How James Baldwin Became a Writer
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Little, Brown Books
for Young Readers
(pub.1.7.2025)
40 pages
Ages 4 - 8
Author: Quartez Harris
Illustrator: Gordon C. James
Character: James Baldwin
Overview:
"Before James Baldwin was a celebrated novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and activist, he was a boy who fell in love with stories. Words opened up new worlds for young Jimmy, who read and wrote at every opportunity. He ultimately realized his dreams of becoming an author and giving voice to his community, and in doing so he showed the world the fullness of Black American life."
Tantalizing taste:
"He earned enough money to travel far away from this troubles.
He flew to France, with dreams of writing a book of his own.
He saw mountains taller than the hill he climbed in Central Park. He knew that on those mountaintops he would find his peace and reach for new words.
So with his typewriter tucked under his arm, he began to climb ...
On that mountaintop, he found a clearer view of himself and of the world. He struck keys to heal his heart. His words spilled out of his typewriter and across the sky."
And something more: The More About James Baldwin explains: "In 1948, Jimmy packed up his ink-filled journals and flew to Paris with only forty dollars in his pocket. There, he wrote his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, loosely based on his childhood. It was widely praised for capturing the life of Black Americans and for its rigorous examination of historical racism. This book launched his career as a literary figure."
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