Love to Langston

Written by Tony Medina

Published by Lee & Low Books in 2002

"Jim Crow Jim Crow /not allowing us / to grow/ Jim Crow Jim Crow/ don't put us in a /Jim Crow Row."

Summary: Love to Langston is a biography of the poet Langston Hughes told through a collection of poems. The poems tell readers about Langston's experiences with childhood loneliness, racism, JIm Crow Laws, Harlem, and his love of jazz and poetry. 

Acclaim: 

• "The events of Langston Hughes's life inspire 14 impressionistic, free-verse poems." -- Publisher's Weekly
• "In this collection of original poems, Medina honors the groundbreaking poet of the Harlem Renaissance." --School Library Journal

Reading Level: Lexile Framework: NP Grade Level: 3-4

Suggested Delivery: Read-Aloud, Small-groups

Description: Biography, Poetry Collection, Historical Non-fiction, Picture Book

Key Vocabulary: Jim Crow, sonnets, John Brown and Harper's Ferry, strife, muse, hypnotizes, urban, cabaret

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this book to support Black History Month in February. It provides vital historical facts, events, and figures in a unique format.
2. Have students keep a vocabulary journal of words they are unfamiliar with in the text. Make sure to guide these journals by pointing out some unfamiliar words and important concepts like Jim Crow Laws and John Brown.
3. Before Reading, discuss some aspects of poetry with the students and ask them to keep an eye out for these types of literary techniques, for example, alliterations, repetition, similes, etc. (See During Reading Comprehension Strategy).

Comprehension Strategies:

Before Reading: Model a book "picture-walk". Slowly flip through the pages allowing students to view the powerful and interesting illustrations in this book. Then, ask for students reactions, predictions and questions on each page. Spark discussion with questions like, "What types of emotions do the character's faces show here?", "Where does this picture look like it is taking place?" etc.

During Reading: Divide students into groups and assign one literary element of poetry to each group. For example, one group will be the "simile detectives", another group can be the "repetition detectives", etc. Make sure each group knows what they are looking for while they listen to the story, then have them raise their hands when they hear their respective literary element. This will allow students to learn about features of poems without overwhelming them with too many things to listen for.

After Reading: After Reading the book out loud to students, discuss which poems students felt were the most powerful, or which ones they had questions about. According to feedback and interests, choose 5-6 poems for readers' theater. Students may choose to read one stanza, one line, or an entire poem. Remind students to think about the emotions the poem is portraying and adjust their read-aloud voice accordingly. 

Writing Activity: Discuss with students the major themes of the poems in this book and list them on the board. (Some themes are, childhood memories, inequality, favorite places, traveling, hobbies, etc.) Have students chose one major theme and write a poem reflecting this theme as it pertains to an event in their lives. Remind students of the literary elements of poetry and encourage them to include some of these elements.

Electronic Resources:

A Classroom Guide for Love to Langston

A Classroom Guide for teachers including vocabulary words, discussion questions, reading strategies and additional links. 

Langston Hughes Biography

A comprehensive and short bio on Langston Hughes which can be shared with students before or after reading. 


Medina, T. (2002). Love to Langston. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc.