Spotlight on BookGrabbr

~ Attention, Readers and Authors ~

Book Marketing is about to make some drastic changes. 

Readers can access great books and authors can reach readers by avoiding the numerous hoops to jump through in book publishing. How can this happen? Enter the new marketing tool/website for authors AND readers...

 BookGrabbr. 

BookGrabbr: A great way for readers to discover new books and an innovative marketing tool for authors. 

For Readers:

BookGrabbr is a social media-marketing tool that allows authors to share both full books and previews of their books with readers. Readers, you can have access to these books by signing in through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and using their ability to share as a form of currency. The “Share” is the payment! Share the book, and it will allow you to read it. Just click the “Grabb this book” button next to the book and our system will prompt you to share in exchange for reading!

BookGrabbr contains books of many genres, so visit today, "grabb" a book that catches your eye and start reading!

For Authors and Publishers:

Through their unique marketing tool and platform, BookGrabbr helps authors connect to readers that they wouldn't generally be able to connect to through their friends and their friend’s friends. The noise in the marketplace is deafening, and at times can be a bit overwhelming for authors trying to promote their books.

BookGrabbr created a way to generate some more buzz by harnessing the power of each individual author’s social media platform.  Once you create your profile on BookGrabbr it allows potential readers to read a preview of your book or the full copy and then directs them to your site of choice to purchase your book in the format that you desire. And since BookGrabbr doesn’t make any money on book sales, you can send them to a retailer, or to your own personal page or wherever you choose! BookGrabbr's purpose is to help you sell more books, gain momentum and generate exposure.

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See how it works:

How does iRead Book Tours help?

For Readers: 

We help you discover new authors that have put their profile and books on BookGrabbr through our BookGrabbr Promotion Service.  

For Authors and Publishers:

Don't have time to dedicate to yet another marketing campaign? Let us take care of it for you. Through the BookGrabbr Promotion Service we create your profile, help you share your books on your social media and ours too, of course. In addition, we provide you with ideas and the support on how to best use your BookGrabbr profile. This is a cost-effective, efficient way to publicize your books! Contact us to see how we can help you spread the word about your book through BookGrabbr.

Like the idea? Enter the giveaway below to win a BookGrabbr Promotion Service worth $75 and $100 in cash!

Not an author? You can still win the $100 in cash.

Giveaway starts March 14 and ends April 15, 2016. 

Enter by clicking the link below:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/defcd44e175/

For more info and to see other stops on the tour, click HERE. 

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: You're Already Amazing - Life Growth Guide By Holley Gerth

YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING
Life Growth Guide
Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be

By: Holley Gerth

Published: March 1, 2016

Publisher: Revell

Non-Fiction/Christian/Study Guide

Holley Gerth is well-known for her books that ask women to open their eyes to all God made them to be. With her previous books, she reminds women that they can survive the hardships, they can reach their goals, and they can still have those "God-Sized" dreams. Gerth inspires women with her faith in God and her easy-going, girlfriend approach to real-life situations of marriage, motherhood, and getting it all done. In her book, YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING, she empowers women to "be all that God made them to be and pursue the purpose for their lives." With this study guide, she helps you break down each approach so that you can have an even greater experience.

This study guide or interactive workbook can be used as a Bible study in your church or women's group, in an online group, with friends over coffee, or as an individual study. Each chapter or session as it is called in the book covers a topic. For example, Session Five is God's Purpose in Our Lives. Each session builds on the previous session's notes and asks you to continue in the process of embracing who you are. There are personal questions to reflect on, questionnaires to answer, Bible verses to read, and space for you to journal. You can purchase the companion DVD or go online to watch each Session's video.

I think this study guide is a great way for women, who are in a season of change, to take some time to pray for what is ahead for them. This is an opportunity to find out what your personal strengths are, how you handle situations, what is important to you, and maybe what is no longer important. Finding out what truly makes you happy and then making that your purpose can give you a new energy you may have been missing.

Some of these themes in Gerth's workbook are ones I have seen before in other books related to creating balance and finding your purpose. But her approach is laid back and friendly and makes it approachable for women who aren't comfortable in the business world or who want to have meaningful conversations with other women in similar situations. Working through this study guide makes you feel like you are having a conversation with a friend. The pages offer lots of room for reflection and journaling and ask thought-provoking questions to get ideas flowing. Overall, if you are in the beginning stages of a life-change or looking for a new direction, I think Holley Gerth's book and companion workbook would be an excellent place to start.

Holley Gerth - source

Holley Gerth is a bestselling writer, certified life coach, and speaker. She loves connecting with the hearts of women through her popular blog and books like You're Already Amazing,You're Made for a God-Sized Dream, Opening the Door to Your God-Sized Dream, andYou're Going to Be Okay. She's also cofounder of (in)courage and a partner with DaySpring. Holley lives with her husband, Mark, in the South. Learn more at www.holleygerth.com. You can also find Holley on Twitter, HERE and Facebook, HERE. 

To see my review of Holley Gerth's book, WHAT YOUR HEART NEEDS FOR THE HARD DAYS, click HERE. 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

 THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED! DARCY IS THE WINNER!

Now for the Giveaway details! You can win your own copy of the YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING STUDY GUIDE. Just fill in your information below in the form. You must be a US Resident and have a valid email that you check regularly. It's that easy! 



If you can't wait to purchase these great books and companion materials from Holley Gerth, click the photos below:

YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING Book


YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING LIFEGROWTH GUIDE


YOU'RE ALREADY AMAZING DVD



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Thanks to the publisher for sending two copies of this book for a review and giveaway. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the books through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Today is a Good Day

My message to you today is..............................................

May this weekend remind you 

of the great miracle of Jesus's resurrection. 

His death on the cross 

was for you and me and everyone who believes 

that by his death, we have been forgiven. 

By his life, we are saved. 

Just believing that He is your Savior is enough. 

You are enough. 

No works, no good deeds, no money exchanged....

just your faith in His grace 

and knowing in your heart 

that he died for YOU...is enough. 

You are enough. 

You are saved by grace through faith in Him.

Take some silent time this weekend 

to acknowledge this amazing gift we have been given. 

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Children's Book Review: Putter and the Red Car By Kate K. Lund

PUTTER AND THE RED CAR
A Cross-Country Family Adventure

By: Kate K. Lund

Illustrated by Ana Maria Velicu

Published: January 21, 2016

Publisher: Kate Lund

Fiction

Our family loves taking cross-country adventures and took a similar trek like the one Putter and his family took across the United States. Putter is the family dog, an Airedale terrier to be exact, and he tells the story of his family's move from Boston to Seattle.

As the family travels through the country, Putter shares his first-time experiencing hotels, seeing mountains, and eating a burger. He tells of the beautiful countryside and visiting old friends in Chicago. And, like most dogs, Putter shares the joy of riding in the car with the window down and having the wind in his face.

With a simple story and beautiful watercolor illustrations, even the youngest child can learn about our great country by traveling with Putter and his family. This book may even inspire your family to take a summer road- trip!

Kate Lund - source

Dr. Kate Lund is a licensed clinical psychologist who writes and speaks on a variety of topics aimed at empowerment and the development of one's true potential. Putter and the Red Car is the first in a series of books for young children linking a lifelong passion for Airedale terriers with such ideas as adaptation to change, building resilience and the power of possibility. Dr. Kate lives in Washington State with her husband, two boys and lively Airedale.

To purchase a copy of PUTTER AND THE RED CAR, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review with Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Every Saturday, Kid Konnection offers children's and YA book-related posts from other bloggers. Check it out HERE. 

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Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for its purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

A Day in My Life

Today I'm linking up with Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity for her A Day in the Life 2nd Annual Blogger Event. Numerous bloggers will all be sharing a Day in Our Lives on March 23, 2016. I think it will be a lot of fun to see how everyone spends their day.

I chose to keep track of my day on Tuesday, March 15, 2016.  It was a good example of how my days usually go because I had some time at home and some time away. So, enjoy this look into my little corner of the world in small town Iowa.

 

6:00 AM ~ My alarm goes off. I just started using the app, Sleep Cycle, to track my sleeping. It also wakes me up a little more gently than a crazy alarm does.  I am finding the information about my sleep really interesting and hope that I can find some ways to sleep better or maybe what is keeping me from sleeping. Once I'm awake, I check my phone to make sure I don't have any texts or missed calls. I'm a substitute teacher and sometimes wake up to texts or messages asking me to sub. No texts or phone calls this morning so I can go on with my original plan for the day.

6:15 - 7:30 ~ Begin waking up Patrick. He has to be at school at 7:00 for Jazz Band. Reagan gets woken up at 6:30 and Bennett at 7:00. Fortunately, my husband and I are both home in the morning to do this process together which helps a lot. Reagan has to leave by 7:30, and Bennett usually leaves at 7:45. So, our mornings are usually a little hectic getting everyone out the door. This morning it's nice because I don't have to worry about getting myself ready at the same time. I don't have to be anywhere until 2:30, so I can hold off on getting ready until later. At 7:30 my husband heads to his office after he drops Reagan at her bus.

7:45 - 8:00 ~ The house is quiet and I'm going to enjoy sipping my coffee and watching a little "Good Morning America" before I start my day. I also have several games of Words with Friends and Scrabble that I am behind on, so I play my words while watching. The above photo is our cat, Stormy. Every morning, when she hears me pour my coffee she comes running. I top my coffee with Reddi-Whip and she needs a squirt of it too. Here she is patiently waiting for her share.

8:00 - 8:45 ~ Checking email and looking for those I have to address immediately such as those from school, committees that I am on the board of, family/personal emails or book review requests. I read the school's announcements and check out some of my favorite blogs for any new posts.

8:45 - 9:15 ~ Today is like my Monday this week because I was gone all weekend with our show choir attending a competition in Chicago. I didn't get home until 10:00 on Sunday night and pretty much went straight to bed. Then Monday I was gone all day for a funeral. So, today is really the start of my week and I spent some time reworking my To-Do list and planning ahead for the week. It will be a crazy week with Spring Break and having the kids home. My schedule will revolve around them more than what I need to get done this week.

9:15 - 10:45 ~ One more quick check of email and then I'm diving into a book review I need to write. I think most people are shocked at the amount of time it takes to write a book review. I actually have started keeping track of the amount of time it takes to read and review each book. This current book I reviewed, THE GRATITUDE DIARIES, took me a total of just about five hours to read and review. Plus it took another hour of computer work to promote the review on the day it went live. So, yes, book bloggers spend a lot of time reading and reviewing books. But, we love it, so that's why we keep doing it.

11:00 - 11:30 ~ I hopped on the treadmill to finish an episode of Downton Abbey. I'm behind and need to finish the final season so I can talk about it with a couple friends! I also finished the previous week's American Idol. It makes the treadmill so much more enjoyable when I am watching something I enjoy!

11:30 - 1:30 ~ Lunch, unloading and reloading the dishwasher, and chatting with my husband since he came home for lunch, and then showering and getting ready before the kids get home.

1:30 - 2:30 ~ School is out early today to kick off our Spring Break for the rest of the week. Two of the kids are at practice and but Bennett and his girlfriend were here after school to hang out. I worked on picking up the house.

2:30 - 5:00 ~ I joined a ladies bowling league last fall. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I have had a blast with it and improved my game! I'm the youngest gal in the league, but I have met some ladies I would never have met otherwise and have lots of laughs.  Today is my last game for the season because I am subbing at school the rest of the scheduled bowling days. I bowled a 109, 107, and a 99. So, you don't have to be a good bowler to join a league, clearly those are not good scores! This wasn't my best game and I was disappointed in my bowling today since I wanted to finish strong. But, that's how the pins fall sometimes.

5:00 - 7:30 ~ My niece Laura and her two children came over for supper. I don't get to see them very often. Even though the visit was short, it was fun to play with my adorable Great-Niece and the boys had fun with their cousin.

7:30 - 8:00 ~ Picked up the house, threw in a load of laundry and did one last email check for the day.

8:00 - 10:00 ~ Laying on the couch reading, watching the election results, dozing off, and playing my words.

10:00 ~ In bed. I'll try to read a bit more, but I am exhausted and doubt I will get through more than a couple pages before I drift off. I've been reading A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN since January 1. It was my 1st Book of 2016. But, it hasn't been as great as I expected and it is going a little slow for me. Since it is written in short story format, I can read a couple and then come back to it a week later. Tonight, I doubt even the best book would keep me awake.


Even though the general flow of the day was typical some of the pieces of it were not. Actually, if I stop to think about it, none of my days are "typical" because I can get called at any time to run in and sub at the school. So what plans I have for the day, can be totally changed when a sub call comes in. But what was typical about this day is that I didn't have a single moment of reading until the end of the day. Some days it is really hard to find the time to read. So, this in a lot of ways, was a good example of how my life is hectic, but it's a wonderful life! Thanks for sharing in it!


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Children's Book Review: Shimmer the Glowworm Finds Her Glow By Shelby Herman

SHIMMER THE GLOWWORM FINDS HER GLOW

By: Shelby Herman

Illustrated by Natalie Kelly

Published: October 3, 2014

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Fiction

Shimmer is one of many glowworms who live a cave in the woods. But her glow is much lighter than all the other glowworms, so she tends to keep to herself. She doesn't dance or play games with the other glowworms, but instead, hangs out in the background watching everyone else have fun.  When another glowworm suggests she leave the cave to go on an adventure to find her glow, Shimmer decides that may be just what she needs. When she leaves on her adventure she meets other animals in the woods who all feel like they are missing a special quality. As she encourages the other animals and helps them realize what their special quality is, her glow burns a little brighter. By the end of her journey, Shimmer makes new friends and finds out helping others makes her glow a little brighter.

This story is all about being yourself and helping others find their best qualities. Shimmer is kind and her story sends a positive message to kids that everyone is special. The illustrations are computer animated and appear large and bold on the pages. The characters are adorable and kids will enjoy the pictures as much as the story.

I also liked the descriptive vocabulary that Herman used throughout the story, including words like gleaming, lackluster, remarkable, and beaming. It makes the story even more interesting and gives you an opportunity to introduce new words to your child. This is a great story for lower to mid-elementary-age kids. It will encourage a great discussion about kindness, helping others, and being yourself.

Shelby Herman - source

Shelby Herman created ME TREES to empower and inspire children and they are being used in classrooms to teach mindfulness. She expanded on that with the story of Shimmer the Glowworm and soon after, she wrote the theme song Show Your Glow.

She lives in Belmont Shore, California where she works as a court reporter and enjoys meditating, spending time with her daughter and going to the beach with her pink dog Roxy where she finds inspiration everywhere to write and create things.

She is currently working on a second Shimmer the Glowworm adventure. Check out the video below for more on her story. You can also find out more on her website, HERE.

I will be linking up with other bloggers at Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Click HERE on Saturday mornings to see other posts related to children's and YA books. 

To purchase a copy of SHIMMER THE GLOWWORM FINDS HER GLOW, click the photo below:

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Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: The Gratitude Diaries By Janice Kaplan

THE GRATITUDE DIARIES
How a Year Looking on the Bring Side Can Transform Your Life

By: Janice Kaplan

Published: August 18, 2015

Publisher: Dutton

Non-Fiction

Can choosing gratitude really change how you live your life? Janice Kaplan thinks so. Over the course of a year, Kaplan decided to change her thinking and rather than choosing negativity or looking for the problems in any situation, she chose to be grateful in ALL situations. By looking at her life and tackling her negative thinking, she chose gratitude in her marriage, with her children, and in her job. Her results not only changed her year, it changed her whole outlook on life.

It isn't that Kaplan was a "Negative Nelly", but she found herself focusing on the negatives in situations rather than finding the pleasures. She wanted to feel happier in her normal, everyday life without a huge event happening to make that change. She knew the year ahead would be full of good things and bad things, but she wanted to find a way to have a positive attitude through it all. When she decided to choose gratitude, she knew that it was more than just being happy, but a deeper, longer-lasting type of emotional involvement. You can't just be grateful, you have to feel it, and savor it. One way to do this is by keeping a gratitude journal. This is something I've done off and on over the years. But, keeping it daily was too overwhelming and I often failed at that daily commitment and would eventually put it aside. Kaplan stresses that a gratitude journal doesn't have to be kept daily, instead it can be something you do a couple days a week or even just once a week. It can be written down in a notebook or pretty journal or just be notes that you keep on your smart phone. The point is to regularly, write down, at least, one part of your day/week that you are grateful for. It can be something as simple as being grateful for the sunshine to a more specific occurrence of your husband bringing home dinner after a long day. The point is to acknowledge it. By doing that you are helping to change the way your brain reacts to situations you would have previously focused on the negatives. For example, rather than being stressed about your long day, the pile of dishes on the counter and the laundry that still needs to be done, instead focus on truly being grateful to your husband taking one task off your list by bringing supper home. Enjoy the moment of sitting down to eat with your family, and most importantly, expressing that gratitude to change your attitude.

Kaplan breaks down the book by how she addressed gratitude during her year-long experiment. She tackled different parts of her life each month starting with choosing gratitude in her marriage, then with her children, her friends, and eventually her career. As she tackled negativity in each piece of her life, she found that she was much more aware of negativity around her and that it became easier to be grateful. In fact, losing her job during this year of being grateful led her to realize this year of being grateful could become her next career, writing THE GRATITUDE DIARIES. Without that change of thinking, she may have only focused on the negatives of losing her job.

Overall, I found Kaplan's experiences to be inspiring. It isn't always easy to be grateful and to find the positive in all situations, but if you begin by looking at gratitude in just one piece of your life, eventually, the gratitude will flow out of your heart and change what comes out of your mouth.

Janice Kaplan - source

Janice Kaplan was the Editor-in-Chief of Parade Magazine, the most widely read publication in America. Widely known for her achievements as a writer, television producer, and magazine editor, she was deputy editor of TV Guide magazine and executive producer of the TV Guide Television Group, where she created and produced television specials that aired primetime on ABC, FOX, VH1 and other networks. After graduating Yale, she began her career as an on-air sports reporter for CBS Radio and went on to be a producer at ABC-TV’s Good Morning America, where she won awards for investigative reporting. 

A former columnist for Seventeen magazine, Kaplan was a contributing editor at Vogue and has written hundreds of articles for national magazines. She is the author and co-author of twelve books. For more on Kaplan, you can check out her website, HERE. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of THE GRATITUDE DIARIES, click the photo below:

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Thanks to Bookreporter.com and the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: Me Before You By Jojo Moyes

ME BEFORE YOU

By: Jojo Moyes

Published: December 31, 2012

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books/Viking

Fiction/Romance



I feel like I may have been the last person on the planet to read ME BEFORE YOU or any of Jojo Moyes' novels. I actually won a set of her novels last year but haven't read any of them, mostly because I usually have too many review books to read over books for my own enjoyment. But, since the publisher sent me these as a winner, I do feel a little obligated to read them. I also tend to avoid books if they have a lot of  hype. When a book is being raved about and talked about, I tend to hold off for a bit, because I am always afraid it is going to be a let down and my expectations are too high which then often leads to disappointment, not because it was a bad book, but because I let all the "buzz" damage my experience.  But, this book kept popping up...STILL....in my social media newsfeeds and then I heard Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy mention it several times in her podcasts (What Should I Read Next?). So, I decided it was time for me to dig in and see what it was all about.

This book TOTALLY lived up to the hype. First of all, I love novels set in the UK. I don't know why, because the weather is usually dreary and rainy, but I have always been fascinated by novels that are set there. I didn't even know it was set in a village near London until I started reading and in fact, I really didn't know much about it at all except that it was a romantic story. Again, this is usually a turn off for me, but not this time. I think reading this without knowing too much about it is good. Just traveling through the story of Louisa and Will and their families was quite an experience. Moyes knows how to create characters that readers will buy into, care about, and deeply miss when the book is done.

So, if you don't know anything about it, here's a bit of a tease to convince you to read it, if you were like me and have been avoiding it.

Louisa is newly unemployed. Will is a quadriplegic. Louisa becomes his caretaker (aka babysitter) and the two of them have quite a difficult time getting along with each other. Louisa's boyfriend, Patrick, is too focused on training for a marathon to worry about Louisa's new job and her family is thrilled that she is working at all since she seems to be solely responsible for financially taking care of her parents, her sister, and her nephew. Will's family has an ulterior motive for hiring Louisa and when she finds out their secret, she will have to decide if she can continue to play the part the family expects her to be.

I laughed, I cried, I cried some more and then I cried again. It really is a love story that will shatter your heart into a million pieces....in a good way....if that is possible.  Just. Read. It. Then you will understand what I mean. There is also a sequel to ME BEFORE YOU, titled ME AFTER YOU.

Favorite Quote:

"It was as if everything had shifted, fragmented and settled 

in some other place, into a pattern I barely recognized."

Also, in case you haven't heard, ME BEFORE YOU will be in theaters this June. I can't wait, but this trailer will give you a little tease.

Jojo Moyes - source

Jojo Moyes was born in 1969 and grew up in London. After a varied career including stints as a minicab controller, typer of braille statements for blind people for NatWest, and brochure writer for Club 18-30, she did a degree at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, London University. In 1992, she won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to attend the postgraduate newspaper journalism course at City University. Jojo worked as a journalist for ten years, including a year at South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, and nine at The Independent where she worked variously as News Reporter, Assistant News Editor and Arts and Media Correspondent.

Jojo has been a full-time novelist since 2002, when her first book, SHELTERING RAIN was published. Since then she has written eleven novels, all of which have been widely critically acclaimed. She has won the Romantic Novelist’s Award twice, and ME BEFORE YOU has been nominated for Book of the Year at the UK Galaxy Book Awards. She is married to journalist Charles Arthur and has three children. 

For more info on Jojo Moyes, check out her website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of ME BEFORE YOU, click the photo below:

To purchase ME AFTER YOU, click the photo below:

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Thanks to the publisher for sending me this book through a giveaway. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive as small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Book Review: Brown Girl Dreaming By Jacqueline Woodson

BROWN GIRL DREAMING

By: Jacqueline Woodson

Published: August 28, 2014

Publisher: Nancy Paulson Books

Nonfiction/Memoir/Poetry



When you see a book full of these stickers on the cover, you know it must be something great.  I snagged it during our school's Scholastic Book Sale this fall and figured I could read it and so could our daughter. But, I set it aside, as I do with many of the books I purchase because review books tend to come first. But, then I saw a couple recent reviews of this book and decided I needed to read it now.

Jacqueline Woodson writes of  her life growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, first in the South, and later in New York City. She shares her deep love for her grandparents, who raised her for a bit of time. She writes of the pain she feels being away from her mom and not really knowing her dad since he left when she was young. She tells of stories with her siblings during the carefree hot summers of South Carolina. But what is unique about this book is the way Woodson tells her stories....through free verse poetry.

I am the first to admit that I typically do not like poetry. Often I don't understand it, I can't write it, and it just doesn't connect with me. So, I was hesitant to read this book, but I figured it would be a quick read and I would know pretty quickly if I was going to like it or not.

I was blown away. This book is amazing and I've already personally told several people to read it.

Woodson has a way of telling a story with very few words and yet with so much emotion. She could have easily described her days as a child in a story with dialogue, but it definitely wouldn't have had the impact that her poetry would have on a reader. Her style of writing reminded me of that challenge to write a story in just six words, "For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn." The words she chooses in the telling of her story leave a dynamic impact on the reader.  When Woodson is describing a shopping trip with her grandmother, she doesn't need to explain the racism they experienced in each store, but instead, this tells it all:

"In the stores downtown 

we're always followed around 

just because we're brown."

Page 82

When sharing about the dreaded ribbons she and her sister must wear in their hair you have to giggle to yourself: 

"When we hang them on the line to dry, we hope

they'll blow away in the night breeze

but they don't. Come morning, they're right

where we left them

gently moving in the cool air, eager to anchor us

to childhood."

Page 121

I could go on and on with the numerous pages I marked with beautiful prose. But, I just want you to experience it for yourself. This book shines on a light on the life of a child growing up happily, yet oblivious to the turmoil of the south because all that mattered to her was that she was loved. And loved she was.

Favorite quote:

"Somewhere in my brain

each laugh, tear and lullaby

becomes a memory."

Page 20

Jacqueline Woodson - source

Jacqueline Woodson's awards include 3 Newbery Honors, a Coretta Scott King Award and 3 Coretta Scott King Honors, 2 National Book Awards, a Margaret A. Edwards Award and an ALAN Award -- both for Lifetime Achievement in YA Literature. She is the author of more than 2 dozen books for children and young adults and lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York. For more, check out her website, HERE.  

To purchase a copy of BROWN GIRL DREAMING, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review with other bloggers on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. To see other great posts about children's and YA books, click HERE every Saturday. 

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