Jacqueline Woodson's timeline

  • Birth

    Jacqueline Woodson was born on February 12, 1963 in Columbus, Ohio to Mary Ann Irby and Jack Austin
  • Mother Leaves for New York

  • Civil Rights

    Woodson's Mother takes part in Civil Rights protests. During this time period Woodson and her family experience many racist incidents.
  • Parents' Divorce

  • Period: to

    Living with Grandparents and Becoming a Jehovah's Witness

    Jaqueline Woodson began living with her grandparents in South Carolina while her mother moved to New York. Her Grandmother started teaching her about religion.
  • New York

    Woodson moves to New York
  • Aunt Dies

    Her Aunt Kay died who she was very close too
  • First Days of School

    Woodson enters elementary school and writes for the first time
  • Period: to

    A Writer is Born

    Woodson initially struggles with learning to read and write but as her skills improve, she starts to write her first compositions and gains confidence and encouragement from her teacher and peers.
  • Serving the Youth

    Woodson works at a Youth Shelter as a therapist where she gains inspiration for her first books
  • Adelphi University

    Woodson graduates from college.
  • First Book

    Last Summer at Maizon
  • Coretta Scott King Honor

    I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This
  • Coretta Scott King Honor

    From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun
  • Period: to

    ALA Best Book for Young Adults

    in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004 and1995
  • Coretta Scott King Award

  • Coretta Scott King Honor

    Locomotion
  • Caldecott Honor

    Coming Home Soon
  • Spike Lee's Miracle's Boys

    Spike Lee turns one of her books into a miniseries. This is the only one of her books into film related media.
  • Newbery Honor

    Show Way
  • Margaret A. Edwards Award

  • Josette Frank Award

    After Tupac and D Foster
  • Newbery Honor

    After Tupac and D Foster
  • Newbery Honor

    Feathers
  • Mother's Death

  • Coretta Scott King Honor

    Each Kindness
  • Keystone to Reading Book Award

    Peace Locomotion
  • Coretta Scott King Honor for Each Kindness

  • National Book Award

    Brown Girl Dreaming
  • Newbery Honor

    Brown Girl Dreaming
  • Langston Hughes Medal

  • Coretta Scott King Award

    Brown Girl Dreaming
  • Robert F. Sibert Honor

    Brown Girl Dreaming
  • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work In Youth/Teens Fiction

    Brown Girl Dreaming
  • Period: to

    Young People’s Poet Laureate

  • May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture at the American Library Association

  • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work In Fiction

    Another Brooklyn
  • Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

  • Children’s Literature Legacy Award

  • Period: to

    National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress

  • NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work In Youth/Teens

  • Goodread's Choice Award Best Fiction

  • Hans Christian Andersen Medal

  • MacArthur Genius Award Fellow