Brown Girl Dreaming

This is a beautifully written memoir set in poetry by the much acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson. Jacqueline’s aunt Ada, a genealogist and family historian, provided Jacqueline with tremendous family history with which this book begins that adds depth and history to the memoir. There is always a contrast between the north an south running like a current through this book. Jacqueline and her family begin in Ohio visiting South Carolina in the summer. They ultimately begin alternating between Brooklyn and South Carolina. Jacqueline Woodson is so eloquent in ascribing the haziness of memory and how feelings and emotions at the time become the more important element. The poetic format for placing these snippets of memory seems so honest and heartfelt. This is a small volume, yet contains so much. There is so much history, especially regarding the Civil Rights Movement, written into these pages. There is the effect of teachers on a young girl’s self-confidence when they praise her writing. There is the love of a family; the complete trust and vulnerability of young children knowing that they are safe with family they love. There is the beauty of forever friendships, these early friendships that are so important and make life so much more enjoyable. This is a book about race, about growing up as a Jehovah’s witness, about dreams in childhood that have so wonderfully come to fruition for Jacqueline Woodson. This book has been marketed as middle grade, but I would recommend it to everyone. It is a remarkably beautiful collection of poetry, rich in history. I think it is so hard to write from a child’s perspective and honestly capture the thoughts and perspective from that time in life, but Jacqueline Woodson does so brilliantly. I love how within this book, Jacqueline talks about how she does not read quickly like her sister. She takes her time with books, reading, thinking, re-reading, enjoying. This, I believe, is how one should read Brown Girl Dreaming, There is so much to take away and enjoy from each chapter/poem. I loved this book for being a beautiful heartfelt collection of poetry, for moving me in ways I did not expect to be moved, for giving young girls hope and reason to dream, for beautifully describing family, and so much more. Beyond that, I also appreciate that this adds to the growing body of diverse literature, especially for young people. For discussion questions, see book-chatter.com.

There is something so very real, honest, and about Jacqueline Woodson’s writing, regardless of what she’s writing about in “Brown Girl Dreaming.” Her prose contains heartrending stories, thoughts, musings, and emotions ranging from bliss to anger. There’s a childlike purity in her work, these snippets of thoughts that tell her story, stories… the story of her family, friends, her beliefs, her religion. Growing up in the south in an era where so much change was taking place, where children were surrounded from the outside with the message to be proud, and where the message from the older generation was still to avoid eye contact, you might expect more anger, more focus on the ugly side of that time. It’s not glossed over, it’s that the focus for those years shared in “Brown Girl Dreaming” is love for the place, the people and her memories. The nostalgia is sweet without sacrificing any truth, her power in the restraint she shows. “The first time I write my full name Jacqueline Amanda Woodson without anybody’s help on a clean white page in composition notebook, I know if I wanted to I could write anything. Letters becoming words, words gathering meaning, becoming thoughts outside my head becoming sentences written by Jacqueline Amanda Woodson.” This is the story of one girl finding her voice. This is also the story of a part of America’s racial history. This is Woodson’s story, but it’s also a story that is part of all of us. “The people who came before me worked so hard to make this world a better place for me. I know my work is to make the world a better place for those coming after. As long as I can remember this, I can continue to do the work I was put here to do.”

If not for a Young Adult Lit class I'm taking, I probably would have missed out on this wonderful book, by the gifted Jacqueline Woodson. What a treasure to stumble upon Woodson's book of autobiographical prose, that is both simple enough for my 8 year old to read, and rich, and authentic enough for me to enjoy on my own. This book tells the story of Woodson's family history, filled with joy and sorrow, and traces the seeds to her own path as a writer. Woodson's tales are deeply personal, but still relatable and endearing. She also brings all of the characters in her book to life with individual personalities and idiosyncrasies, while still illustrating the historical context that is the backdrop of her upbringing, from the Jim Crow South of her younger days with her grandparents, to the Civil Rights era and Revolutionary times of Angela Davis of her adolescence in Brooklyn. I breezed through this book in two days, and will be buying a paper copy to add to my library.

This was a great read that had me all kinds of nostalgic. Jacqueline Woodson is a world renowned author, but this book is her memoir of growing up a “brown girl dreaming.” This is actually written in free verse poetry. She tells her story of her family and lineage. She was born right here in central Ohio, writing about Lancaster, Nelsonville, Columbus, Circleville… I thought that was so cool! Her parents do not stay together and she soon finds herself living with her grandparents in South Carolina. She was born in the 60s, a brown girl trying to navigate a world that did not want to include her. It seemed like such a simpler time that I wish I could have been a part of. The English teacher in me thought this book was brilliant. However, don’t be scared of the poetry aspect. She weaves her free verse so effortlessly, you are caught up in her growing up and her family ties and Jacqueline experiencing life through her child eyes and you don’t really even notice that it is poetically written… just that it’s beautifully written. This one is being added to my classroom library. I can’t wait to share this one with my students! I take this quote from Jacqueline’s southern grandmother - oh how I wish I could have spent summers with her myself! But ever a collector of quotes, this one got me: “God gives you what you need - best not to ask for more than that.” ❤️

This was a great book that my 15 year old wanted to read several times over.

Jaqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming is a beautifully written story that draws you in and lifts you up. Spanning her childhood from Ohio through the rural south and back to Brooklyn, New York, it is a collection of poem-stories that carries her young self and the reader into young adulthood, describing with clarity and depth what it means for her to be a “Brown girl dreaming.” A celebration of friendship and the evolution of her understanding of family, it touches on a part of American history common to us all.

Jacqueline Woodson has long been one of my favorite authors. As a white person I didn't have to grow up through the turmoil she did. I didn't understand a lot of the turmoil. I was sheltered. When we went camping I played with kids. There was no color. My parents saw fit to raise me to believe we are all created by God and are all the same. It wasn't until I moved from Indiana to Florida that I saw the true issues. I had been sheltered from the fact that our town (I grew up 20 miles out in the country) was very prejudiced. Jacqueline's autobiography, told through verse is a look into the life I knew nothing about. She faces and speaks of each hardship in life so eloquently. We get a glimpse through her eyes of what it was like growing up a "brown girl" during her childhood. This is a must read book. This is one I will not only recommend to my students, but will strongly suggest they read, no matter what their color. This is history, this is life, this is past and present. This is Beautiful.

My ten year old granddaughter loves this book!

Daughter loved the book

Good book for pre teens who are interested in memoirs and historical fiction

BROWN GIRL DREAMING This remarkable novel told in verse is the memoir of Jacqueline Woodson ( @jacqueline_woodson ). In these verses she shares what it was like to grow up in the 60's & 70's in South Carolina & New York amidst the remnants of Jim Crow and during the Civil Right Movement. I initially picked this book up because it seemed to be an easy and fun middle grade read. But it turned out to be so much more ... 📚 As a woman of color it was refreshing to read about the hot comb, the freshly starched Sunday clothes and the colorful ribbons in her hair. Her stern but very warm and loving grand parents who would help raise her and her siblings put a smile on my face, simply because it made me realize that there are more similarities than differences when it comes to growing up black. Some things are the same no matter where you come from. 😊 📚 For me, the most fascinating verses were those about anything Civil Right Movement related. It was interesting to learn about the training for the sit-ins and the non-violent marches that made a difference for colored people all over the world for decades to come. These actions were the beginning of the fight against segregation and discrimination of African Americans. The mind boggling thing about all of this is that historically speaking the 60's and 70's are not even that long ago 😳... 📚 Brown girl dreaming won several awards and all of them are well deserved. This book was as pleasant as it was educational and I feel very blessed that this outstanding literary work was brought to my attention. I read the book while listening to the audio. The audiobook happens to be narrated by the author and that is always a plus. 4,5 out of 5 stars. #JacquelineWoodson #BrownGirlDreaming #2014 #Poetry #Memoir #MiddleGrade #Bibliophile #Bookstagram #Books #Reader #Booknerd

Beautiful story, book arrived a bit damaged though

Muito bom