Voices from the March on Washington

This novel-in-verse plunges readers into the heart of the experience of the March on Washington, capturing the emotions of the day from multiple points of view. Throughout this moving, beautifully crafted collection of poems, six “soloists” tell their personal tales of how the March changed them. These voices are interwoven with those of more than 35 others, combining to share one incredible story of that important day. From a woman singing through a terrifying bus ride to DC to a young child riding above the crowd on her father’s shoulders, each voice brings something different and fresh to the story, making the March completely accessible to young readers. Based on extensive research, Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis and highly-lauded poet George Ella Lyon have crafted a unique and beautiful account of this important moment in our history.

J. Patrick Lewis is the 2011 winner of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children and is BMP's third Children’s Poet Laureate. He has written more than sixty books for children and adults, including Face Bug (which is on the Texas Library Association’s Bluebonnet Award master list); If You Were a Chocolate Mustache; Spot the Plot: A Riddle Book of Book Riddles; and Please Bury Me in the Library. He lives in Westerville, Ohio. jpatricklewis.com.

George Ella Lyon is the author of 45 books, ranging from poetry for children such as All the Water in the World (an ALA Notable book) to picture books such as The Pirate of Kindergarten to young adult novels such as her recent Holding On to Zoe to fiction and poetry for adults. In fall 2014, she has one picture book scheduled: What the Forest Knows (illustrated by August Hall, Atheneum). She lives in Lexington, Kentucky. georgeellalyon.com.