“Poetic, memorable, and passionate.“
Reading age
10-13
Genre
Nonfiction – autobiography
Publisher
Nancy Paulson Books
Publication date
October 11, 2016
My summary
Jaqueline Woodson, or “Jackie,” always has a challenging life. Her parents often fought and eventually divorced when she was just a baby. Jacqueline spent most of her life in Greenville, South Carolina (Woodson’s mother’s hometown) with her grandparents. Then, she and her family moved to NY, and her mom got a baby brother called Roman. All in all, her life had many ups and downs, but she emerged from it as an esteemed writer.
My thoughts
This book is very family-oriented because it talks a lot about Woodson’s father’s side and a bit about her mother’s side (The Irby’s). Jacqueline Woodson powerfully described her family members; I felt the characters were very realistic and almost lifelike, but of course, they are real after all. Jacqueline’s older sister, Odella, is like me regarding books.
I read bits of the book at school, and I didn’t understand what was happening. But I wanted to read more by myself and the whole book. So I borrowed the book from the library. I learned about Jehovah’s witnesses, the prejudice she faced growing up, etc. The chapters are swift, and the text is written in verse.
My rating
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About the author
“Jacqueline is the author of nearly thirty books for young people and adults. Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir BROWN GIRL DREAMING won the 2014 National Book Award and was a NY Times Bestseller.” – Amazon.
More by the author
- Feathers; Read my review here.
- Red at the Bone: A Novel
- Before the Ever After
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