Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton

Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3

This lyrical picture book biography tells the story of one of America’s most celebrated children’s book authors, Virginia Hamilton, the first African American to win the Newbery Medal, and is perfect for fans of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré.

Virginia was free.

To be a dreamer.

To be a wanderer.

To be her own unique self.

Free to be.

Virginia Hamilton was only nine years old when she decided she would become a writer. Growing up in the countryside of Ohio, she listened to her family’s stories and knew that words held extraordinary magic. From her childhood years discovering her love for storytelling, to her early adult life honing her craft in the city, Virginia found her voice in her writing as she began a career defined by her roots.  

Through interconnected poems, this moving biography celebrates the remarkable life of the highly decorated and much beloved Virginia Hamilton. It’s a stunning tribute to a girl who dared to dream—and inspired those after her to do the same.

About the Author

Nina Crews is the acclaimed author and illustrator of I’m Not Small and One Hot Summer Day and the illustrator of Not Done Yet: Shirley Chisholm’s Fight for Change by Tameka Fryer Brown, as well as Seeing Into Tomorrow: Haiku by Richard Wright, A Girl Like Me by Angela Johnson, and The Neighborhood Mother Goose. She is the recipient of the NY Library Association Empire State Award. Nina lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and son. She invites you to visit her online at ninacrews.com.