Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson
- Lexile
- 990L
- Grade range
- Grades 5–8
- Age range
- Ages 10–14
- Pages
- 352
- First published
- 2014
- Genre
- Memoir / Verse
- ISBN-13
- 9780147515827
About this book
Jacqueline Woodson's National Book Award-winning memoir in verse tells the story of her childhood growing up in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 70s. A Newbery Honor book and frequently assigned in 5th-8th grade units on identity, memoir, and civil rights-era America.
Themes
- identity
- family
- civil rights
- writing
- memoir
Content notes
- racial segregation
Common Sense Media recommends age 10+.
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Brown Girl Dreaming?
- Brown Girl Dreaming is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 990L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Brown Girl Dreaming?
- Brown Girl Dreaming has a Lexile measure of 990L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- Is Brown Girl Dreaming banned in schools?
- Brown Girl Dreaming does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Brown Girl Dreaming explore?
- Central themes in Brown Girl Dreaming include identity, family, civil rights, writing, memoir. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.