Here's why Rachel chose Brown Girl Dreaming...
Soon after I listened to an amazing interview with author Jacqueline Woodson, a middle school student of mine told me that Brown Girl Dreaming was the first book she'd ever read that truly spoke to her. I've been meaning to read this book ever since!
About the book
Brown Girl Dreaming
By Jacqueline Woodson
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become. - Goodreads
"This book of poems retraces the mundane, beautiful, and dramatic periods of her childhood, and it's absolutely beautiful and captivating." -- Common Sense Media
Interview with the author
About the reader
Rachel Herbert, Director of Learning Services
This is Rachel's first summer read recommendation!