The co-op bookstore for avid readers
Book Cover for: Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z, Irene Latham

Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z

Irene Latham

How can we make the world a better place?

This inspiring resource for middle-grade readers is organized as a dictionary; each entry presents a word related to creating a better world, such as ally, empathy, or respect. For each word, there is a poem, a quote from an inspiring person, a personal anecdote from the authors, and a "try it" prompt for an activity.

This second poetic collaboration from Irene Latham and Charles Waters builds upon themes of diversity and inclusiveness from their previous book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship. Illustrations from Iranian-British artist Mehrdokht Amini offer readers a rich visual experience.

"Latham and Waters's personal stories are plainspoken and relatable . . . and the suggested actions, accessible. . . The approach creates multiple pathways for engagement. Extensive supplementary materials include an index of poetic forms."--starred, Publishers Weekly

Book Details

  • Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (R)
  • Publish Date: Feb 4th, 2020
  • Pages: 120
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 10.10in - 7.00in - 0.60in - 1.15lb
  • EAN: 9781541557758
  • Recommended age: 08-12
  • Categories: Social Topics - Values & VirtuesActivism & Social JusticeDiversity & Multicultural

About the Author

Amini, Mehrdokht: - Mehrdokht Amini is an Iranian-born children's book illustrator. She has been nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal and been invited to participate in the prestigious Bratislava Biennial of Illustrations. She lives in the UK.
Latham, Irene: - Irene Latham is the author of more than a dozen current and forthcoming works of poetry, fiction, and picture books. Her work includes Charlotte Huck Honor Book and ALA Notable Children's Book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship (co-written with Charles Waters) and the Caldecott Honor Book The Cat Man of Aleppo(co-written by Karim Shamsi-Basha). In 2016 she won the ILA Lee Bennett Hopkins Promising Poet Award. Visit her at www.irenelatham.com.
Waters, Charles: - Charles Waters is a children's poet, author, anthologist and actor based in Georgia. His book Mascot (co-written with Traci Sorell) has received an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor and a Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor. His other books (co-written with Irene Latham) include: African Town (winner of the 2023 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction), Dictionary For A Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A--Z, Be A Bridge, and the Charlotte Huck Honor book Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship. You can visit him at: www.charleswaterspoetry.com

More books by Irene Latham

Book Cover for: The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets, Irene Latham
Book Cover for: If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility, Charles Waters
Book Cover for: Be a Bridge, Irene Latham
Book Cover for: The Cat Man of Aleppo, Karim Shamsi-Basha
Book Cover for: The Museum on the Moon: The Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface, Irene Latham
Book Cover for: Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, Irene Latham
Book Cover for: Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole, Irene Latham
Book Cover for: African Town, Charles Waters

Praise for this book

"Creates multiple pathways for engagement."--starred, Publishers Weekly

-- (12/2/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"[A]ny reader who is preparing a presentation or leading a discussion on social behavior, character education, self-actualization, or making a difference will find a trove of accessible and appealing material within these colorful, cheerful pages."--Booklist

-- (3/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)

"[T]his inclusive, thought-provoking anthology offers a number of entry points for exploring concepts and issues related to identity, social justice, and making a difference. Recommended."--School Library Journal

-- (2/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)