HOW DO YOU SPELL UNFAIR?: MACNOLIA COX AND THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE, by Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison, Candlewick, April 11, 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 7-10)
How Do You Spell Unfair? Follows MacNolia Cox as she becomes one of the first African American students to compete at the National Spelling Bee.
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, D.C., 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 told by award-winning creators and frequent picture-book collaborators Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
On June 1, Dev Shah, a 14-year-old from Florida, was crowned the winner of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee. It was a momentous event, which was celebrated by fans all over the United States.
It’s crazy to think that when the Bee was created, Shah wouldn’t have been allowed to participate — simply because of the color of his skin.
It’s because of spellers like MacNolia who helped integrate the National Spelling Bee, that Shah had the chance to win.
MacNolia’s story unfolds through Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison’s beautiful picture book. Weatherford’s text is clear and straight-forward. Her use of spelling words throughout creates natural breaks and helps younger readers understand the concept. Morrison’s oil and spray paint illustrations are vibrant and full of emotion.
How Do You Spell Unfair? is a moving nonfiction biography that would be a strong addition to school library.
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