Latham, Irene.
CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR? : POEMS OF RACE, MISTAKES, AND FRIENDSHIP
New York : Lerner, 2018
IL 3-6
ISBN 9781512404425

(2 booktalks)

Booktalk #1

What do you do when you are assigned to work with someone in class that you never talk to and have nothing in common with? That’s what happens to 5th graders Irene and Charles when they are given a poetry project to work on. Forced to talk to each other to find what similarities they have, they find there are none from either their looks or their family life. Poetry helps these two classmates learn about the difficulties they each face daily and how they share similar feelings of not being accepted. Can Irene and Charles truly be friends when this assignment is finished? Read to find out. (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2019-2020)

Booktalk #2

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. Included in this book is the artwork done by illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. This remarkable collaboration invites readers of all ages to join the dialogue. A wonderful way to put into words about such subjects so that children can talk about them. (New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Award 2021)