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Quick answer: If you loved Brown Girl Dreaming, try Another Brooklyn, The Crossover, The Poet X, Clap When You Land, Inside Out & Back Again and Other Words for Home. Each one is a lyrical memoir or verse novel about identity, family and finding your voice.
Jacqueline Woodson's National Book Award winner is a memoir told in poems about her childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, split between South Carolina and Brooklyn, during the civil rights movement. She writes about family, segregation, moving between the South and the city, and her growing love of words. Readers love its beautiful language and honesty. These books share its verse format, family stories and themes of identity.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another Brooklyn | Jacqueline Woodson | 14+ | older readers who want more Woodson |
| The Crossover | Kwame Alexander | 10-13 | kids who like verse and sports |
| The Poet X | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | teens who love poetry |
| Clap When You Land | Elizabeth Acevedo | 14+ | teens who like dual narrators |
| Inside Out & Back Again | Thanhhà Lại | 8-12 | kids who like verse memoirs |
| Other Words for Home | Jasmine Warga | 9-12 | kids who like immigrant stories |
| Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry | Mildred D. Taylor | 10-13 | kids who like historical fiction |
| One Crazy Summer | Rita Williams-Garcia | 9-12 | kids who like 1960s settings |
| The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 | Christopher Paul Curtis | 9-13 | kids who like family humor and history |
| Long Way Down | Jason Reynolds | 13+ | teens who like verse |
| Out of the Dust | Karen Hesse | 10-13 | kids who like verse novels |
| Locomotion | Jacqueline Woodson | 9-12 | kids who want more Woodson |
| Love That Dog | Sharon Creech | 7-10 | younger readers |
| The House on Mango Street | Sandra Cisneros | 12+ | readers who like vignettes |
| I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings | Maya Angelou | 15+ | older readers |
1. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
A woman remembers her friendships growing up in 1970s Brooklyn.
Best for: older readers who want more Woodson.
2. The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Twin basketball players face changes in their family.
Best for: kids who like verse and sports.
3. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
A Dominican American girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry.
Best for: teens who love poetry.
4. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
Two sisters discover each other after their father's death.
Best for: teens who like dual narrators.
5. Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại
A girl and her family flee Vietnam for Alabama.
Best for: kids who like verse memoirs.
6. Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
A girl flees Syria for Cincinnati.
Best for: kids who like immigrant stories.
7. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
A Black family in Mississippi faces racism during the Depression.
Best for: kids who like historical fiction.
8. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Three sisters visit their mother in Oakland in 1968.
Best for: kids who like 1960s settings.
9. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
A family drives to Birmingham during the civil rights era.
Best for: kids who like family humor and history.
10. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
A teen considers revenge in an elevator ride.
Best for: teens who like verse.
11. Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
A girl in the Dust Bowl tells her story in poems.
Best for: kids who like verse novels.
12. Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
A boy in foster care writes poems to understand his life.
Best for: kids who want more Woodson.
13. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
A boy who hates poetry discovers he loves it.
Best for: younger readers.
14. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
A girl grows up in a Chicago neighborhood.
Best for: readers who like vignettes.
15. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Angelou's memoir of her childhood.
Best for: older readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Brown Girl Dreaming: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more Woodson, read Locomotion and, for older readers, Another Brooklyn. For verse novels, choose The Crossover, The Poet X or Long Way Down. If you like stories about the civil rights era, try One Crazy Summer, The Watsons Go to Birmingham or Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Younger readers can start with Love That Dog. Older teens ready for a classic memoir should read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Verse novels can be read quickly, which makes them great for reluctant readers.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What age is Brown Girl Dreaming for?
It is usually recommended for ages 10 and up.
Did it win awards?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and a Newbery Honor.
Is Brown Girl Dreaming a true story?
Yes. It is a memoir of Woodson's childhood.
Is it written in poems?
Yes. It is a memoir in verse.
Is Brown Girl Dreaming good for classrooms?
Yes. It is often taught for its poetry and history.
What is it about?
Growing up between South Carolina and Brooklyn and discovering a love of writing.