Irene Latham

Charles Waters

How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other . . . and they're not sure they want to.

Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

Can I Touch Your Hair?

Caroline Lewicki

A really sweet, middle grade book of poetry about understanding each other's differences and appreciating similarities. Charles and Irene are black and white, but working together on a class project helps them see that while some things are different for them, others are the same. I thought this was a great book to talk to kids about coming together and supporting one another!

Story Eater

Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship technically contains poems about more than race, but the only poems about race seem to come from Charles and not Irene. While Irene talks about horses and reading The Black Stallion three times, Charles writes about the constant mistreatment he receives. So, while I expected this book to be a two-sided conversation, I should have lowered my expectations. I feel that La Coccinelle’s review quite perfectly sums up most of my complicated feelings about this book.

I would like to nitpick and cite specific examples of misconceptions, one-sided arguments to issues, and general shaming that a reader the level to whom this book is catered would not understand, but I also feel that it would do no good and I would get blasted. I feel the word “conversation” or “dialogue” used to describe this book is a misnomer. It’s more of a “talk at” or “self-talk” than anything else.

On a positive note, I absolutely loved the mesmerizing, imaginative artwork.

Two poets, one white and one black, explore race and childhood in this must-have collection tailored to provoke thought and conversation. How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other . . . and they're not sure they want to. Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners. Accompanied by artwork from acclaimed illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (of The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage), this remarkable collaboration invites readers of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.

Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

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