Brown Girl Dreaming

Bibliographic Citation

Woodson, J. & Nancy Paulsen Books. (2014). Brown Girl Dreaming. Penguin Group (USA).

About the Book

Author Jaqueline Woodson shares memories of her childhood through a compilation of poems that capture her early life. Her poems communicate a wide range experiences with her beloved family members as well as poems about racial discrimination and the civil rights movement.

The imagery in her poems help the readers visualize the events in Woodson’s childhood right along with her. The cover captivates the essence of the book by drawing the readers into Woodson standing outdoors holding a book/notebook symbolizing her love for writing even at an early age. The book includes a table of contents grouping poems by specific times in her life. Additionally, we are introduced to her family members in the first pages of the book by a family tree connecting the Woodson and Irby family. Finally, the memoir ends perfectly by including pictures of Jaqueline as a child, her parents, siblings, and other family members.

Connections

Book trailer

Books with similar themes:

• Moses : When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Kadir Nelson

• Martin's Big Words : The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport ; illustrated by Bryan Collier

Other books by author:

• Before the Ever After

• Feathers

Teaching ideas:

• The poems in this book can be used to teach poetry and encourage students to write a poem about their childhood that they can look back on in the future.

Requirement the Book Meets

• Required book list