# Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship - Hardcover

by **Irene Latham** (Author), **Charles Waters** (Author), **Selina Alko** (Illustrator)

**Two poets, one white and one black, explore race and childhood in this must-have collection tailored to provoke thought and conversation.**

**How can Irene and Charles work together on their fifth grade poetry project? They don't know each other . . . and they're not sure they want to.**

**

Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is Black, use this fictional setup to delve into different experiences of race in a relatable way, exploring such topics as hair, hobbies, and family dinners. Accompanied by artwork from acclaimed illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (of _The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage_), this remarkable collaboration invites readers of all ages to join the dialogue by putting their own words to their experiences.

**

**Number of Pages:** 40

**Dimensions:** 0.6 x 10.1 x 7.2 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** January 01, 2018

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship

**Interest Level:** Middle Grades, 4-8

**Reading Level:** 4.6

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23