Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming covered many topics Americans faced throughout their lifetime. Such as discrimination, segregation, and racism. Brown Girl Dreaming is a memoir about the author Jacqueline Woodson life. This is a great book many teachers could have their class read to get a better insight of what it was like during the civil rights movement, also teachers could use this book to help teach a poetry unit as well. Brown Girl Dreaming helps the readers get a better understanding of what it exactly was like growing up as an African-American child during the 1960's and what it was like living in a variety of states. I love how the author incorporates her family in the book. Jacqueline has her family help tell stories of what she was like growing up, and her family helped fill in some memories she was too young to remember or seemed to forgotten. You can tell Jacqueline's family is important to her by the way she loves her grandparents, and how often they are mentioned throughout the book. I love how Jacqueline and her siblings have an unbreakable bond with their grandparents and are referred to as the Gunnar children. The first time Jaqueline mother leaves for New York she states she isn't bothered by is because of how much her grandparents love her. So when Jacqueline's grandfather dies it is a very sad moment in the book because he is loved by many. Grandma Georgiana moves to New York to live with her daughter and all the grandkids once her husband dies. Grandma Georgiana brings up her plants from South Carolina to grow in New York. Jackie is reminded by her grandmother that Jakie has her grandfathers easy ways and that thy were two peas in a pod. Overall I loved Brown Girl Dreaming and thought it was a wonderful book!