Langston Hughes: American Poet

In this biography about Langston Hughes, Alice Walker of The Color Purple fame describes Langston's life from childhood through his gaining of success as a poet living in Harlem. Unfortunately there are no bibliography entries for this book, however in the author's note Alice Walker mentions having a personal relationship with Mr. Hughes. Although I feel she took some poetic license when adding in dialogue and things of that nature, I do feel that Ms. Walker tried very hard to stay true to her perceptions of Langston Hughes. As an educator, I also appreciated that Alice Walker included two poems by Langston Hughes. These help to give the reader extra insight into Langston Hughes that even Alice Walker could not fully convey. With this show more book, students would be able to get a very full picture of the life of one of America's greatest poets from the Harlem Renaissance. show less

I find myself in a predicament that I wasn't expecting with this book. I truly enjoyed the story, and I feel that I really gained a better grasp on the person that Langston Hughes was. However, as a children's librarian who has had to deal with similar situations in the past, I found myself wondering about the intended audience with this book. It would seem that this is a book is intended for the picture book audience to the unaware observer, but the text says otherwise. This is an excellent piece of writing that would be appreciated by a middle school audience were the format more indicative of that reading level. Instead, I'm afraid that the appearance would dissuade that crowd from giving it a chance, and that's too bad. Instead this show more book appears on the outside to be an elementary school read. An astute observer would know with only a brief review that this wasn't the case, but I still foresee it being shelved at an average impersonal bookstore in the children's section rather than with the young adult books where it would truly receive the appreciation it deserves. As I've said, the book is impressive and to have a biography written by someone who actually knew the subject is a rare treat, but I just wonder whether this book is presented in a manner that would attract its best audience. show less

Author Alice Walker tells the story of famous American poet Langston Hughes. Hughes had a difficult childhood. He dealt with a greedy, racist, and arrogant father who left their family, a grandfather who died fighting for freedom, and racial tensions that were ricocheting through America. He found an escape through reading and writing. Hughes was inspired by the strength he saw in the black people he knew, including his mother and those he met in Harlem. Hughes quit the University of Colombia and bounced from job to job, writing poems and stories along the way, until eventually, he was able to support himself with his writing. The book ends with a thoughtful note on Hughes's funeral and how he inspired those he touched to celebrate life show more in the midst of sadness because he "had shown them how good it was to love one another." show less

As someone who has read very little of Langston Hughes works, I was curious to know more about his life. This book goes into his childhood and his relationship with his father and his views on African American people. It also goes into Hughes' search for his place in the world. He travels to Africa because he wanted to be around Africans and learn more about his culture and where he is from. He was a champion for African Americans unlike his father who specifically did not like poor African Americans. I think the theme of the book is look beyond race, gender, class, etc. There are good people from every walks of life. How much money you have or the color skin does not define you or make you less than other people. This book could be show more used in an English class as an introduction to his poems. It could also be used for a history class to discuss the treatment of African Americans during that time as well as women and poor people. I think it would be an interesting topic of discussion to talk about Hughes' father's opinions on poor African Americans. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and liked that it included two of his poems. show less

Although I remember reading the poetry of Langston Hughes in middle school, we never really covered any aspect of his life or the fact that he wrote numerous autobiographical works. It wasn't until much later (an African-American history course in college, actually) that I learned this stuff out. While I really enjoyed reading this book, sometimes I found myself confused as to whether it was intended for older audiences (middle school students) or a younger one. Although the sentences are easy to read, some of the language presented doesn't seem suitable for young audiences. I know the point is to introduce children to multiculturalism early on, but I don't think the way to do that is to introduce derogatory terms to students that won't show more really understand what they mean. At first I was skeptical about how the story presented some of the feelings of Langston Hughes, but after reading Alice Walker's "Author's Note" about keeping in touch with him and reading his autobiographical works, I feel more comfortable in believing its accuracy. This book also does a great job of integrating some of his poems into the story line without seeming forced. I have to admit, though, that my favorite aspect of this book was the pictures. I mean, that Aloe plant on page 17? Great stuff! show less

The sentences are short and the vocabulary is very simple. This book has a lot of information and told in a narrative fashion. Tells of Langston Hughes's life growing up, his family, school, neighborhood, and his growing passion for reading, writing, words and their meaning. The book touches upon the realities of growing up black in America during a time when racism and prejudice was accepted and the norm. Sprinkled with Langston's own poetry, this book is a fabulous read! I would use this book when discussing poetry. We use many of Langston Hughes's poetry to discuss the a poem's elements in middle school. This quick but flavorful biography will help readers get a better idea of the man behind the poem.

This book is great to learn more about Langston Hughes. I read a lot of his poems in high school but never really new about him. In the book, he travels to Africa because he wanted to learn about his culture and where he is from. This book could be read first to kids, then you can read some of his famous poems. I loved how they put his poems in the book. This allowed me to really connect to what went on in the story.