Brown Girl Dreaming

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The acclaimed author of Red at the Bone tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing poems.

A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK • WINNER OF THE CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARD • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY

“Moving and resonant . . . captivating.”—The Wall Street Journal

I am born in Ohio but

the stories of South Carolina already run
like rivers
through my veins.

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Jacqueline 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 70s, 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, providing a glimpse into a child’s soul as she finds her voice through writing and searches for her place in the world.

Teeming with feeling and deeply personal, Brown Girl Dreaming is the groundbreaking chronicle of Woodson’s journey to storytelling, and a beautiful portrayal of physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.


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Published Oct 11, 2016

368 pages

Average rating: 8.13

69 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Todd Katz
Dec 11, 2024
8/10 stars
Unique way to start the book, almost poetic. I really enjoyed the protagonist’s narration and friendship. Loved learning about life with “Daddy” and the love of her family, and struggle to understand her abilities.
Miami
Jul 19, 2024
10/10 stars
I love how she tells her autobiography in poem form.
margardenlady
Dec 27, 2023
8/10 stars
Lots of fun to hear this read by the author. It was a lovely set of poems that tell the story of her childhood. Many resonated with me. Many taught me new perspectives.
E Clou
May 10, 2023
8/10 stars
A series of poems that form the author's memoir. Very cleverly constructed and beautiful, sad, and moving in many parts. Might be kind of confusing for kids, who appear to be the intended audience, but it would work if a parent read it with them and explained all the background history.
Jazzy
Sep 26, 2022
5/10 stars
Nice historical memoir.

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