4.32 AVERAGE


I'm not sure I have words for how much I enjoyed this book. I've been hearing about it for months, but it didn't seem like a book I would be interested in. I'm not a huge fan of nonfiction and I don't read a lot of memoirs. I especially don't read books written in verse (but I only found out about that once I started reading).

But! Sometimes it's good to branch out and I'm so glad I did. I gobbled up Woodson's beautiful words and inspiring story. Her words brought the people and places to life. I could see her Uncle Robert dancing to James Brown and smell the collards cooking (reminds me of my own childhood!). Her childhood wasn't always perfect, but she tells her story of growing up in 1960s/70s South Carolina and Brooklyn so perfectly.

Excellent YA novel in verse

Listening to this middle grade novel on audio read by the author was a gift. Poetic. Genuine. A young girl dreams of being a writer. Stories of her family, growing up between Ohio, South Carolina, and New York, her loving grandparents; this is Jacqueline Woodson's story, but it's a story for everyone.

2017 Summer Read #22

A nice story for light reading

Brown Girl Dreaming is a novel written in verse. It was interesting to read how Jacqueline Woodson channeled her childhood memories into a descriptive and nuanced story. Jacqueline’s story shows that children have a greater awareness and understanding than we give them credit for. They are aware of the nuance and complexity of life and people’s behaviors. Due in part to her being raised in the South, Jacqueline and her siblings had a firm understanding for race and inequality, and religion and spirituality. I liked that Jacqueline was able to discuss heavy topics while also maintaining the innocent tone of a child.

I also loved how Jacqueline discusses her experience in the South. You could tell that she had such a fondness and nostalgia for her childhood home in Greenville. She described the South with such wistfulness and beauty and I appreciated that. I think this also alluded to the complicated relationship black people have with the South. For those of us who are raised here, it’s attached to a very traumatic and detrimental history but it’s also a place that’s connected to our memories. We have family and friends here and our memories with them are connected to this place they were made. I’m also from SC so it felt like reading a mini time capsule on South Carolina’s history while reading this book. This was an aspect of the book that I connected to.

This is Jacqueline’s story so I would encourage people to read it if they want to learn more about her. She has an interesting family history which renewed my interest in learning more about my own family. Anyways, this was a nice story that captured the innocence of childhood while also conveying how history impacts our lives.

I loved everything about this book. What a beautiful way to tell your life story — through poetry!

Beautiful.

Jacqueline Woodson, what an amazing storyteller! I honestly couldn’t put this book down. She manages to captivate the reader by describing her childhood through poems in such a moving and sometimes very emotional way.

4.5 stars.

I am so glad I decided to listen to this book instead of read it. I don't read poetry and vignettes well. I tend to rush them. So listening to the author read her story was much more meaningful and impactful.

I have a new appreciation for the word "funk" now.

Touching narrative poem. So happy to have read it!