Celebrating Poetry Month: Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford is one of the pioneers of poetic nonfiction books for the youth. As a child, I was especially drawn to books about real people and events—after all, books are many childrens’ first glimpses into the world. How lucky Weatherford’s young readers are to have such an honest and lyrical lens.
The following biography is taken from CHILDREN'S BOOKS BY THE WEATHERFORDS.
“New York Times best-selling author Carole Boston Weatherford recently released Beauty Mark: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe and R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Her 50-plus books include the Caldecott Honor winners Freedom in Congo Square, Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, and Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. She won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor for Becoming Billie Holiday, NAACP Image Awards for Moses and for Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America, the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for The Legendary Miss Lena Horne, and an SCBWI Golden Kite and WNDB Walter Award for Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library. Among her most popular titles are Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-ins andThe Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop. Baltimore-born, Weatherford teaches at Fayetteville State University In North Carolina.”
Carole Boston Weatherford
Samples of Poetry
Poetry Foundation, 1963
Poetry Foundation, 2008
Interviews & Essays
Meet Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Rockets, Apr 2014
Video interview
NCTE Language Arts, Alan R. Bailey, Jan 2019
Transcript of an interview excerpt
Candlewick Press Presents: Carole Boston Weatherford
Candlewick Press Presents, Apr 2020
Podcast interview
This Author Will Help You Teach Your Kids About Race: Meet Carole Boston Weatherford
WUNC North Carolina Public Radio, Sep 2020
Transcript of an interview from Jun 2020
Creativity Meets True Stories: Non fiction YA
Bank Street Library, Steve Sheinkin, Oct 2020
Video panel with Weatherford, Deborah Heligman, Candace Fleming, Joseph Bruchac, & Marilyn Nelson
More Than a Footnote: Challenges for BIPOC Nonfiction Authors
The Horn Book Magazine, Carole Boston Weatherford, Mar 2021
Essay by Weatherford
Publishers Weekly, Shannon Maughan, Aug 2021
Written interview
Books of poetry for young people
Grandma and Me (1996)
Illustrations by Michelle Mills
Me and My Family Tree (1997)
Illustrations by Michelle Mills
My Favorite Toy (1997)
Illustrations by Michelle Mills
In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers (1997)
Illustrations by Javaka Steptoe
ALA Notable Children's Book
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Illustrator Award, 1998
The Sound that Jazz Makes (2000)
Illustrations by Eric Velasquez
Carter G. Woodson Book Award: Elementary Level, 2001
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's Literary Work: Nomination
Jazz Baby (2000)
Illustrations by Laura Freeman
Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City (2001)
Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People (2002)
North Carolina Juvenile Literature Award, 2002
A Negro League Scrapbook (2005)
Notable Books for a Global Society, 2006
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (2006)
Illustrations by Kadir Nelson
Coretta Scott King Book Award: Illustrator Winner, 2007
International Reading Association: Teachers' Choice, 2007
NAACP Image Award, Outstanding Literary Work for Children, 2007
Randolph Caldecott Medal: Honor, 2007
Dear Mr. Rosenwald (2006)
Illustrations by R. Gregory Christie
Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text, 2006
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Children's
Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive (2006)
Illustrations by Eric Velasquez
Birmingham, 1963 (2007)
Jane Addams Children Book Honor Award, 2008
Jefferson Cup Award
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, 2008
I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer (2007)
Illustrations by Eric Velasquez
Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane (2008)
Illustrations by Sean Qualls
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2009
American Library Association: Notable Children's Books, 2009
Bank Street College: Best Children's Book of the Year, 2009
Coretta Scott King Book Award: Illustrator Honor, 2009
Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text, 2009
Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, 2009
The Library Ghost (2008)
Illustrations by Lee White
Becoming Billie Holiday (2008)
Illustrations by Floyd Cooper
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Author Honor, 2009
The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights (2009)
Illustrations by Tim Ladwig
Obama: Only in America (2010)
Illustrations by Robert T. Barrett
Michelle Obama: First Mom (2010)
Illustrations by Robert T. Barrett
Oprah: The Little Speaker (2010)
Illustrations by London Ladd
Sugar Hill: Harlem's Historic Neighborhood (Feb 2014)
Illustrations by R. Gregory Christie
CCBC Choices, 2015
Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century (2014)
Illustrations by Raul Colón
CCBC Choices, 2016
Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America (2015)
Illustrations by Jamey Christoph
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Children's, 2016
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement (2015)
Illustrations by Ekua Holmes
Amelia Bloomer Book List, 2016
Boston Globe-Horn Honor Book Award, 2016
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2016
Coretta Scott King Book Award: New Talent Winner, 2016
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for Nonfiction, 2016
John Steptoe Award: New Talent Illustrator, 2016
Junior Library Guild Selections: Nonfiction Selection, 2016
Marion Vannett Ridgway Honor Award, 2016
Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Award, 2016
Randolph Caldecott Medal: Honor, 2016
Robert F. Sibert Book Medal: Honor, 2016
Skipping Stones Honor Award: Multicultural and International Honor, 2016
Freedom in Congo Square (2016)
Illustrations by R. Gregory Christie
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2017
CCBC Choices, 2017
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2016
Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2017
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Illustrator Honor, 2017
Junior Library Guild Selection
Randolph Caldecott Medal: Honor, 2017
The Legendary Miss Lena Horne (2017)
Illustrations by Elizabeth Zunon
Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for Early Readers, 2018
Bank Street College: Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2017
Notable Social Studies Trade Book: Women's History Selection, 2018
You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen (2017)
Illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2017
CCBC Choices, 2017
NCTE Notable Poetry and Verse Novels, 2017
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People: History, Life, Culture in the Americas Selection, 2017
In Your Hands (Sep 2017)
Illustrations by Brian Pinkney
CCBC Choices, 2018
Junior Library Guild Selections: Religious Selection, 2017
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2017
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library (2017)
Illustrations by Eric Velasquez
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2018
Carter G. Woodson Book Award, 2018
CCBC Choices, 2018
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2017
Golden Kite Award: Nonfiction Text for Younger Readers, 2018
International Latino Book Awards, 2018
Junior Library Guild Selections: Biography Selection, 2017
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People: Biography Selection, 2018
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2017
Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, 2018
Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You (2018)
Illustrations with James E. Ransome
How Sweet the Sound: The Story of Amazing Grace (2018)
Illustrations by Frank Morrison
Bank Street College: Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
Eureka! Excellence in Nonfiction Award Honor Title
Junior Library Guild Selections: Religious Selection, 2018
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop (2019)
Illustrations by Frank Morrison
Book Links: Lasting Connections 2019
Golden Kite Awards: Picture Book Illustration Honor, 2020
Junior Library Guild Selections: City Selection, 2019
By and By: Charles Albert Tindley, the Father of Gospel Music (2020)
Illustrations by Bryan Collier
Junior Library Guild Selections: Religious Selection, 2020
NCTE Notable Poetry and Verse Novels, 2021
BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom (2020)
Illustrations by Michele Wood
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2021
CCBC Choices Selection, 2021
John Newbery Medal: Honor, 2021
Junior Library Guild Selections: Biography Selection, 2020
NCTE Notable Poetry and Verse Novels, 2021
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People: Biography Selection, 2021
RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2020)
Illustrations by Frank Morrison
CCBC Choices, 2021
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Illustrator Winner, 2021
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People: Biography Selection, 2021
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2020
Beauty Mark: A Verse Novel of Marilyn Monroe (2020)
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre (2021)
Illustrations by Floyd Cooper
ALSC Notable Children's Books, 2022
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards: Honor, 2021
CCBC Choices, 2022
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books, 2021
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Author Winner, 2022
Coretta Scott King Book Awards: Illustrator Winner, 2022
Horn Book Fanfare, 2021
Jane Addams Children's Book Awards: Honor, 2022
Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature: Finalist, 2021
National Book Award for Young People's Literature: Longlist, 2021
Randolph Caldecott Medal: Honor, 2022
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal: Honor, 2022
SLJ Best Books of the Year, 2021
Dreams for a Daughter (2021)
Illustrations by Brian Pinkney
Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression (2021)
Illustrations by Sarah Green
Me and My Mama (2022)
Illustrations by Ashleigh Corrin
Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman's Case for Equality and Respect (2022)
Illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford
Lifetime Achievements
Golden Dolphin Award, 2005
Ragan-Rubin Award from North Carolina English Teachers Association, 2007
North Carolina Award for Literature, 2010
