"Becoming Billy Holiday", by Carole Boston Weatherford, is a 2009 Coretta Scott King Award winning book. "Becoming…" tells the story of a young Eleanora Fagan’s transformation into jazz sensation, Billy Holiday. The book is comprised of a series of poems and lyrics telling the story of how Billy Holiday began her life far from the glitz and glamour of being famous, and instead growing up in a broken home filled with trouble and loss. One of my favorite poems in the book is entitled,"I Wished on the Moon". It describes that no matter how poor Billy was growing up, she could take refuge in a five cent matinee to forget her troubles. It was there in the theatre that she could dream bigger than her own life and just for a few hours, forget what it was like to be a young black girl living in poverty.
The Coretta Scott King Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association (ALA).The awards are given to honor African-American authors and illustrators who create books for children and young adults. In addition, the awards observe the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. and honor Coretta Scott King in her efforts for peace and civil rights.
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