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Irene Latham

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.irenelatham.com

Twitter

irene_latham

Genre

Children's Books, Poetry, Historical Fiction

Member Since

April 2009

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/irene_latham

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Irene Latham is a poet and novelist who was born the middle child and first daughter of five kids.

Irene has lived all sorts of places and traveled worldwide. Since 1984 she has called Alabama home.

She thinks growing up with three brothers was great preparation for raising her three sons. She also thinks getting a sister was one of the best things that has ever happened to her.

Irene is proud to be the only leftie in her family of origin AND in her current family.

According to Irene's Dr. Seuss' MY BOOK ABOUT ME, she has wanted to be writer since she was eight years old.

She also wanted to train a horse that her sister would ride to victory in the Kentucky Derby. That hasn't happened. Yet.

Irene didn't take a single writing course in college. ...more

1957 posts
Irene Latham's Blog

Girl Finds Power / Learning from Elders poem + Revision Notes

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit the ever-enthusiastic-for-poetry-and-life Mona Voelkel for Roundup.

me and mom at a quilt show
photo booth :)I've been thinking this week about the woman who've most influenced me in my life: my mother, of course. My paternal grandmother, Grandma Dykes, who taught me about love and cooking and gardening; my maternal grandmother, Grandma Oslund, w Read more of this blog post »

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Published on June 05, 2026 03:30

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Irene Latham’s books

Average rating: 4.2 · 8,857 ratings · 2,202 reviews · 40 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Karim Shamsi-Basha, Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.25 avg rating — 1,942 ratings — published 2020 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters, Sean Qualls (Illustrator) 4.33 avg rating — 1,884 ratings — published 2018 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	African Town by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters 4.28 avg rating — 1,417 ratings — published 2022 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dictionary for a Better World: Poems, Quotes, and Anecdotes from A to Z by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters, Mehrdokht Amini (Illustrator) 4.55 avg rating — 488 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Leaving Gee's Bend 4.01 avg rating — 543 ratings — published 2010 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Meet Miss Fancy by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), John Holyfield (Illustrator) 4.09 avg rating — 389 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Be a Bridge by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters, Nabila Adani (Illustrations) 4.31 avg rating — 287 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Don't Feed the Boy by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Stephanie Graegin (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations) 3.79 avg rating — 282 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love, Agnes: Postcards from an Octopus by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Thea Baker (Illustrations) 3.70 avg rating — 195 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Water Hole by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Anna Wadham (Illustrator) 3.81 avg rating — 171 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Irene Latham…

Irene is Currently Reading

Irene Latham is currently reading

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 04, 2015 04:37AM

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Irene’s Recent Updates

Irene Latham wrote a new blog post Girl Finds Power / Learning from Elders poem + Revision Notes Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit the ever-enthusiastic-for-poetry-and-life Mona Voelkel for Roundup. me and mom at a quilt show photo Read more of this blog post »
Jun 06, 2026 12:09AM · like
Irene Latham entered a giveaway An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 15, 2026 02:10PM · like · see giveaway

More of Irene's books…

Quotes by Irene Latham (?)

“If I know one thing to be true: When in doubt, ask people about themselves, and they’ll never shut up.”
― Irene Latham, African Town

1 likes

“Our spirits connect us regardless of these white men trying to beat down our greatness.”
― Irene Latham, African Town

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“when i think of captain timothy and captain foster/ i think of men using their whiteness to build wealth on the backs of black people when i think of the elders of african town/ i see people who came to this country with nothing you all created a community that will be around long after your spirits leave Alabama”
― Irene Latham, African Town

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Polls

What book should we read in September?

You may write in titles, provided the book is a 2019 Newbery contender and already published.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

43 votes 29.1%

Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth by Sheila O'Connor

23 votes 15.5%

Echo's Sister by Paul Mosier

14 votes 9.5%

The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman

12 votes 8.1%

Hunger: A Tale of Courage by Donna Jo Napoli

11 votes 7.4%

The Truth as told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor (write-in)

11 votes 7.4%

Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard (write-in)

8 votes 5.4%

Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham

7 votes 4.7%

Until Tomorrow, Mrs. Marsworth (write-in)

5 votes 3.4%

Until tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth (write-in)

3 votes 2.0%

Willa of the Woods by Robert Beatty (write-in)

3 votes 2.0%

Hunger (write-in)

2 votes 1.4%

The Truth as told by Mason Buttle (write-in)

2 votes 1.4%

Echos Sister (write-in)

1 vote 0.7%

Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair (write-in)

1 vote 0.7%

Spooked by Gail Jarrow (write-in)

1 vote 0.7%

Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani (write-in)

1 vote 0.7%

148 total votes

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Irene’s Friend Comments

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message 1: by Sridhar

Mar 16, 2010 07:52AM

hai...hai...Irene,thanks for adding me your friend,by the by hows my profile pic., am I cute..I 've named this photo as "Sridhar apothesis"(Sridhar raised as God) lovely isn't it..

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Irene Latham’s Followers (170)

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Irene Latham

Goodreads Author

1957 posts
Irene Latham's Blog

Girl Finds Power / Learning from Elders poem + Revision Notes

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Irene Latham’s books

Irene is Currently Reading

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Girl Finds Power / Learning from Elders poem + Revision Notes

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Irene Latham’s Followers (170)

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