How Do You Spell Unfair?

By Carole Boston Weatherford, Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

A young spelling champion faces prejudice at a national competition, challenging her determination and spirit.

4.5/5 Goodreads · 974 ratings

40 pages· 1,466 words· Est. 12 min read-aloud

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Bookroo's summary

In 1936, young MacNolia Cox, a spelling prodigy, breaks barriers as the first African American to win her local bee and compete nationally. Her journey to Washington, DC, is celebrated, but the harsh reality of segregation awaits. As she faces discrimination on the train, in hotels, and at the competition itself, MacNolia's resolve is tested. Will her determination overcome the prejudice she encounters? This poignant tale of courage and resilience highlights a pivotal moment in history, inviting readers to reflect on the challenges of breaking new ground in a divided world.

From the publisher

A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book “This moving picture book portrays a girl who met injustice with dignity and excelled.”–Booklist (starred review) From a multi-award-winning pair comes a deeply affecting portrait of determination against discrimination: the story of young spelling champion MacNolia Cox. 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 invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity–right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens–with a military band and a crowd of thousands to see her off at the station. 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. 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.