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.
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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Community Reviews
This is an eye-opening, honest and very touching memoire. When I started listening to the audiobook, read by the author herself, it took me a while to realise that it was poetry (I then had to check out the book from the library to review and see the format). There is a beauty in the simplicity of these poems which tell Woodnson's family’s history over two decades starting in 1960s America. Pitched just right for middle-schoolers with many memorable moments - some delicate, some emotive, some shocking - these poems provide the reader with opportunities to learn about the lives of black families in that time in history from a very raw and personal account. What really made the book for me are poems like “The Fabric Store” and “The Paint Eater”, ones that pause the main narrative and give the reader a crisp insight into a particular detail or event in time. Excellently done, Woodson. As someone who reads a lot of adult poetry, however, I found the writing style a little too simple and prose-like, but there is power behind that. Woodson definitely achieves what she sets out to do - to inform, to emote and to pay tribute to her family and friends. Particular poems that stood out for me were: "the Reader", the right way to speak", "the candy lady", "the fabric store", "ribbons", "flag", "the paint eater"and "graffiti".
Superb!
Wish I’d read this one sooner. Picked it up to fulfill a poetry prompt on my yearly reading challenge. Just lovely!
Wish I’d read this one sooner. Picked it up to fulfill a poetry prompt on my yearly reading challenge. Just lovely!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of the author's childhood in beautifully written free verse poetry. Jacqueline Woodson 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.
Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of the author's childhood in beautifully written free verse poetry. Jacqueline Woodson 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.
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.
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