Will I love Finding Langston?

This is a warm hug book. The kind that sneaks up on you when you’re reading words. Langston is a lovable main character. His story is rich with family, tradition, loss, and poetry. He is eleven when his mother dies, and his dad decides they must leave Alabama. So many changes for this boy as he is bullied and deals with segregation in 1940s Chicago. But he discovers the library that welcomes all. Such a sweet story and perfect for younger middle grade readers.

When I first moved to Chicago from the suburbs a few years ago, I felt the same way the boy, Langston, in the story felt—scared, bombarded with noise, and missing the open spaces and country roads. My home is close to where his apartment was, and even though he lived in 1946, we each found respite in the Chicago Public Library. We both love poetry—especially the poetry of Langston Hughes. The best news about this book is that if you love it, and you will, there are two more in the trilogy. Lisa Cline-Ransome is a prolific author with other… show more.