Family Book Club: "Brown Girl Dreaming" and "The Undefeated"

Pick up copies of this month's books at the Youth Services desk at the Middendorf-Kredell branch.

A book club for the whole family! Each month, we will provide one copy of a chapter book suitable for grades 4-6 and one copy of a picture book suitable for grades K-3. Read either or both books (we encourage reading them aloud!) and come to the Library to discuss the books with other families, do a related activity and craft, discover new reads similar to each month's books, and pick up copies of the next month's books! This is a family/group program; children attending must be accompanied by an adult.

Find out more about this month's books below:

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. 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 eloquent 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.

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander: This poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance of some of the world's greatest heroes. The text is also peppered with references to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others, offering deeper insights into the accomplishments of the past, while bringing attention to the endurance and spirit of those surviving and thriving in the present.

Additional copies may be available to check out from our catalog: Brown Girl Dreaming (print, audio, and digital) and The Undefeated (print and digital).