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What Members Thought
Since this is a Newbery Honor, I expected to enjoy this more. I've liked other books written in verse (The Crossover was really good, and I loved Inside Out and Back Again), but I didn't feel like the story itself was particularly compelling, and telling it in verse didn't help.
Obviously I'm in the minority because so many others have loved this book. It's a short read, so don't let this dissuade you from picking it up and seeing what the hype is about. And there were a few phrases I really did ...more
Obviously I'm in the minority because so many others have loved this book. It's a short read, so don't let this dissuade you from picking it up and seeing what the hype is about. And there were a few phrases I really did ...more
I was completely blown away by this book, which was so unique and unlike anything I'd ever read. While this is considered a middle grade/young adult book, I found it incredibly engaging as an adult reader and loved the beautiful language and story presentation. Told in verse form, the memoir describes the author's childhood growing up as an African American in the 1960s/1970s in Ohio, South Carolina, and New York. The poems deftly deal with complex themes, ranging from family dynamics to living
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Since this is a Newbery Honor, I expected to enjoy this more. I’ve liked other books written in verse (The Crossover was really good, and I loved Inside Out and Back Again), but I didn’t feel like the story itself was particularly compelling, and telling it in verse didn’t help.
Obviously I’m in the minority because so many others have loved this book. It’s a short read, so don’t let this dissuade you from picking it up and seeing what the hype is about. And there were a few phrases I really did ...more
Obviously I’m in the minority because so many others have loved this book. It’s a short read, so don’t let this dissuade you from picking it up and seeing what the hype is about. And there were a few phrases I really did ...more
Author Jacqueline Woodson remembers her childhood, writing in verse. Beautifully written!
Love the emotion and flow the verse gives the story, some powerful images convey strong connections to the story and emotions.
Great writing! Poetic memoir. (Betterworld reading challenge-a National Book Award Winner)
What a beautifully written collection of narrative poems. The poems go right to the heart of what growing up and family meant for Jacqueline Woodson. The poems capture the sensory feel of childhood, the difference between her grandparents' home in the south and her moather's home in New York City. I loved the sections about her struggle with reading and her love for the power of words.
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The audiobook read by the author bumps this from four stars to five. This book captures memory snippets and bits of history and somehow manages to construct a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Really lovely.
Highly recommend the audiobook for this, which is read by Jacqueline Woodson herself.
Apr 21, 2015
Martha
marked it as to-read
Jan 31, 2016
Larissa
marked it as to-read
Feb 02, 2016
Amy
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Feb 05, 2016
Molly
marked it as to-read
Nov 22, 2016
Leslie Jerkins
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Jan 08, 2017
Laura Seagraves
marked it as to-read
May 29, 2020
Korie Brown
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Nov 19, 2020
Laura
marked it as to-read
