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Brown Girl Dreaming

Jacqueline Woodson

Start date: October 1, 2018

Finish date: October 31, 2018

Discussion: Monthly Group Reads

Why we're reading this: October's theme/topic is Autobiography/biography.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson…more
[close] October's theme/topic is Autobiography/biography.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

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What Members Thought

Jul 05, 2015 Judy Lindow rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This book is delicious! Brown Girl Dreaming is a special story about a young girl with a big heart, a lot of yearning and potential, who listens with intent and devotion. There are many things in this simple coming of age memoir. Some readers may even think it's complex, but at the very least, people will take away something that's important to them.

This is about a Girl, however the narrative does a good job in relaying how the experience of being a Brown Girl impacts her and her family daily. This book is delicious! Brown Girl Dreaming is a special story about a young girl with a big heart, a lot of yearning and potential, who listens with intent and devotion. There are many things in this simple coming of age memoir. Some readers may even think it's complex, but at the very least, people will take away something that's important to them.

This is about a Girl, however the narrative does a good job in relaying how the experience of being a Brown Girl impacts her and her family daily. The author does this without being didactic and therefore gives a very honest voice to a child's experience of racism that is often not acknowledged by the default culture. The sweetness of the book comes from showing how love and faith are the glue that builds this child's brilliance in spite of disadvantages.

Jacqueline, the author, narrator tells of growing up between Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. Ironically, I just read the LATimes headline today, July 9 2015, "South Carolina House votes to remove Confederate flag from steakhouse grounds" and we read: "The landmark legislation already passed the state Senate and is supported by the governor. One representative shed tears as she pleaded with her fellow Republicans not to vote to amend the bill." Long story short, the story of this girls life is still timely.

We learn in the author's words, from her perspective as a young girl: how she became a writer, discovered her passion for writing and telling stories, how she's nurtured and perceives her family, the rich depth of the individuals in her family, their success and fails, her racial experience of growing up between the midwest, south and New York, and more. The way values and ethics are learned from a family and the impact of community, racism, and culture. Basically, however, it's a simple story about a complex life of young brown girl and her dreams. The title is apt.

The small photo album of her family, the white space on the pages, the size of the book, the deckled pages, and motif's like the 5-7-5 haikus - all make this good read into something like Chicken Soup for the Soul.

In one day it went from: a book I was skeptical of when I discovered it was a lyrical narrative (how could it be as good as Out of the Dust?) - to being a book I looked forward to reopening and was hauling around in my purse - to a book I wanted to read slower so I could savor it and make it last longer!

I would recommend this book to girls and boys from late 3rd grade thru to adult. ...more

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Jan 12, 2015 Caryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: re-read, audiobook, shelf-sitter, poetry, botkb-2015, cwb-2016, 7210

Such a beautiful book. Everyone should read this.

Edited to add: Picked this one again, as it was chosen for my alma mater's Conversation with Books, and now I think I should reread it every year. If you haven't read it yet, do! ...more

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Nov 03, 2014 Rose marked it as to-read

1 like · Like

Sep 13, 2021 Kme_17 rated it liked it

Mar 02, 2015 Samantha A marked it as to-read

Mar 23, 2015 Christiana marked it as saved-books

Shelves: kids-books, poetry

Mar 26, 2015 Heather marked it as to-read

May 23, 2015 JD marked it as to-read

Jul 09, 2015 Skittles Malone rated it really liked it

Sep 01, 2015 Mom2triplets04 marked it as to-read

Shelves: middle-grade, written-in-verse

Apr 11, 2017 Sue rated it it was amazing

Shelves: zf-favorites-audio, young-adult, memoir, zl-crpl-print-4, zr1-rplan-newbery, favorites, poetry, african-american, non-fiction, zl-crpl-mp3-reread