Our Visit With Jacqueline Woodson

When I first started my job here, I began working with several teachers to bring diverse books to the library and classroom shelves. We created core collections that every classroom would have, focusing on authors that displayed diversity and addressed our students' interests. All of the collections included several Jacqueline Woodson titles, and I wrote an article for Knowledge Quest about how this transformed our school. We dreamed of one day having Jacqueline visit and talk to our students. It seems crazy that ten years later, our students were gifted a visit that we had spent years hoping for.

Several groups of sixth and eighth graders read Brown Girl Dreaming in anticipation of Jacqueline Woodson's visit to Kalamazoo. She spent an hour with us last week and her words continue to resonate with me. During the visit, Jacqueline read from Feathers and Brown Girl Dreaming, as well as referencing Each Kindness. She wove stories of her life and how her books came to be between questions from the students and passages from the books. Jacqueline's responses to the questions created a space in which the students could connect to the stories, as well as her life.

One of the students asked about perseverance in the face of doubt and she encouraged the students to believe in themselves--that way it does not matter if anyone else believes in them. What powerful thinking. She also talked about just having time to do nothing--or, "being bored." Having grown up as a Jehovah's Witness, she had hours of religious study each week. This became time to think and create stories. I wonder if my students have time to just do nothing--to think, create, daydream, play, and just be? This time is invaluable. I hope they do.

I was not able to attend the evening presentation at KPL or the seminar at WMU due to a conflict with the AASL National Conference. However, I've already heard lots of positive feedback about Jacqueline Woodson, Jason Reynolds, KT Horning, and Cindy Dobrez and Lynn Rutan. We are so fortunate to have a public library that brings amazing author guests to speak to our students and community. I am thankful for KPL's ongoing service to Kalamazoo.

Jacqueline reading to us from Feather

A few students had books for Jacqueline to sign. We limited book signing so that the students could enjoy the experience and learn more, rather than just standing in line.