Now a critically acclaimed author, Woodson writes about characters from a variety of races, ethnicities, and social classes. But in these three books, Woodson saw parts of herself and her life, and realized that books could be about people like her””and she knew she wanted to write them. Before reading these books, Woodson thought that only books featuring mainstream, white characters, or works by William Shakespeare constituted valid literature. Eventually, three books helped convince her to make writing her career: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Daddy Was a Number Runner by Louise Meriwether, and Ruby by Rosa Guy. Jacqueline Woodson began to consider becoming a writer when she was chosen to be the literary editor of a magazine in the fifth grade. Prior to winning the 2014 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson had been a National Book Award finalist twice for Hush and Locomotion. She has received four Newbery Honors for the books Brown Girl Dreaming, After Tupac & D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Zarrow Award for Young Reader’s Literature, as well as being shortlisted for the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Katherine Drexel Award, and the 2012 Anne V. Edwards Award in writing for young adults, the St.

Jacqueline has won several lifetime achievement awards, including the Margaret A. Times Book Prize and was adapted into a miniseries directed by Spike Lee. Her books include The Other Side, Each Kindness, Beneath a Meth Moon, which is currently being adapted for the screen by Jonathan Demme, the Caldecott Honor Book Coming On Home Soon, Feathers, and Miracle’s Boys, which received the L.A. Woodson, who was born in Columbus but grew up in Greenvile, NC, loves speaking to groups of all types””from students to educators to book lovers””and gives stirring and interactive lectures that explore the history and inspiration behind her books and her own journey to becoming an award-winning author. The author of more than two dozen books for young readers, she is a four-time Newbery Honor winner, a recipient of the NAACP Image Award, a three-time National Book Award finalist, a two-time Coretta Scott King Award winner and was recently named the Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation. Jacqueline Woodson is the 2014 National Book Award Winner for her New York Times bestselling memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming.