A Book a Day: The Undefeated

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson



"This is for the unforgettable.
The swift and sweet ones
who hurdled history
and opened a world of possible.

The ones who survived
America
by any means necessary.

And the ones who didn't.

This is for the undeniable.
The ones who scored
with chains
on one hand
and faith
in the other."


Kwame Alexander tells how he wrote the poem the year his second daughter was born and Barack Obama became president. He wanted to remind his daughter and all of you children of the 21st Century to never, ever give up. And to remember all the greats that came before you. He first performed the poem on ESPN. Alexander won a Newbery Honor for writing and illustrator Kadir Nelson won this year's Caldecott Medal for the best illustrations. They both received Coretta Scott King medals, as well.

Undefeated is available from Overdrive.