I have read one of Jacqueline Woodson’s books, The House You Pass on the Way. But, I have also experienced a thoughtful discussion about the other books she has written.
She has quite a few similarities in her writings. The one that I found most common was an interracial relationship in the majority of her books. And going off that idea, she frequently has characters that are multiracial. When her characters are multiracial, she does not keep this hidden. The character usually identifies with it being a large part of their identity or something they are struggling with. This topic of ‘identity crisis’ would be relatable to middle school aged kids who are going through something similar.
Another topic that was regularly found in Woodson’s novels is family involvement. There is always a loving family around supporting the main characters. Within this family involvement, the father figure has a large role. It may be that the main character really connects with their father, or that their father is distant to them but this affects them greatly. Family involvement can be connected to almost everyone.
My opinion on Woodson’s novels: I don’t think she is a good writer. She brings up potential controversial topics that would lead to fantastic discussions with grades sixth through eighth. But, her writing style is really jumpy. The endings are abrupt and leave me feeling that I missed something.
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