4.5 stars. I read Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson on the plane back after Christmas. I didn’t realize it was nonfiction or that it was poetry until I started reading. I always say that I’m not a poetry person but I never realized poetry could be like this: loose and story-like.

This book is about the author’s experience growing up black in both the south and New York City in the 1960s and 70s. It is accessible and easy enough for middle schoolers to read, but insightful and interesting enough to keep adults engaged too.

Woodson’s writing is honest and lovely. Her story is moving and will stick with you. She paints a beautiful portrait of her family and her life, and I could picture everything she described so clearly. I’d recommend this to everyone!