Recommended age: 10+
Woodson, J. (2014). Brown Girl Dreaming. NY: Nancy Paulsen Books.
Summary: This biography by Jacqueline Woodson describes her childhood in South Carolina and New York during the 1960's. She uses poems to describe life events such as moving away from her father and never seeing him again, her brother being born, and her baby brother being hospitalized for lead poisoning. Jacqueline sees her grandparents as parental figures. Her grandfather teaches her stability and the love of a father figure. Her grandmother teaches her faith, religion, and a love of helping others. Her family faces poverty, racism, sickness, and death. All of this is told in free verse form. Each of these verses woven together tell a complete narrative of that time in history.
Response: I am not a fan of poetry. I get lost in the figurative language. However, this book is easy to read with great descriptions and each poem ties into the story to create a whole picture. Teachers could use this book for a cross curriculum study (ELAR/SS) of civil rights during the 1960s and poetry. A follow up reading or a book that could be read together in poetry unit is The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. This book would help students who enjoyed poetry during elementary, but are not ready for adult poetry. It is on their level of experiences.
Teacher resources:
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