Brown Girl Dreaming (book)

Before I had a name, I was a whisper of memories and a bundle of feelings. My pages are smooth and white, filled with words that dance and sing like little poems. I am not like other storybooks; I don't tell one big story, but many small ones that feel like a warm hug. I am a book, and my name is Brown Girl Dreaming. I am special because I hold lots of feelings and happy thoughts inside my pages. When you open me, you can feel the sunshine from a summer day and hear the quiet sound of a pencil writing a new story.

A wonderful writer named Jacqueline Woodson made me. She looked inside her heart to remember what it was like to be a little girl. She remembered living in places called Ohio, South Carolina, and New York a long time ago. She remembered playing with her friends and listening to stories from her family. On August 28th, 2014, she carefully wove all her memories into my pages so she could share her story with the world. She wanted every child to know what it felt like to be a brown girl with big, beautiful dreams of becoming a writer. She wrote every word with love, making sure each memory was just right, like putting together the pieces of a perfect puzzle for everyone to see and enjoy.

Now, children hold me in their hands and read about Jacqueline's family, her hopes, and her world. When they read my words, they see that their own stories and feelings are important, too. I am here to remind every boy and girl that their voice matters. I whisper to them that they should listen to the stories in their own hearts, because every dream is worth sharing. I love when little hands turn my pages and eyes get wide with wonder. I hope to help every child feel brave enough to tell their own special story to the world, just like Jacqueline did.