Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline Woodson's National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner, now available in paperback with 6 all new poems.
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 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.
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""

“ The writer s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family. Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW Mesmerizing journey through [Woodson s] early years. . . . Her perspective on the volatile era in which she grew up is thoughtfully expressed in powerfully effective verse. . . . With exquisite metaphorical verse Woodson weaves a patchwork of her life experience . . . that covers readers with a warmth and sensitivity no child should miss. This should be on every library shelf. School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned. For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW [Woodson s] memoir in verse is a marvel, as it turns deeply felt remembrances of Woodson s preadolescent life into art. . . . Her mother cautions her not to write about her family but, happily, many years later, she has and the result is both elegant and eloquent, a haunting book about memory that is itself altogether memorable. Booklist, STARRED REVIEW A memoir-in-verse so immediate that readers will feel they are experiencing the author s childhood right along with her. . . . Most notably of all, perhaps, we trace her development as a nascent writer, from her early, overarching love of stories through her struggles to learn to read through the thrill of her first blank composition book to her realization that words are [her] brilliance. The poetry here sings: specific, lyrical, and full of imagery. An extraordinary indeed brilliant portrait of a writer as a young girl. The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW The effect of this confiding and rhythmic memoir is cumulative, as casual references blossom into motifs and characters evolve from quick references to main players. . . . Revealing slices of life, redolent in sight, sound, and emotion. . . . Woodson subtly layers her focus, with history and geography the background, family the middle distance, and her younger self the foreground. . . . Eager readers and budding writers will particularly see themselves in the young protagonist and recognize her reveling in the luxury of the library and unfettered delight in words. . . . A story of the ongoing weaving of a family tapestry, the following of an individual thread through a gorgeous larger fabric, with the tacit implication that we re all traversing such rich landscapes. It will make young readers consider where their own threads are taking them. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW Woodson uses clear, evocative language. . . . A beautifully crafted work. Library Media Connection, STARRED REVIEW"”

The writer s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family. Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Mesmerizing journey through [Woodson s] early years. . . . Her perspective on the volatile era in which she grew up is thoughtfully expressed in powerfully effective verse. . . . With exquisite metaphorical verse Woodson weaves a patchwork of her life experience . . . that covers readers with a warmth and sensitivity no child should miss. This should be on every library shelf. School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned. For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share. Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
[Woodson s] memoir in verse is a marvel, as it turns deeply felt remembrances of Woodson s preadolescent life into art. . . . Her mother cautions her not to write about her family but, happily, many years later, she has and the result is both elegant and eloquent, a haunting book about memory that is itself altogether memorable. Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
A memoir-in-verse so immediate that readers will feel they are experiencing the author s childhood right along with her. . . . Most notably of all, perhaps, we trace her development as a nascent writer, from her early, overarching love of stories through her struggles to learn to read through the thrill of her first blank composition book to her realization that words are [her] brilliance. The poetry here sings: specific, lyrical, and full of imagery. An extraordinary indeed brilliant portrait of a writer as a young girl. The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW
The effect of this confiding and rhythmic memoir is cumulative, as casual references blossom into motifs and characters evolve from quick references to main players. . . . Revealing slices of life, redolent in sight, sound, and emotion. . . . Woodson subtly layers her focus, with history and geography the background, family the middle distance, and her younger self the foreground. . . . Eager readers and budding writers will particularly see themselves in the young protagonist and recognize her reveling in the luxury of the library and unfettered delight in words. . . . A story of the ongoing weaving of a family tapestry, the following of an individual thread through a gorgeous larger fabric, with the tacit implication that we re all traversing such rich landscapes. It will make young readers consider where their own threads are taking them. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW
Woodson uses clear, evocative language. . . . A beautifully crafted work. Library Media Connection, STARRED REVIEW"

Jacqueline Woodson is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, the recipient of three Newbery Honors for "After Tupac and D Foster," "Feathers" and "Show Way," and a two-time finalist for the National Book Award for "Locomotion" and "Hush." Other awards include the Coretta Scott King Award and "Los Angeles Times" Book Prize for "Miracle's Boys." Her most recent books are her novel "Beneath a Meth Moon" and her picture books "Each Kindness "and "This Is the Rope." She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

Jacqueline Woodson's National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner, now available in paperback with 6 all new poems. 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 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. 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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