 | |
| Author | Carole Boston Weatherford |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Frank Morrison |
| Publisher | Candlewick Press |
Publication date | April 11, 2023 |
| Pages | 40 |
| ISBN | 978-1-536-21554-0 |
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee is a 2023 nonfiction children's book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison. It was well received by critics and was named one of the best children's books of the year by multiple sources.
The book follows the story of eighth grader, MacNolia Cox who won both her school and citywide spelling bee, and was a top five finalist in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The story begins with Cox advancing from her school spelling bee to the Akron, Ohio citywide spelling bee, where she faced 50 of the city’s best spellers. In the final round of the spelling bee, Cox battles back and forth with John Huddleston, who then trips up on the word, “sciatic”. After spelling “Voluble”, Cox is declared the first African American winner of the Akron spelling bee. She wins $25 and a trip to the national spelling bee in Washington, DC. She attended many events honoring her success and raising money for her trip. In the city of Akron, she was considered famous. She received many gifts, including two dictionaries, a dress, and a necklace. She spent hours a day studying for the spelling bee. At the train station Cox was sent off by a military band and a crowd of over a thousand people, but soon faced increasing experiences of discrimination and racism. She was forced to move to a Blacks-only car when the train crossed into the South, and when they got to Washington, Cox and her mother had to stay with a Black doctor because the hotel for spelling bee participants was only for white customers. When the time for the spelling bee came, Cox was forced to climb up the back stairway instead of using the elevator, and was even forced to sit away from all spellers with the only other Black girl in the competition. Without letting this discrimination faze her, Cox stayed focused and nailed every word. Eventually she advanced to the final five. The judges, frustrated at Cox’s progress, presented her with the word “nemesis”, which at the time was a proper noun and not on the official list, and therefore not acceptable. Cox misspelled the word, eliminating her from the competition. The newspaper reporter and Cox’s teacher protested, but the judges did not waver in their decision. Even though she did not win, Cox still made history as a finalist, and had a lot of fun sightseeing in Washington. Cox arrived home with a $75 prize, greeted by a big homecoming parade. She proved that African American students are as smart and capable as everyone else.
How Do You Spell Unfair was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Booklist , [1] Kirkus Reviews , [2] Publishers Weekly , [3] and School Library Journal . [4] Reviewers have Weatherford's lyrical prose and meticulous research in bringing to life the story of MacNolia Cox, the first African American finalist in the National Spelling Bee.
Booklist's Carolyn Phelan noted that Weatherford's "free-verse poetry is a perfect fit for this story, capturing the emotions and drama of the competition." [1] Kirkus Reviews called the book "inspiring" and praised Weatherford's ability to "convey the excitement and tension of the competition." [2] Publishers Weekly described the book as "a stirring tribute to a trailblazing young woman." [3] John Scott, writing for School Library Journal, praised the book's "vivid language" and "compelling narrative," noting that it would be "an excellent addition to any elementary school library or classroom." [4]
How Do You Spell Unfair is a Junior Library Guild book. [5] In 2013, Kirkus Reviews named it among the year's best picture books, [6] Booklist included it on their "Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth" list, [7] and School Library Journal named it one of the year's best nonfiction books. [8] The following year, Bank Street College of Education named it a book of "outstanding merit" for children ages five to nine. [9] The same year, the Association for Library Service to Children and International Literacy Association (CL/R SIG) named it a notable children's book, [10] [11] and Booklist included it on their list of the "Top 10 History Books for Youth". [12]
| Year | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Coretta Scott King Award | Honor | [13] |
| Jane Addams Children's Book Award | Finalist | [14] | |
| NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Children | Finalist | [15] |
Carole Boston Weatherford is an American author and critic. She has published over 50 children's books, primarily non-fiction and poetry. The music of poetry has fascinated Weatherford and motivated her literary career. She has won multiple awards for her books, including the 2022 Coretta Scott King Award for Author for her book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. As a critic, she is best known for her controversial criticism of Pokémon character Jynx and Dragon Ball character Mr. Popo.
Amy Sarig King is an American writer of short fiction and young adult fiction. She is the recipient of the 2022 Margaret Edwards Award for her "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". She is also the only two-time recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award for Dig (2019) and as editor and contributor to The Collectors: Stories (2023).
The 12th National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 1936, at the National Museum. Scripps-Howard did not sponsor the Bee until 1941.
Before John Was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane is a children’s picture book written by American author and critic Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Sean Qualls. It tells the story of a young John Coltrane growing up in the South in the 1930s. It was published by Henry Holt in 2008.
Kwame Alexander is an American writer of poetry and children's fiction.
El Deafo is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Cece Bell. The book is a loose autobiographical account of Bell's childhood and life with her deafness. The characters in the book are all anthropomorphic bunnies. Cece Bell, in an interview with the Horn Book Magazine, states "What are bunnies known for? Big ears; excellent hearing," rendering her choice of characters and their deafness ironic.
Angie Thomas is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America is a non-fiction book about race in the United States by the American historian Ibram X. Kendi, published April 12, 2016 by Bold Type Books, an imprint of PublicAffairs. The book won the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Brandy Colbert is an American author of young adult fiction and nonfiction.
Before She Was Harriet is a 2017 children's picture book written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by James Ransome, first published by Holiday House. It was awarded an honorary Coretta Scott King Award in 2018.
Freedom in Congo Square is a 2016 poetic nonfiction picture book by Carole Boston Weatherford, and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It was published in hardcover by Little Bee Books. The book provides an account of 19th-century slaves in New Orleans who were able to gather in one place on Sundays: Congo Square. In addition to the book's main text, "an introduction and afterword provide further historic detail."
Zaila Avant-garde is an American speller, basketball player, and juggler. She won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. She is the first African-American contestant to win the bee and is the second Black winner, after Jamaica's Jody-Anne Maxwell.
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre is a picture book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Published on February 2, 2021, by Carolrhoda, it tells the history behind the Tulsa race massacre in verse.
The Wild Robot is a trilogy of science fiction novels for children and teenagers by American writer and illustrator Peter Brown, which consists of the following novels: The Wild Robot (2016), The Wild Robot Escapes (2018), and The Wild Robot Protects (2023). The books are published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The novels have been well received by critics.
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement is a 2015 non-fiction and poetic children's book by written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Ekua Holmes.
In Your Hands is a 2017 children's picture book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Brian Pinkney.
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library is a 2017 non-fiction children's book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Eric Velasquez. It provides a biography of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, a Puerto Rican-American bibliophile and curator.
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop is a 2019 nonfiction children's book written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison.
Frank Morrison is an American illustrator of children's literature and graffiti artist.
Eric A. Velásquez is an American author and illustrator of over 30 children's books. Among other honors, he has won a John Steptoe New Talent Award (2001), Pura Belpré Award (2011), and NAACP Image Award (2021).