After the Book Club – The Undefeated

March Book Madness

This is the final March Book Madness book I will share with you. It feels a bit sad to be doing this; I hope that our futures hold a children's book club for T and his friends again.  If you are just joining us, here is a link to the March Book Madness tournament we started participating in before disbanding: http://marchbookmadness.weebly.com/

The Undefeated 
By Kwame Alexander
Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
Published April, 2019
Winner of the 2020 Caldecott Medal
Winner of the 2020 Newbery Honor

Mom's Review
It's easy to see why The Undefeated won the Caldecott and a Newbery Honor. The portraits stand out against a white background, demanding to be seen, and the poem reverberates in one's soul. The Undefeated shines a light on African-Americans throughout the history of America. From the enslaved prisoners in the holds of ships all the way to LeBron James, individuals who left their mark on history are acclaimed and honored. This ode to strength of spirit in the face of racism, oppression, and inequality voices heartbreaking and inspiring truths.  The Undefeated is powerful in its brevity and its content. Back matter provides further biographical information on each individual portrayed.

I just deleted a whole paragraph about why I like this book and how powerful it is and what a great springboard it is for conversation about race and persistence and racism... You don't need me to tell you all that. If you're interested in The Undefeated, you recognize its value already.

Son's Review
(Age: 5)
What T liked:
The people who were undefeated because they were not defeated by other people.

T's reaction:
I think it's not right for slaves to have owners. I think it's right to let people be free and not have war. I think it's right to not kill people. I think it's right to no longer be killed. I don't like that white skin people tell black skin people that "you can't do this" or "you can't do that."

A good time to read The Undefeated:
When we forget people who died, from that book. And some of them are still alive. And some of them are dead.

Note: A review copy was provided upon request by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for an honest review.