The President Looks Like Me & Other Poems - Softcover

Tony Medina was born in the Bronx and spent much of his adult life living in Harlem. The author or editor of sixteen books for adults and young readers, Medina is a two-time winner of the Patterson Prize for Books for Young People for DeShawn Days (2001) and I, and I, Bob Marley (2009). His anthology, Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, was a Washington Post Best Book of the year (2001). Medina's latest collections of poetry include An Onion of Wars, Broke on Ice and My Old Man Was Always on the Lam, is a finalist for the 2011 Patterson Poetry Prize. He holds a MA and PHD from Binghamton University and is the first-ever Professor of Creative Writing at Howard University.

"From the inner city to the suburbs to the hills of South Dakota, young people will see themselves, and hear their own powerful voices in the pages of Tony Medina s book. Talking trash. Spitting wisdom. Whispering into God s ear or singing to the world. Medina's young voices offer a window into the insight, creativity and wonder of American youth. Be prepared for students to enjoy every delicious word." ----Sharon G. Flake, author of The Skin I'm In and Pinned

"Tony Medina has the uncanny ability and artistry to write in the voices of children - their thoughts, their fears, and above all, their hopes and dreams. I love reading his wonderful work." ----Marilyn Singer, author of Mirror Mirror

"Tony Medina s The President Looks Like Me, rhythmic voices ring out celebrating cultural mixtures of church music, John Coltrane, Celia Cruz and hip-hop crazy. Images of Sunday soul food dinners, piragua carts, watermelon, classroom activities, and everyday street scenes resonate through the voices of America's children and are familiar to those who have grown up in a big city. In the spirit of Lucille Clifton s Good Times, Medina s multicultural poems make this book enjoyable to read, proud to celebrate, and they loudly proclaim that the president really does look like me." -- --Dr. Nancy D. Tolson, Mitchell College, and author of Black Children's Literature Go De Blues: The Creativity of Black Writers and Illustrators

"Tony Medina has the uncanny ability and artistry to write in the voices of children - their thoughts, their fears, and above all, their hopes and dreams. I love reading his wonderful work." ----Marilyn Singer, author of Mirror Mirror

"Tony Medina s The President Looks Like Me, rhythmic voices ring out celebrating cultural mixtures of church music, John Coltrane, Celia Cruz and hip-hop crazy. Images of Sunday soul food dinners, piragua carts, watermelon, classroom activities, and everyday street scenes resonate through the voices of America's children and are familiar to those who have grown up in a big city. In the spirit of Lucille Clifton s Good Times, Medina s multicultural poems make this book enjoyable to read, proud to celebrate, and they loudly proclaim that the president really does look like me." ----Dr. Nancy D. Tolson, Mitchell College, and author of Black Children's Literature Go De Blues: The Creativity of Black Writers and Illustrators