Jacqueline Woodson’s “Brown Girl Dreaming”: A Masterpiece

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books

VOYA Rating

Grade Level Interest: M, J

Quality: 5Q

Popularity: 4P

Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (2014) is not your typical autobiography; it is a work of poetic art. Drawing from her memories to skillfully craft her titles and stories, she uses poetic elements like stanza, verse, and imagery to evoke emotions and visuals that allow readers to walk in her shoes. She also writes fluidly with equally powerful words, impacting the reader that provokes thought and reflection. Aside from the numerous literary awards this book received, including the National Book Award, I chose this book because I love learning about people, their unique experiences, and how those contributed to who they have become.

I would definitely add this masterpiece to my library’s teen collection. As I had mentioned earlier, readers can reflect upon their own lives after reading Woodson’s autobiography. In her work, she writes about her experiences with racism, friendships, family, religion, and moving, which readers may be able to relate to in today’s society.  Readers may even find her as a role model; someone who wants to become an aspiring writer or are just trying to find their own identities in the midst of societal/media influence and peer pressure (Latham & Gross, 2014, 112).

 

Coates, T. (2015). Between the world and me. New York: Spiegel & Grau

If you liked Brown Girl Dreaming as much as I did, I would also recommend Between the World and Me (2015) by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Expanding on the theme of racial inequality that was touched in Brown Girl Dreaming, this book is a reflection of Mr. Coates life as a black boy/man in a dominant White world. According to Novelist, both titles sharing these appeal factors:

Genre: Autobiographies and memoirs

Tone: Thought-Provoking

Writing Style: Lyrical and Thoughtful

Subject: African Americans

VOYA Rating for Ta-Nahisi Coates Between the World and Me

Grade Level Interest: S, A/YA

Quality: 5Q

Popularity: 4P

References

Latham, D. & Gross, M. (2014). Young adult resources today: Connection teens with books, music, games, movies, and more. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield