Free to Dream: The Making of a Poet, Langston Hughes

Rating:
Summary: About a famous black poet
Review: This book is a biography of the poet Langston Hughes; it is arranged in typical chronological fashion, primarily including information about his youth and early career.

Free To Dream is excellent overall. Langston Hughes was a successful writer with an entertaining and exciting career. Osofsky doesn't skimp on the depressing details, including mention of Langston's thorny relationship with his father, rejections at soda counters and restaurants (due to his race), and several other disappointments, mostly economic. ("To save money, he borrowed textbooks from the library instead of buying them, and washed his socks and handkerchiefs by hand.") Still, this is an entertaining read and a good overall assessment of the author's career. High school students who have been entertained or inspired by his poetry will find more inspiration here.

This is a good biography, probably best for young readers, aged 10-18. It's just over 100 pages, which makes it a good resource for a report. It's not so long you can't read the whole thing in one day.