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Recommended by: Stephen Dilley
Contact: @stephenjdilley
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Form: Verse Memoir
Brief synopsis: In stunningly crafted poems, Jacqueline Woodson describes her upbringing in 1960s South Carolina and New York and reflects on how her experiences of family, education, racial discrimination and religious teaching all shaped her identity and her development as a writer.
Age recommendation and challenging content: This work well for any KS3 year group – there are references to racism, grief and family difficulties, but nothing that would be unsuitable for Year 7.
Notable reasons for recommending: The verse novel form offers an accessible, engaging and authentic way in to understanding the first-hand experiences of a leading Black American writer. It could accompany the study of a longer prose work that explores African-American experiences. This book won a National Book Award when it was first published in the US in 2014 – it was published for the first time in the UK in 2023.