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

SUMMARY

This memoir by Jacqueline Woodson, describes her childhood as an African American child in the N.E. and the South during the 1960’s. Her issue is what to do with her life and how to make that happen. She tells about her visits to the South to spend time with grandparents in a region that is still struggling with racial issues. Regardless of these issues, there are some who are more accepting. Later she moves to New York.  Once there, she makes friends with a Puerto Rican Girl (Maria) and decides she wants to become a writer. She and Maria begin to imitate black-panther activist Angela Davis even though they know nothing of her life and cause.   Ultimately Jacquie’s teacher, Ms. Vivo tells Jacquie that she is a writer and Jacquie makes plans to fulfill that dream.

STRENGTHS:

This text fits an age range of 12 -18 or so as the story line is simple, but the writing line it complex.  Its focus on moral concerns and dilemma can easily be used to teach this literary issue as well as provide instruction on figurative language.   The 1^st person point of view is one that makes the text easily relatable to the African American YA reader. This text could easily be paired with historical instruction of the civil rights movement and the issue of racial change during that time period.  It could be used as a mentor text for students to use to write their own poetic memoirs.