Becoming Billie Holiday
by Weatherford, Carole Boston
VOYA Award/HonorSLJ Best BookCoretta Scott King Award/HonorsEntertainerHistorical FictionBlack PeopleNovels in Verse8
Prefer borrowing? Open Library may have a digital copy too.
AR Book Level
5.8
AR Points
2
Word Count
11,397
Interest Level
Upper Grades (UG 9-12)
Genre
Fiction
AR Quiz #
124496 EN
About this book
The book is a fictional memoir written in free-verse poetry that follows the early life of Billie Holiday, born Eleanora Fagan in 1915 to mother Sadie Fagan. Through bluesy lyrics and song titles, the narrative traces her journey from childhood in Philadelphia and Baltimore through her rise as a jazz vocalist. The story explores themes of poverty, family struggles, and her path toward becoming one of the greatest jazz singers of all time.