Irene Latham & Charles Waters are "Poetic Forever Friends" first and collaborators second. They are the writing team behind Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, which was awarded a Charlotte Huck Honor, and Dictionary for a Better World- Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z, an NCTE Notable Poetry Book. They share a passion for poetry and are committed to creating meaningful books for young readers. This is their first novel together.
Praise for African Town:
A 2023 Scott O’Dell Award Winner
A 2024 Sequoya Book Award Nominee (OK)
A 2023-2024 South Carolina Book Award Nominee
A 2022 NPR Books We Love List Pick
A 2022-2023 Yellowhammer YA Book Award Honor (AL)
A 2022 Great Reads from Great Places Reading List Pick (AL)
“African Town is a stunningly powerful and visceral novel.” —Oprah
Daily
“A haunting, beautifully told history.” —NPR
★ “The authors have done a remarkable job of weaving the stories of
the characters together and telling the story from both the
perspective of the slaves and the people who orchestrated their
purchase. Though this story is fictional it is based on a vast
amount of research that was done on the actual people who
participated in this story. . . This story will inspire readers to
do some research to find out more about the real events that took
place. . . Not to be missed.” —School Library Connection, starred
review
★ “Inspired by the true story of the last American slave ship,
African Town is an epic . . . compelling novel that doubles as an
important historic document, invaluable for both classroom use and
independent reading.” —Booklist, starred review
★ “African Town is a book that should be both taught and
treasured.”—BookPage, starred review
★ “This gripping novel . . . [is] told from the perspectives
of a myriad characters directly and indirectly involved in this
event . . . where each unique voice contributes to the greater
whole. Carefully executed passages appear in various forms of free
verse and poetry, and each one is specific to the particular
character represented. This choice makes the individual
contributors not only come alive but also stand out from one
another as the narrative progresses. Extensively researched and
purposefully designed, this book brings together details of events
from 1859 to 1901 and culminates in several pages of back matter
that reinforce the entire work. VERDICT This honest, heartrending,
and inspiring story is an important and necessary contribution to
historical fiction collections for young adult readers.” —School
Library Journal, starred review
“An ambitious verse novel told in many voices . . . The authors
employ a range of poetic forms, resulting in an insightful, quickly
paced telling that centers tradition and resilience.” —Publishers
Weekly
“The highly personal stories in verse reveal the different aspects
of this illegal trade and the impact on both the Black enslaved
people and the White crew members. . . The Africans’ attempts to
hold true to their home cultures and traditions—most were Yoruba—as
they try to adapt to their new reality come across most powerfully.
Enhanced by rich backmatter, this is a strong addition to
literature about slavery.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A thoughtful portrait of how trauma informs and inhibits identity
making. The end matter is a wealth of fascinating information, from
the author’s note that details Waters and Lathams’ research
process, to a list that elaborates on the characters’ lives, to an
account of what modern day Africatown (formerly Africa Town) looks
like.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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