Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

Two fifth-grade students, Irene and Charles, become reluctant partners for a poetry-writing project at school. Through alternating poems, they explore their experiences as a white girl and Black boy navigating friendship, race, and identity. The book contains paired poems on shared topics like hair, shoes, church, and family gatherings. The poems range from free verse to more structured forms, with illustrations by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko adding visual dimension to the narrative. The classroom setting provides a framework for Irene and Charles to work through misunderstandings and assumptions about each other. Their poetry assignment becomes a catalyst for discussions about privilege, prejudice, and belonging. This collaborative work demonstrates how creative expression and honest communication can bridge cultural divides. The poems capture both universal childhood experiences and specific cultural realities, inviting readers to reflect on their own perspectives and biases.

Readers value this book as a way to start conversations about race with elementary and middle school students. Teachers report it works well as a classroom resource that encourages open dialogue. Liked: - Accessible poetry format makes difficult topics approachable - Authentic portrayal of awkward moments and mistakes - Shows perspectives of both White and Black students - Illustrations help convey emotions and scenarios - Concrete examples kids can relate to Disliked: - Some found the verse format limiting for complex topics - A few readers wanted deeper exploration of certain issues - Questions about whether it oversimplifies racial dynamics Ratings: Goodreads: 4.26/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (280+ ratings) Notable Review: "Perfect for introducing discussions about race, privilege, and relationships. My students connected with both characters and it led to meaningful classroom conversations." - 4th grade teacher on Goodreads

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🎨 Authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters had never met before collaborating on this book, but wrote it together through email exchanges over several months. 📚 The book was inspired by a real-life poetry assignment the authors received in elementary school, though they attended different schools in different decades. 🤝 The illustrators, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, are a married couple who collaborated on the artwork, blending their distinct styles to create the book's unique visual approach. 🎭 The poems are written in two voices, with each author drawing from their own childhood experiences as a white girl (Latham) and a black boy (Waters) in the 1970s and 1980s. 📖 The book tackles sensitive topics like racial bias and microaggressions through everyday scenarios that young readers can relate to, such as choosing partners for school projects and discussing hair differences.