co., 2012. 808.81; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 3.2. A collection of illustrated poems and songs for children, celebrating holidays and events throughout the calendar year, including verses Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Cole Porter, Oscar Hammerstein, and others, and featuring introductions by Julie Andrews, in which she describes memories of holiday and family moments.
America at war : poems — Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2008 811.008; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.2. A collection of more than fifty poems and paintings that reflect Americans' views on and response to warfare from the American Revolution through the Iraq War.
The Oxford book of children's verse in America by - Oxford University Press, p1990, c1985--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.3 A collection of American poems written for children or traditionally enjoyed by children, by such authors as Longfellow, Poe, Eugene Field, Langston Hughes, Dr. Seuss, and Jack Prelutsky.
Firefly July : a year of very short poems — Candlewick Press, 2018 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.4. An illustrated collection of classic short poems by Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Charlotte Zolotow, and others.
Keep a pocket in your poem : classic poems and playful parodies by Lewis, J. Patrick — Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights, 2017. 811; Int Lvl: K-3; Rd Lvl: 4.4. A collection of thirteen classic poems accompanied by parody poems by the author.
Words with wings : a treasury of African-American poetry and art by - HarperCollins, p2001, c2001--811.008--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 4.8 Pairs twenty works of art by African-American artists with twenty poems by twenty African-American poets.
Let's clap, jump, sing, & shout; dance, spin, & turn it out! : games, songs, & stories from an African American childhood by McKissack, Pat — Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017 305.896; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.2. Here are classic games, songs, stories, and more, recalled from the author's own childhood in the American South and lovingly passed down to a new generation.
Soul looks back in wonder by - Puffin Books, p1999, c1993--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 5.2
Mother of Brown-ness / Margaret Walker -- Look at us / Darryl Holmes -- Boyz n search of their solar system / Eugene B. Redmond -- To you / Langston Hughes -- History of my people / Walter Dean Myers -- Window morning / Mwatabu Okantah -- Destiny / Haki R. Madhubuti -- I love the look of words / Maya Angelou -- Africa you are beautiful / Rashidah Ismaili -- Rhythms, harmonies, ancestors / Askia M. Toure -- I am the creativity / Alexis De Veaux -- Under the rainbow / Lucille Clifton -- Who can be born black / Mari Evans. Artwork and poems by such writers as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Askia Toure portray the creativity, strength, and beauty of their African-American heritage.
One last word : wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance by Grimes, Nikki — Bloomsbury, 2017 811; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 5.5. In this collection of poetry, Nikki Grimes looks afresh at the poets of the Harlem Renaissance -- including voices like Langston Hughes, Georgia Douglas Johnson, and many more writers of importance and resonance from this era -- by combining their work with her own original poetry.
Poetry speaks to children — Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2005 811.008; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 5.7. More than 90 poems, for children ages six and up, celebrate the written word and feature a star-studded lineup of beloved poets, including: Roald Dahl; J. R. R. Tolkien; Robert Frost; Gwendolyn Brooks; Ogden Nash; John Ciardi; Langston Hughes; Sonia Sanchez; Seamus Heaney; Canada's best-loved children's poet, Dennis Lee; Rita Dove; Billy Collins; Nikki Giovanni and X. J. Kennedy.
My America : a poetry atlas of the United States by - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, p2000, c2000--811.008--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.0 A collection of poems evocative of seven geographical regions of the United States, including the Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Plains, Mountain, Southwest, and Pacific Coast States.
Classic poetry : an illustrated collection by - Candlewick Press, p2009, c1998--821.008--Int Lvl: 5-8--Rd Lvl: 6.1 A collection of favorite poems by such writers as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Edward Lear, Walt Whitman, and Langston Hughes, with portraits of the poets, brief biographical background, and illustrations.
Immersed in verse : an informative, slightly irreverent & totally tremendous guide to living the poet's life by Wolf, Allan — Lark Books, 2006 808.1; Int Lvl: 5-8; Rd Lvl: 6.2. Includes bibliographical references (page 110) and indexes. Contains a guide to writing poetry, providing advice, ideas, writing activities, and encouragement from a working poet, presenting poems by a variety of poets from the unknown to the famous, including Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, Eve Merriam, and more.
My Black me : a beginning book of Black poetry by - Puffin Books, p1995, c1994--811--Int Lvl: 3-6--Rd Lvl: 6.2 A collection of fifty poems that explore the African-American world, written by twenty-six African-American poets of modern times.
I, too, sing America : three centuries of African American poetry — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017 811; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 7.3. Collection of African American poetry spans three centuries of writing in America. Poets bare their souls, speak their minds, trace their roots, and proclaim their dreams in the thirty-six poems compiled here. From lamentations to celebrations, the poems of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Gwendolyn Brooks, among others, reveal the ironies of black America, juxtaposing themes of resistance and reconciliation, hope and despair.
Freedom like sunlight : praisesongs for Black Americans by Lewis, J. Patrick — Creative Paperbacks, 2013 811; Int Lvl: 5-8. Presents poems and brief biographical notes about such well-known African-Americans as: Arthur Ashe, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Louis Armstrong, Martin Luther King, Jr., "Satchel" Paige, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Jesse Owens, Marian Anderson, Malcolm X, Wilma Rudolph, and Billie Holiday.
ANOTHER TEACHER RESOURCE:
The Poet's Voice: Langston Hughes and You 6 - 8 | Lesson | Unit This unit of seven lessons, from EDSITEment, introduces students to a poet's "voice." Students develop a general definition of voice in poetry,... URL: http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/poets-voice-langston-hughes-and-you
- You can find biographical background in the special feature on Langston Hughes created by the EDSITEment-reviewed Academy of American Poets; additional biographical as well as critical materials on Hughes are available from the EDSITEment-reviewed Modern American Poetry.
