Finding Langston

By Lesa Cline-Ransome

Book #1 in the The Finding Langston Trilogy series

A boy finds solace in a library and a poet's legacy amidst the chaos of a new city.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 5,226 ratings

112 pages· 22,883 words· Est. 3 hour read

$8.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1946, young Langston moves from Alabama to Chicago, leaving behind everything he loves. Struggling with loneliness and bullying, he finds refuge in the welcoming Chicago Public Library. There, he discovers a poet who shares his name and a connection to his late mother. As Langston navigates his new world, he uncovers the power of words and the strength to face his challenges. Will this unexpected discovery help him find his place in a city that feels so foreign?

From the publisher

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, with 5 Starred Reviews, and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2018 When eleven-year-old Langston’s father moves them from their home in Alabama to Chicago’s Bronzeville district, it feels like he’s giving up everything he loves. It’s 1946. Langston’s mother has just died, and now they’re leaving the rest of his family and friends. He misses everything– Grandma’s Sunday suppers, the red dirt roads, and the magnolia trees his mother loved. In the city, they live in a small apartment surrounded by noise and chaos. It doesn’t feel like a new start, or a better life. At home he’s lonely, his father always busy at work; at school he’s bullied for being a country boy. But Langston’s new home has one fantastic thing. Unlike the whites-only library in Alabama, the Chicago Public Library welcomes everyone. There, hiding out after school, Langston discovers another Langston–a poet whom he learns inspired his mother enough to name her only son after him. Lesa Cline-Ransome, author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book Before She Was Harriet, has crafted a lyrical debut novel about one boy’s experiences during the Great Migration. Includes an author’s note about the historical context and her research. Winner of the 2019 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction A Junior Library Guild selection!