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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 Birmingham, 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 ...more

1929 posts
Irene Latham's Blog

Black Friday is for Poetry!

Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Buffy Silverman for Roundup.

Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Joyce Sidman,
Irene LathamWow, what a week. A lovely time was had by all at NCTE-Denver, and I enjoyed catching up with poetry peeps like Allan, Amy, April, Carol, Charles, Georgia, Heidi, Joyce, Laura, Linda, Lisa, Lynn, Margaret, Marilyn, Mary Lee, Matt, Nancy, Rajani, Rebecca, Willeena... and meetin Read more of this blog post »

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Published on November 28, 2025 03:30

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Irene Latham’s books

Average rating: 4.2 · 8,682 ratings · 2,143 reviews · 34 distinct works • Similar authors

	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 — 1,873 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
	The Cat Man of Aleppo by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Karim Shamsi-Basha, Yuko Shimizu (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator) 4.25 avg rating — 1,900 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
	African Town by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters 4.29 avg rating — 1,393 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 — 481 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 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 535 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 — 387 ratings — published 2019 — 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
	Be a Bridge by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Charles Waters, Nabila Adani (Illustrations) 4.31 avg rating — 278 ratings — 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
	Don't Feed the Boy by Irene Latham (Goodreads Author), Stephanie Graegin (Goodreads Author) (Illustrations) 3.79 avg rating — 280 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

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Irene is Currently Reading

Irene Latham is currently reading

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 04, 2015 04:37AM

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Irene Latham wrote a new blog post Black Friday is for Poetry! Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Buffy Silverman for Roundup.Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Joyce Sidman,Irene LathamWow, what a week. A lovely Read more of this blog post »
Nov 29, 2025 12:09AM · like

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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

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“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 Shall We Read in September?

If you get a chance, check and see what your library has before you vote.

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

12 votes 33.3%

The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan

7 votes 19.4%

The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt

6 votes 16.7%

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

4 votes 11.1%

Smile by Raina Telgemeier

3 votes 8.3%

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer

2 votes 5.6%

Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham

2 votes 5.6%

36 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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