I've written more than 30 books for young people.
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A moving look at a Black family’s journey to exercise their right to vote and imagine a better future.
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“The atmosphere is joyous. . . . The illustrations, created with ‘digital watercolor and mixed media,’ clearly express the characters’ shifting emotions. . . . The straightforward firstperson narrative is engaging, and at the story’s end, the family’s joy is heartfelt and memorable.” —Booklist
“Madear’s children aren’t fully aware of how special today is, but their mother—sporting one of her best dresses—joyously explains that this Tuesday in 1969 will be the first day she gets to vote. . . . This straightforward yet empowering tale will get youngsters energized for election day.” —Kirkus Reviews
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"Just in time for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, Hudson and Tate combine their formidable talents to bring to young readers the historical context of the hard-won rights of Black people to vote. Tate’s sepia-toned illustrations identify scenes of voting in 1969 as “longer-ago” history as the young male narrator recalls his mother’s first time voting in the South after a lifetime of Jim Crow deprivations in Louisiana." -- School Library Journal, Starred Review
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Charlie and Ralph’s mom has waited a long time to vote because countless obstacles have been put in Black people’s way to stop them from having a say in elections—obstacles that it took a lot of hard work to tear down. But now, in 1969, Madear is going to vote for the very first time, and the boys are coming along on this exciting day. A day that puts a new bounce in their mom’s step, and enables them all to begin to dream of a better future.
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Wade Hudson and Don Tate give young readers a warm family story as well as a powerful glimpse into the struggle that had to be waged to achieve a fundamental right of citizenship.

“A powerful reminder to never stop speaking the truth.” – Kirkus Reviews
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“An evenly paced story line and clear-eyed narration to explore systemic prejudice…. resulting in a multilayered depiction of segregation and contemporary racism in America.” —Publishers Weekly
“This story offers an important perspective and is well suited for intergenerational sharing.”—Booklist
“The power of Black history and activism told simply; a good start for struggling middle grade readers just introduced to American history.”
—School Library Journal
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“An important story about an all-too-common contemporary tragedy and manages to be angry and hopeful at the same time….the book carries the weight of a difficult history and the urgency to carry on the fight.” —The Horn Book
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ABOUT THE BOOK
Lamar can’t wait to start his filmmaking career like his idol Spike Lee. And leave behind his small town of Morton, Louisiana. But for now, Lamar has to learn how to be a filmmaker while getting to know his grandfather.
When Gramps talks about his activism and Black history, Lamar doesn’t think much about it. Times have changed since the old Civil Rights days! Right? He has a white friend named Jeff who wants to be a filmmaker, too, even though Jeff’s parents never let him go to Lamar’s Black neighborhood. But there’s been progress in town. Right?
Then Gramps is killed in a traffic altercation with a white man claiming self-defense. But the Black community knows better: Gramps is another victim of racial violence. Protesters demand justice. So does Lamar. But he is also determined to keep his grandfather’s legacy alive in the only way he knows how: recording a documentary about the fight against injustice.
From the critically acclaimed author and the publisher of Just Us Books, Wade Hudson comes a riveting, timely, and deeply moving story about a young Black filmmaker whose eyes are opened to racial injustice and becomes inspired to follow in his grandfather’s activist footsteps.
The Reckoning is also available as an audio book. Listen to a sample.

"Hudson’s text is lyrical and lively, and the unique focus on the early years of creating what is now known as Black America results in a welcome addition to children’s bookshelves." - Kirkus Reviews
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Winner of the 2022 Malka Penn Award
"Strong storytelling and significant cultural references shine throughout.
This will be a powerful read alongside the contemporary, award-winning texts that the Hudsons have nurtured.
Powerful testimony from a children’s literature legend." - Kirkus Reviews

"Both brilliant and bristling in its purpose." - Kirkus Reviews
"Verdict: Equal parts inspirational and gut-wrenching, this collection has a range of audiences and purposes. It can be used in class discussions, for pleasure reading, or as a rallying cry for change." - School Library Journal

"This star-studded collection of #OwnVoices authors calls readers in for necessary reminders in service of everyday actions that we must pursue to cultivate real change." - Kirkus Reviews Starred Review
"Wade and Cheryl Willis Hudson, founders of Just Us Books, offer this empowering anthology to counter today’s often-unsettling political climate for children of varying ethnicities, faiths, identities, and abilities." - Publishers Weekly Starred review

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