Papa's Free Day Party by Marilyn Nelson

Papa's Free Day Party by Marilyn Nelson

Johnnie wants to celebrate her Papa's birthday, but Papa doesn't know exactly when that special day is. Johnnie doesn't understand how that could be. Then she learns about Papa's childhood--how he built a new life in the all-Black town of Boley, Oklahoma. Inspired by her father's incredible story, Johnnie decides to throw Papa a different kind of party--one to recognize her Father's Day of freedom. Based on a true story about the author's grandfather, Papa's Free Day Party is a powerful celebration of storytelling, strength, and the importance of family. Th book's author, Marilyn Nelson, is the author of the memoir How I Discovered Poetry, written in a series of 50 poems. It is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and was named on of NPR's Best Books of 2014. She was Poet Laureate of Connecticut from 2001 to 2006.

Marilyn Nelson has won a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, and many Coretta Scott King Honors, as well as several important poetry honors, including the Poets' Prize and the Robert Frost Medal. She is a three-time National Book Award Finalist. She has received three honorary doctorates and has recently served as a judge for poetry candidates at the National Endowment for the Arts and Yaddo.