How Do You Spell Unfair?: Macnolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee

Weatherford tells of MacNolia's experiences in concise, direct narrative, while occasionally asking a question such as, "Can you spell discrimination? D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-IO-N." . . . Capturing the characters' emotions and their personalities, Morrison's vibrant oil-and-spray-paint illustrations are riveting. This moving picture book portrays a girl who met injustice with dignity and excelled.

MacNolia Cox was neither the first African American child to win a national spelling contest (1908) nor the next (2021)--but she was the first even to win a spot as a finalist in all the intervening decades. . . the author pays tribute to the Akron, Ohio, eighth grader's indomitable spirit and focus as well as her love of words while recording the public excitement she caused. . . Spells out reasons to vow N-E-V-E-R A-G-A-I-N.

Cox is remembered for her perseverance under pressure, and both the affecting text (with its spelling-centered refrain: "Can you spell dedication?...Can you spell excited?") and brilliantly hued oil- and spray-paint illustrations portray her with dignity while reflecting the intensity of the times. An epilogue reinforces how every victory encourages others.

In this thoughtfully conceived picture book, Boston Weatherford centers MacNolia Cox (1923-1976), who achieved celebrity status in 1936 after becoming the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee, thus qualifying for the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. The narrative fittingly works in vocabulary words to tell the tale, for example underlining Cox's commitment in preparing for the national bee ("Can you spell dedication? D-E-D-I-C-A-T-I-O-N"). As Cox and her mother set out on their trip to the U.S. capital, where segregation sets them apart from white contestants, words such as famous and excited give way to terms like racism and unfair. Morrison's distinctive portraiture shows the protagonist meeting with Black legends in Akron, and juxtaposes the community support Cox enjoys in her home state with experiences of racial discrimination in the nation's capital. It's a powerful, word-by-word telling of a child's personal triumph. A foreword and epilogue offer a history of spelling bee segregation in the U.S. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)

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