The book itch freedom truth and harlem's greatest bookstore

“Don’t get took! Read a book!” encourages young people of color to educate themselves through reading a message as important today as it was in 1960s America! He constantly encourages his son to read and learn so that he can sort out the truth of the world. His catch-phrases and poetic slogans are catchy and real. All types of people visit, even Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X! We get to experience Louie’s sheer amazement and adoration when he meets such powerful Black figures of the time. The bookstore is more than a bookstore, it’s a gathering place, a refuge, and space for knowledge and politics.

“Louie” as his father calls him, takes us back to 1960s Harlem, explains the significance of the bookstore and tells a story that honors his father’s brilliance and determination. Micheaux, the founder & owner of the National Memorial African Bookstore in Harlem. It’s inspirational and thought provoking. Not only are the illustrations cool but the content!! The content is gloriously heavy. The Book Itch was recently awarded the Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Honor and for good reason.

Image Credit: Carolrhoda Books (Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.), Vaunda Micheaux Nelson/R.