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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the "Tomboy" that this poem describes?

2. Who is the focus of the poem "The Paint Eater"?

3. Jackie's first book was a collection of seven haiku's focused on what subject?

4. Who was Aunt Kay's boyfriend that helped Jackie's family move in "Brooklyn, New York"?

5. What does the poet describe Hope performing in "Hope Onstage"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did Jacqueline Woodson's family move after the death of Aunt Kay? How is this setting described in "Moving Again"?

2. Who is described as "The Other Woodson" in the poem by this name? To whom is this individual compared?

3. Who attended church in Brooklyn with Jackie when she was growing up? How is the church described in the poem "Another Kingdom Hall"?

4. Where does the author describe her family moving in Brooklyn in "Brooklyn, New York"? Why did they move?

5. How does the author describe her family's reaction in "When I Tell My Family"? What does Jackie describe telling them?

6. How does the author describe her school in "First Grade"?

7. Who is described as sporting afros in the poem "Afros"? Why was Jackie not allowed to wear this hairstyle?

8. What made Jacqueline Woodson relate to the character of Stevie, as seen in "Stevie and Me"? Who is Stevie?

9. Who wrote the short story "The Selfish Giant"? How is this story described in the poem with the same name in Brown Girl Dreaming?

10. What gifts does the author describe her mother bringing to her and her siblings in "Another Way"? Why did she bring them these items?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Jacqueline Woodson's siblings and discuss their relationships growing up. What were the age differences between Jackie and her siblings? With whom did Jackie feel the most rivalry growing up? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss South Carolina’s history of Slavery and the “trainings” and oppressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. What do “trainings” refer to? How did the trainings originate? How accurate is Gunnar’s explanation of the social unrest in South Carolina and the emerging Civil Rights Movement?

Essay Topic 3

Define the following poetry terms and discuss an example of each from Brown Girl Dreaming: assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition. What purpose does each example serve for the reader? How does the poetry of Jacqueline Woodson differ when read aloud?

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