Children's Author and national book award winner Jacqueline Woodson to visit Codman Square, Grove Hall and Dudley Branches

Today, the Boston Public Library announced that celebrated children’s and young adult author, Jacqueline Woodson, winner of the National Book Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, and a Newbery Honor Medal, will visit three Boston Public Library branches in November. Woodson’s visits are part of the BPL’s Brown Girl Dreaming initiative hosted at the Codman Square, Grove Hall, and Dudley branches this fall, and inspired by the author’s book of the same title.

“Jacqueline Woodson’s story is powerful, and important for young people to hear,” said David Leonard, Interim President of the Boston Public Library. “Through the Brown Girl Dreaming initiative, young people are learning that the powerful stories found in books, can inspire them to dream and grow.”

Launched in September, the Brown Girl Dreaming initiative is aimed at connecting Boston children and teens in grades 5-12 through Woodson’s powerful memoir-in-verse, and encouraging them to dream about their futures and possibilities. The initiative includes discussion groups about Woodson’s book and poetry workshops, culminating with Woodson’s branch visits on Thursday, November 19, where she will talk about Brown Girl Dreaming, take questions, and sign books.

With the generous support of Bank of America, 500 young Bostonians have received a copy of Woodson’s celebrated book, published in 2014, which details the author’s experience “grow[ing] up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and my growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.”

“Bank of America is pleased to support this thoughtful learning initiative that can make a deep impression on a young life,” said Miceal Chamberlain, Massachusetts President for Bank of America. “We’re proud to invest in Boston’s neighborhoods and support learning across the city.”

Woodson will visit three branches on Thursday, November 19, 2015:
Codman Square Branch, 690 Washington Street, Dorchester at 10:00 a.m. (limited seating)
Grove Hall Branch, 41 Geneva Avenue, Dorchester at 12:15 p.m. (limited seating)
Dudley Branch, 65 Warren Street, Roxbury at 7:00 p.m.

All of Woodson’s branch visits are free and open to the public, however, seating will be limited at the Codman Square Branch and Grove Hall Branch events, due to the planned attendance of students from Boston Public Schools. The public is encouraged to attend the evening Dudley Branch program to ensure seating, and books will be available for purchase at that time.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit bpl.org.