A New York Times Bestseller and National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson, the acclaimed author of Red at the Bone, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants … an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
A National Book Award Winner
A Newbery Honor Book
A Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Praise for Jacqueline Woodson:
Ms. Woodson writes with a sure understanding of the thoughts of young people, offering a poetic, eloquent narrative that is not simply a story . . . but a mature exploration of grown-up issues and self-discovery.”—The New York Times Book Review
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There have been countless amazing reviews for Brown Girl Dreaming, but for some reason, I never felt compelled to pick it up until recently. Of course now I can’t believe it took me so long, because this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.
I’m not typically one to pick up a book written in verse, but the format worked so well for this. Brown Girl Dreaming is the story of Jacqueline Woodson’s childhood, her time spent in the south, in New York, and her friends and family. It’s about her becoming a writer, and understanding her place in the world in every sense.
While the poem format of the book will lend itself to speed-reading, the beautiful writing will make you pause and re-read time and time again. This is definitely one to read with sticky notes or a pen, because you’ll want to come back to these passages again later.
If you’re like me and think this might not be a fit for you, give it a chance. I was hooked from the very first page, and flew through the rest of it. Highly, highly recommend this one.
This is an absolutely fantastic book! At first I was undecided as to whether or not I would like it since all the chapters are done in the form of poetry. But after reading 10 chapters in a row, I decided that this is one of the best books I’ve read in many years.
The characters are really good. The settings are spectacular. When the author tells about life in South Carolina, I actually feel like I’m there in South Carolina with the family.
I eagerly await reading another or her books – she’s THAT good.
It was so easy to read. i just could not put it down for too long. Jacqueline Woodson is most definitely my favorite author. I hope to read several more of her booksBrown Girl Dreaming
What book would you love to see made into a movie?
This book is an autobiographical poetic novel about Jacqueline Woodson’s childhood. I think it would make a great movie. It was really neck and neck with The Crossover for the 2015 Newbery medal.
I am an adult reader, and I loved both the print version and the audio version of this book. The way Woodson was able to share her life story through poetics, I was so inspired by this book and the way she presented rural America, a place where I grew up. I felt like I was reading my story or the story of my family. I also loved how she was able to show her life in the “big city.” SO many of my family transitioned to the north and their lives were a mystery to me. Not after reading this book.
Stop what you are doing and read this book! You will be so glad you did. Ms. Woodson has created a masterpiece of writing that will lift you up and open your heart.
A Children’s memoir told in verse that’s so vivid it feels like I was there. A masterpiece! There’s a reason it won all the awards. Read this for yourself. Read this with your kids.
Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of the author’s childhood in beautifully written free verse poetry. Jacqueline Woods is candid and vulnerable as she tells her reader what it was like growing up in Ohio, in the south in South Carolina, and in Brooklyn. Her recounts are moving and evoke strong emotions while maintaining a soft and gentle feel for the younger reader.
This book is soooooo good I can relate to it segregation was very rough and she explained that perfectly!!!!
To write a memoir in prose, to distill each experience into just the right words, to leave enough white space on the page for a reader to jump in and participate with the language, that is the work of a master. Reader, you already know you are in masterful hands with Jacqueline Woodson. I listened to an interview with Woodson on the Write-Minded podcast with Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner where she admitted that it was possible to consume BROWN GIRL DREAMING in one sitting, but that it pained her to hear when readers did that. She really wished we wouldn’t. Indeed, I enjoyed this memoir slowly in bites I could savor. Keeping it on hand for quiet moments when I could sit and think and enjoy the cadence of the verse. It is a book you will want to keep close at hand, a reminder that poignant imagery transports and conveys meaning better than pages and pages and pages. This is a beauty of a book!
Jacqueline Woodson tells the story of her life in poetry. It is an inspiration and a view into how the author negotiated her worlds for young people
The writing and story-telling, are excellent. A very worthy read.
That book is a very educational, book…. also her story is very related to what we’re going through right now..
I read this book last year and I was hooked! Every second of the day I would try and fit in at least 20 pages in between my classes. To bad we didn’t have a book report about this!.
I could completely relate to Jacqueline’s historical references. We must be of the same generation. I couldn’t help but feel a kinship to her observations and feelings. These are tender poems. I re-read the book.
Beautiful, haunting language. As an emigrant, the nostalgic musings on home resonated deeply. My faith journey is different to the author’s, but I applaud Woodson’s engaging, heartfelt vulnerability and openness. Story that touches deeply and lingers long.
This book was AMAZING because it was all sad and stuff at the beginning but then at the end it jusst all comes to you.
Absolutely fabulous! Brown Girl Dreaming is unique in its structure as a text in prose. Additionally, it shares both the complicated struggles of family dynamics and being a child of color during the 1960s and 70s in several areas in America.
Beautifully written, this memoir narrates the author’s journey from Ohio to North Carolina to New York in the embrace of a loving family, neighbors, and friends as Civil Rights legislation changed how we lived and interacted with one another.