BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cline-Ransome, Lesa. 2020. FINDING LANGSTON. New York. Holiday House. ISBN 978-0-8234-4582-0
PLOT SUMMARY
Langston, an 11-year old boy relocated from his home in Alabama to Chicago upon his mother’s passing. His father, a terrible cook and quiet man, is set to continue the rest of their life in a new home with his new job at the plant with more opportunities and a chance at starting over. Langston, coming from Alabama suffers from bullying at school being called “country boy” from a group of three boys who may have these same roots and conceal it through their actions towards him. Refusing to tell his father of the constant teasing, Langston comes across the George Cleveland Hall Branch of the Chicago Public library and immerses himself in the poetic writings of Langston Hughes, his namesake. He conceals his love for reading from his father for a while and upon discovering letters kept safe from his mother’s writing he learns the meaning to his name and finds comfort in knowing his mother’s writing is what would keep him close to her guiding him after her passing.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Langston’s father, described as a serious, hard-working father, quiet and working hard to provide through his relocation and job at the plant is relatable to the family dynamic especially working through his emotions after experiencing the loss of his wife and mother to his only son. Through the father and son relationship we see how his father thinks books are a waste of time and that libraries are only for white people. Langston discovers the library that would change his life as he learns it is for colored people; also his description for the high ceilings as if God was shining down gives a great visual image for his way of looking at it. The dirt roads of Alabama to the rundown apartment they settle in Chicago’s the black ghetto and the details in the separation of colored people and white people on the train give vivid recreation of time which contribute to the authenticity of the 1940’s in which this historical fiction story takes place.
In his conversations with his neighbor, we see mentions of the Harlem Renaissance, which is relatable to Langston’s knowledge of the biography for Langston Hughes, which contributes to the historical accuracy of the times. He relates to his namesake as his writing is about being a colored person who misses home, which his mother related to. The style of the author’s writing gives this story the continuous flow of moving from Langston’s life in Alabama with experiencing an indoor toilet and admiring indoor plumbing for the first time to a more progressive town with a library available to colored people. The characters are getting through life adjusting to their situation. They try to honor their believed mother and wife through not losing faith, yet feeling it was buried when she was, to overcome her loss through the relation of her favorite writer to share with her son’s namesake, giving him the strength to continue on.
Throughout the story we see speech relevant to the times such as the use of the word “negros” and in the author’s note there is many historical mentiones of african-american culture and history including the NAACP, the Chicago Urban League and the Black Jewel of the Midwst, the Hall Branch.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)/AWARDS
ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2019
Boolist starred, 04/15/18
Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2019
Horn Book Magazine starred, 09/01/18
Kirkus Reviews starred, 05/01/18
School Library Journal starred, 08/01/18
Horn Book Guide starred, (Spring 2019): “ Written in short chapters, this crisply paced book is full of historical details to the Great Migration and African American literary culture, and should resonate with any child who’s experienced grief or loneliness.”
Kirkus Reviews starred (May 1, 2018): “ A great migration novella with a vivid, believable protagonist….Cline-Ransome creates a poignant, bittersweet story of a young black boy who comes to accept his new home while gaining newfound knowledge of the African-American literary tradition.”
School Library Journal starred, (August 1, 2018): “ This is a story that will stay with readers long after they’ve finished it.”
CONNECTIONS (Upper elementary audience)
This historical fiction story was an emotional yet enlightening one for me. Tears were shed as I related his life losing his mother to my own mother’s loss of her mother at a young age.
The feelings and emotions aspect of social emotional learning can be a great benefit to students experiencing the loss of a parent. The change that is brought with losing a loved one and having to continue your life without them can be difficult for anyone and so this book is very relatable to anyone going through this.
The historical details of segregation, colored people not being allowed to libraries and the establishment of the George Cleveland Hall Branch are important pieces of information worthy of learning. This book prompts students to look into History of the 20th Century in Chicago as well as the Harlem Renaissance.
This story, told through the realistic and relatable boy Langston, makes it enjoyable to learn history while also experiencing realistic issues such as bullying, change, and feelings and emotions.
Other historical fiction books:
Cline-Ransome, Lesa. LEAVING LYMON. (FINDING LANGSTON, BOOK 2) ISBN 978-0-8234-4942-2
Cline-Ransome, Lesa. BEING CLEM. (FINDING LANGSTON, BOOK 3) ISBN 978-0-8234-5241-5
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