Thursday, February 12, 2015

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

I am born on a Tuesday at University Hospital
Columbus, Ohio,
USA --
a country caught

between Black and White.

Jacqueline Woodson's memoir written completely through poems tells of her childhood from being born in Ohio, living with her grandparents in South Carolina, and moving to New York City with her mother and siblings.  She spends her early years in the racially divided South where they march for equal rights.  Her grandmother gives her religion.  Her grandfather becomes her "Daddy".  She later moves to New York City just before starting school where she has problems reading quickly like the other kids.  Yet she wishes and dreams that one day she will be a writer . . .

Each day a new world
opens itself up to you. And all the worlds you are --

gather into one world

called You

where You decide

what each world
and each story
and each ending

will finally be.


Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is the 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Medal winner for most distinguished book by an African-American author, a 2015 Newbery Award Honor Book for best book for children, and a 2015 Robert F. Sibert Award Honor Book for best information book for children and teens.

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