How Do You Spell Unfair?
Carole Boston Weatherford, Author
Frank Morrison, Illustrator
Candlewick, Nonfiction, April 2023
Suitable for ages: 7-10
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
Themes: MacNolia Cox, National Spelling Bee, Discrimination, Racism, Segregation
Carole Boston Weatherford, Author
Frank Morrison, Illustrator
Candlewick, Nonfiction, April 2023
Suitable for ages: 7-10
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
Themes: MacNolia Cox, National Spelling Bee, Discrimination, Racism, Segregation
Book Jacket Synopsis:
MacNolia Cox was no ordinary kid.
Her idea of fun was reading the dictionary.
In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans students to compete in the National Spellling Bee since its founding.
At Akron’s Union Station. a military band and a crowd of thousands saw the spelling champg off to Washington DC. She left her home state a celebrity—right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens. But celebration turned to chill when the train crossed the state line into Maryland, where segregation was the law of the land. Prejudice and discrimination ruled—on the train, in the hotel, and, sadly, at the spelling bee itself.
How Do You Spell Unfair? is the story of MacNolia’s groundbreaking achievement, magnificently told by award-winning creators and frequent picture book collaborators author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Frank Morrison.
With a brief epilogue recounting MacNolia’s further history, How Do You Spell Unfair? is the story of her groundbreaking achievement magnificently told by award-winning creators and frequent picture-book collaborators Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison.
My thoughts on How Do You Spell Unfair?
Carole Boston Weatherford has written the inspiring and little known story about MacNolia Cox. who won the Akron, Ohio spelling bee in 1936. I am from Ohio, so I was surprised I hadn’t heard her this story before. Weatherford’s a master at finding those little-known gems and bringing them to children in a way that is understandable and will prompt many discussions at home and at school.
I enjoy the contrasts that appear in the story as MacNolia heads for the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. At home in Akron, she receives a hero’s send-off at Akron’s Union Station. Her city is proud. Once the train she’s riding crosses into Maryland, MacNolia has to sit in the back of the train. It was quite shocking for MacNolia, who hadn’t experienced the segregation in the south. But she’s smart. brave and courageous. She wasn’t allowed to stay at the hotel with the other white competitors and had to stay at a doctor’s home. At the National Spelling Bee she had to sit at a separate table away from the other white contestants. She was a true champion and very determined.
The story moves along at a quick pace, relating important information that readers will find compelling. Weatherford cleverly inserts questions to readers: “Can you spell E-X-C-I-T-E-D, R-A-C-I-S-M, D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N, and P-R-O-U-D?” It is well-targeted for its intended audience.
Make sure you read the Epilogue at the end to learn more about MacNolia. Frank Morrison’s gorgeous large illustrations are expressive and beautifully compliment the story for readers. They give readers a real peek into her world. I highly recommend this powerful story.
Carole Boston Weatherford, a New York Times best-selling author and poet,was named the 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award winner. She was also named the2019 Washington Post Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award winner. Her numerous books for children include the Newbery Honor Book Box: Henry Box Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood; the Coretta Scott King Author Award winner Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by Floyd Cooper; the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Ekua Holmes; and the critically acclaimed Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library and Outspoken: Paul Robeson, Ahead of His Time, both illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Carole Boston Weatherford lives in Maryland.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*Review copy provided by Candlewick Press in exchange for a review.