Brown Girl Dreaming

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.” ❤️

I love this book so much! Great quality!

Book is good so far

Very hard to put down, so don’t start reading late at night or you’ll be sleepy the next day. It’s written in episodes that are strong, touching and filled with love. As powerful as Maya Angelou’s recollections.

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.

Brown Girl Dreaming is a novel written in verse. It was interesting to read how Jacqueline Woodson channeled her childhood memories into a descriptive and nuanced story. Jacqueline’s story shows that children have a greater awareness and understanding than we give them credit for. They are aware of the nuance and complexity of life and people’s behaviors. Due in part to her being raised in the South, Jacqueline and her siblings had a firm understanding for race and inequality, and religion and spirituality. I liked that Jacqueline was able to discuss heavy topics while also maintaining the innocent tone of a child.I also loved how Jacqueline discusses her experience in the South. You could tell that she had such a fondness and nostalgia for her childhood home in Greenville. She described the South with such wistfulness and beauty and I appreciated that. I think this also alluded to the complicated relationship black people have with the South. For those of us who are raised here, it’s attached to a very traumatic and detrimental history but it’s also a place that’s connected to our memories. We have family and friends here and our memories with them are connected to this place they were made. I’m also from SC so it felt like reading a mini time capsule on South Carolina’s history while reading this book. This was an aspect of the book that I connected to.This is Jacqueline’s story so I would encourage people to read it if they want to learn more about her. She has an interesting family history which renewed my interest in learning more about my own family. Anyways, this was a nice story that captured the innocence of childhood while also conveying how history impacts our lives.

Jacqueline Woods’ brown girl dreaming is more of an experience than a book. The reader is quickly drawn into the complicated life of a little brown girl who dreams of being a writer, a story teller, a groit, a dream keeper. Weaving a web of poetry, she tells of being black and female in both the South and the North. This is book is sheer joy; you hate it when the story ends. As Langston Hughes wrote:”Hold fast to dreams/ for life without dreams is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.” This books soars high as mountains through mist and memory.

The story is in poems and very American, I had to explain a few things to my 9 year old in the UK

The finishing quality or this product is atrocious. I purchased this for our corporate library in support of Black History Month and had to display a book that looks like it was finished using a blunt butter knife.

Moving and brilliant - this is an extraordinary book.

Lovely book, my daughter read it in one sitting and has read again and again.

Wonderful!