How Do You Spell Unfair? by Carole Boston Weatherford

In this award-winning picture book, we learn about MacNolia and her fight for the National Spelling Bee championship as a Black girl in 1936.

How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrate by Frank Morrison. Candlewick, 2023. 40 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, Ages 8-10
• Recommended For: Ages 7-12

The National Spelling Bee is a big deal. But did you know it wasn’t open to Black students until after schools were desegregated?

MacNolia Cox was a champion speller. She wasn’t just a champion in the sense that she won regional spelling bees. No, MacNolia Cox memorized a hundred thousand words. I’m a good speller, but I don’t think I know that many words! She qualified to go to the National Spelling Bee and set out with her mother and teacher. Together they traveled from Akron, Ohio, to Washington, D. C. The year was 1936; MacNolia and her mother and teacher had to move to Blacks-only seating in the train once they crossed into Maryland. They couldn’t stay at the hotel where the white spellers stayed. They couldn’t even sit at the same table with the white spellers during the competition.

MacNolia must have had guts, fortitude in addition to spelling smarts. She persevered against what were terribly unfair circumstances. And her grit and determination helped pave the way for future African American spellers. MacNolia’s experience didn’t solve problems overnight, but she certainly set an example for all young people when she pursued using her gifts. I won’t spoil the ending, but I’m glad Weatherford chose to tell the story the way she did. Additionally, her use of spelling words adds much to the telling.

As always, Morrison’s illustrations are amazing. I particularly enjoy his use of perspective and proportion.

This will make a great story for young people persevering in hardship, for avid young spellers aspiring to make it to the top, and for those wanting to study lesser known parts of Black history. Look for it in your school and local libraries; if they don’t have it, consider asking them to purchase it! It would also be at home in a classroom library.

Note: This book won the Coretta Scot King Award for author in 2024.

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Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Hidden Hope is another picture book biography about a brave young lady, this time set during WWII.
• Book Review: Just like nonwhite spellers faced discrimination, so did illustrators who tried to picture nonwhite children in their books. Gyo Fujikawa was a trend setter in this area, and her books are worth seeking out.
• Book Reviews: A roundup of some other Coretta Scot King winners (2023); one of them is Standing in the Need of Prayer by Weatherford and Morrison!

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