There Was a Party for Langston

Recommended Ages: 4-8

Written by Jason Reynolds. Illustrated by Rafael López.

Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey (ages 4-8) Back in the day, there was a legendary celebration—a jam for a word-making genius. The King of Letters. Langston Hughes. His ABCs became a rhythmic beat, thumping and jumping like a heart that pulsed across the nation. His words had people shouting, and his word-children—like Maya Angelou, Amiri Baraka, and others—came to recite poems in his honor. At the Schomburg Library, they danced, stomped, and celebrated Langston, the world-changing wordsmith. Harlem was alive with joy, a true party for Langston, the Renaissance man.