336 pages : illustrations, genealogical tables ; 22 cm
regular print
Contents
Family tree. Part I. I am born -- Part II. The stories of South Carolina run like rivers -- Part III. Followed the sky's mirrored constellation to freedom -- Part IV. Deep in my heart, I do believe -- Part V. Ready to change the world. -- Author's note -- Thankfuls -- Family photos
Summary
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child's soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson's poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become
Analysis
Australian
Notes
Grades 5-8
Accelerated Reader 168140 MG 5.3 5.0
Accelerated Reader AR MG 5.3 5.0 168140
Boston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor, 2015
Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, 2015
National Book Award Winner, Young People's Literature, 2014