Unspeakable
The Tulsa Race Massacre
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator
A Caldecott Honor Book
A Sibert Honor Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award
A Kirkus Prize Finalist
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
“A must-have”—Booklist (starred review)
In the early 1900s, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving African American community. The Greenwood District had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, movie theaters, and more. But all that would change in the course of two terrible, unspeakable days.
On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a mob of armed white Tulsans attacked Greenwood. They looted homes and businesses and burned them to the ground as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed. More than eight thousand were left homeless.
News of the Tulsa Race Massacre—one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history—was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years.
Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and acclaimed illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a sensitive and powerful introduction to the Tulsa Race Massacre, helping young readers understand the events of the past so we can move toward a better future for all.
Download the free educator guide here: https://lernerbooks.com/download/unspeakableteachingguide
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
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978-1-5415-8120-3
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$13.49 | |
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978-1-7284-2463-7
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$22.99 | |
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978-1-7284-6769-6
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$34.99 |
| Interest Level | Grade 3 - Grade 6 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 4 |
| Genre | Picture Books, Social Studies |
| Category | 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Diverse Books: #OwnVoices, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diverse Books: Social Justice, Diversity, SEL: C Social Awareness, Social Emotional Learning |
| Copyright | 2021 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Carolrhoda Books ® |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 32 |
| Publication Date | 2021-02-02 |
| Text Type | Narrative Nonfiction |
|---|---|
| BISACS | JNF053140, JNF025180, JNF053210 |
| Dewey | 976.6/8600496073 |
| Dimensions | 9.25 x 11 |
| Lexile | 1100 |
| Guided Reading Level | X |
| ATOS Reading Level | 5.8 |
| Accelerated Reader® Points | 0.5 |
| Features | Author/Illustrator note, Awards, Original artwork, Reviewed, Starred Reviews, Teaching Guides, and eSource |
Author, Narrator: Carole Boston Weatherford
Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books and the winner of the 2025 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. Her picture book BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood received a Newbery Honor. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by the late Floyd Cooper, was a National Book Award longlist title, won the Coretta Scott King Award for author and illustrator, and received a Caldecott Honor and a Sibert Honor. She is dedicated to writing poetry for children and is the 2025 and 2026 Young People’s Poet Laureate. When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.
Illustrator: Floyd Cooper
Floyd Cooper (1956-2021) was a Coretta Scott King Award winner and illustrator of numerous books for children including Ruth and the Green Book, A Spy Called James, and Max and the Tag-Along Moon. Unspeakable, one of his final picture books, was a National Book Award longlist title, a Sibert Honor book, and a Caldecott Honor book. He received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma and went on to develop a distinctive art technique called oil erasure.
Narrator: January LaVoy
Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!
Unspeakable
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator A Caldecott Honor Book A Sibert Honor Book Longlisted for the National Book Award A Kirkus Prize… View available downloads →
Addressing Race and Racism with Readers
This week and throughout the coming month, the United States marks several notable anniversaries: The 2nd anniversary of George Floyd’s death on May 25, the 101st anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre on May 30, and Juneteenth on June 19 commemorating the emancipation of enslaved… View →
Awards
- Utah Beehive Book Award Nominee
- Land of Enchantment Book Award Nominee
- Illinois Bluestem Award Nominee
- William Allen White Children's Book Award Masterlist
- Georgia Children's Book Award Finalist
- Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee
- Carter G. Woodson Book Award
- Kids' Book Choice Award 3rd to 5th Grade Book of the Year
- Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List 2022-2023
- Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor Book
- Coretta Scott King Author Award
- Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award
- Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal Honor Book
- ALA Notable Children's Books
- Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor Book
- Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices
- Notable Books for a Global Society
- NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
- Maine Student Book Award Longlist
- South Carolina Book Award Nominee
- NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts
- Great Lakes Great Books Award
- Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
- Booklist Top 10 History for Youth
- Skipping Stones Honor Award
- Lectio Book Award Nominee
- Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children's Literature Honor Book
- Dogwood Book List for Nonfiction
- New York Public Library Best Books for Kids 2021
- Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books
- School Library Journal Best Book of 2021
- NPR Best Books of the Year
- Kirkus Best Children's Books
- New York Times 25 Best Children's Books
- Horn Book Best Books of the Year
- Booklist Editors' Choice
- The Best of the Best Children's Books, Publishers Lunch
- Cybils Finalist
- New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book
- Eureka! Children's Book Award
- National Book Award for Young People's Literature Longlist
- Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature Finalist
- Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of the Year
- BookPage Best Books of the Year
- Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
- Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers
Reviews
The New York Times Book Review
“These sensitively written, beautifully illustrated books restore this often-elided history while explaining the ensuing tragedy in a manner appropriate for children.”—New York Times Book Review
School Library Journal
“This moving account sheds light on shameful events long suppressed or ignored. All collections should consider this title’s value in providing historical context to current conversations about racism and America’s ongoing legacy of white supremacy.”—starred, School Library Journal
BookPage
“Unspeakable deserves to be read by every student of American history.” —starred, BookPage
Publishers Weekly
“[S]ucceeds in teaching the tragedy of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the legacy of Black Wall Street.”—starred, Publishers Weekly
The Horn Book Magazine
“Far from romanticizing history, Weatherford is equally descriptive in explaining how a false accusation of assault brought simmering racial tensions to a violent end . . . Cooper’s illustrations (‘oil and erasure’) are the perfect partner to this history, the sepia-toned images resembling historical photographs. The portraits of Black residents are particularly moving, seeming to break the fourth wall to implore the reader to remember their story.”—starred, The Horn Book Magazine
Booklist
“Ideal for classroom libraries and a deeper study of American history, this title is a must-have for those seeking the painful and complete truth.”—starred, Booklist
Kirkus Reviews
“A somber, well-executed addition to the history as the incident approaches its 100th anniversary.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews