Characters
The author and protagonist (main character) of Brown Girl Dreaming. The events in the story are about her life.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Woodson
This is the U.S. state where Jackie was born.
Ohio
Growing up in the American South in the 1960s, one challenge Jackie was often exposed to was _________.
Racism, bias, prejudice
Jackie uses ________ to find her voice. Though she struggles with reading at first, she is incredibly talented at this.
Writing
Moving back and forth from the ______ and ________ of the United States complicates Jackie’s identity as she grows up.
North and South
Jackie’s older sister. She is named after her late uncle and is described as being incredibly smart.
Odella
This is the U.S. state Jackie's family moved to from Ohio. This is where Jackie's grandparents live and helped care for her.
South Carolina
Jackie’s mother and father filed for _____, which was a huge adjustment for Jackie and her siblings.
Divorce
Jackie’s teacher, __________, encourages Jackie to continue pursuing writing and storytelling.
Ms. Vivo
Jackie uses ______ to process her experiences, find her voice, and explore her identity.
Writing / Storytelling
Jackie’s younger brother. He has a different father from his siblings. When he was a toddler, he ate lead paint, causing him to be hospitalized for a summer.
Roman
This is the U.S. state where they move to from South Carolina; a HUGE change for Jackie.
New York
Jackie’s older sister, Odella, is incredibly smart and always gets good grades. This created conflict for Jackie because _______.
She felt lesser compared to her sister / She felt she wasn’t smart.
Uncle Robert is released from jail and converts to______________. He wears a kufi and shares stories about Mecca and Muhammad.
Islam
________ and the Civil Rights Movement occurred during Jackie's childhood in the 1960s and 1970s. Jackie describes both of these movements as progressive and empowering, but notes more progress is needed to fully achieve equal rights.
The Black Power / The Black Panther
Jackie’s older brother. He’s generally quiet, unless he’s talking about comic books or science. He is named after his grandfather.
Hope
This is the borough in New York City that Jackie's family lives in.
Brooklyn
Having spent so much time in her young years moving around the country, one challenge Jackie had was __________.
Adjusting to the changes / calling a place home
Jackie is inspired by ______________, a Black Panther and leader of the Black Power Movement.
Angela Davis
Jackie’s relationship with _________ develops over the novel. She was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, and expresses an interest in Islam later in life.
Religion
Jackie, Odella, Hope, & Roman’s uncle. He is hopeful and generous, though he’s had a challenging past.
Uncle Robert
This book took place during this movement in the 1960s-1970s.
The Civil Rights Movement
Being Jehovah's Witness prevented Jackie from doing ____ in school.
The Pledge of Allegiance
Jackie’s grandmother, Georgina, plants a_________________ seed in spring in New York, which gives Jackie a piece of the South with her in NYC.
Mimosa seed
In the final section of her book, Jackie writes that she is thankful for ________; it is part of why she enjoys storytelling so much and is perfect for writing a memoir.
Memory