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.