brown girl dreaming

Woodson, J. ( 2014). brown girl dreaming. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Jacqueline Woodson tells what life was like for her growing up in both South Carolina and Brooklyn as an African American girl in the 1960's and 70's.  She shares her thoughts, feelings, family, and events of her childhood in this remarkable book.  Ms. Woodson shares  special relationship and love she has with her grandfather, who she calls Daddy,  the religious upbringing of her Jehovah's Witness grandmother, and growing up with her brothers and sister.  Ms. Woodson tells of her struggles to learn in school, and then her dream and desire to be a writer while she was still in elementary school.  Throughout the book, she also tells of the Civil Rights movement and the changes going on in America. 

This entire book is written in free-verse poetry.   The words and thoughts make her childhood story come to life.  Ms. Woodson shares the love her family members have for one another and how, even when apart, they care for one another.  Throughout her story, she weaves in the prejudice and racism people in the South possessed.  By the end of the story, you feel like you know her  and her family personally.  A great read for middle school and up.