Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson tells the true story of the author's childhood during the Civil Rights Movement.  Born in Ohio, Jacqueline or Jackie moved to South Carolina as a baby when her mother left her father.  In South Carolina, Jackie spends the first years of her life in the shadow of her family amidst lunch counter sit-ins and civil rights meetings.  Jackie and her family move to Brooklyn, but continue visiting the south every summer to reconnect with family.  In Brooklyn, Jackie is exposed to the Black Panther Movement and the power of writing.  I loved that this story was written in verse.  There were so many beautiful lines, and it seemed very fitting for the author's journey, particularly in her younger years in South Carolina!  I also really liked that the author included events from the Civil Rights Movement, but that those events did not take over the story. The author did a fantastic job keeping the story about herself!