How do you spell unfair? : MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references.

A true story of determination and groundbreaking achievement follows eighth grade African American spelling champion MacNolia Cox, who left Akron, Ohio, in 1936 to compete in the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., only to be met with prejudice and discrimination.

"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." --,Provided by publisher.

Ages: 7-10.

Grades: 2-5.

Reading L: 5.1

Coretta Scott King Author Honor, 2024.

American Library Association Notable Children's Book, 2024.

School Library Journal Best Books, 2023.

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature, Best Books, 2023.

Booklist Editor's Choice: Books for Youth, 2023.

Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, 2024.