By Jacqueline Woodson
This book is a beautiful surprise. Many people have told me that they love this book and I now know why. It is extraordinarily well crafted, the voice is honest and the imagery transcends time. This is an incredible narrative through the craft of poetry. In this tale you meet the Woodson family as they grow and move from their Ohio home, to South Carolina and than New York during in the 1960's. A time when this country went through the civil rights movement and emotions were charged.
Jacqueline is the youngest of the Woodson family, initially, and as such feels constantly challenged by her older siblings. Both Odell and Hope are seemingly very intelligent one loves science and the other can lose themself in a good book. Young Jacqueline wants to be a writer, but the process of getting her beautiful stories on paper is a struggle. At first, she does not know how to write, than she struggles finding words that she knows how to spell, so her writing does not flow nor is it fluent.
As time marches and the Woodson family moves from Ohio to South Carolina, to live with their grandparents, whom they love a great deal. Jacqueline and her siblings learn to love the heat of the deep south, though they do not understand all of tension between everyone. They are forced to become Jehovah's Witness, by their grandmother. They love their grandfather, whom they consider their daddy. Their mother leaves them in her parents care while she travels to New York looking for a job that could support their needs. When she finally returns to bring them to the big city with her, she brings a baby, Roman. Jacqueline misses her South Carolina family and dislikes their new home and the cold dreary New York weather. This new time in her life brings her her best friend Maria and opens her up to new experiences, public school. Yet the still spend their summers in South Carolina with their aging grandparents. Daddy's health is beginning to wane as a life time of cigarettes takes a toll on him. As Jacqueline ages she learns more words and how to spell and she is finally recognized as a writer.
I love this book, it was a nice read and it flowed beautifully. The use of powerful poetry worked well with the imagery that the author projected. I am giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars and feel that it is appropriate for fourth grade and up. The content about discrimination, although beautifully done and not graphic at all needs to be above third grade. What I appreciated the most about this book is the multiple layers to each chapter and the ease of the read, very enjoyable. If you have not done so, pick up your copy today.
Links
Author Jacqueline Woodson
The history of the Civil Rights movement in South Carolina
The History of New York city
Jacqueline is the youngest of the Woodson family, initially, and as such feels constantly challenged by her older siblings. Both Odell and Hope are seemingly very intelligent one loves science and the other can lose themself in a good book. Young Jacqueline wants to be a writer, but the process of getting her beautiful stories on paper is a struggle. At first, she does not know how to write, than she struggles finding words that she knows how to spell, so her writing does not flow nor is it fluent.
As time marches and the Woodson family moves from Ohio to South Carolina, to live with their grandparents, whom they love a great deal. Jacqueline and her siblings learn to love the heat of the deep south, though they do not understand all of tension between everyone. They are forced to become Jehovah's Witness, by their grandmother. They love their grandfather, whom they consider their daddy. Their mother leaves them in her parents care while she travels to New York looking for a job that could support their needs. When she finally returns to bring them to the big city with her, she brings a baby, Roman. Jacqueline misses her South Carolina family and dislikes their new home and the cold dreary New York weather. This new time in her life brings her her best friend Maria and opens her up to new experiences, public school. Yet the still spend their summers in South Carolina with their aging grandparents. Daddy's health is beginning to wane as a life time of cigarettes takes a toll on him. As Jacqueline ages she learns more words and how to spell and she is finally recognized as a writer.
I love this book, it was a nice read and it flowed beautifully. The use of powerful poetry worked well with the imagery that the author projected. I am giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars and feel that it is appropriate for fourth grade and up. The content about discrimination, although beautifully done and not graphic at all needs to be above third grade. What I appreciated the most about this book is the multiple layers to each chapter and the ease of the read, very enjoyable. If you have not done so, pick up your copy today.
Links
Author Jacqueline Woodson
The history of the Civil Rights movement in South Carolina
The History of New York city
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