Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller

Illustrated by Gregory Christie. 32 pages. Lee & Low, 1997.

Growing up poor in the segregated South, Richard longs to read, but is not allowed to borrow library books because he is African American. A co-worker lends him his library card. Richard tells the librarian he is checking out books for the co-worker, and when he is questioned, he says he is illiterate. Later, his co-workers taunt him about his reading. Yet Richard is profoundly moved by what he reads; for him, books are an important part of his journey to freedom. This is an inspiring story of a courageous struggle against racism.

Ages: 7-10
Cultural Context: multicultural