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Renée Watson

Author of Piecing Me Together

24+ Works 4,336 Members 191 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Includes the names: Renée Watson, Renée Watson

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Works by Renée Watson

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Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Watson, Renée
Birthdate
1978-07-29
Gender
female
Nationality
USA
Birthplace
Paterson, New Jersey, USA

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Reviews

Born on the Water is a beautiful book! The illustrations capture the content, tone, and emotions of the poetry so well. I thought the introduction to slavery and its trauma is honest, but sensitive to young readers. The accurate portrayal of the West African societies from which slaves were kidnapped gives all young readers, but especially young African American readers, an important context for those captured into slavery and the cultural influences seen among enslaved people in the United States and their descendants. This book also celebrates the determination, strength, and resilience of African Americans to create new lives out of such tragedy. Both authors note that they want African American readers to come away empowered and to reflect about their roots -- reading this book is a wonderful way to start such reflection.

I also see this book as important resource for teachers to use in the classroom, offering all students to reflect on the consequences of slavery in the United States, Black resistance and civil rights, and what it means to call oneself "American".
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AnnesLibrary | 22 other reviews | Jan 28, 2024 |
I liked this book, although I did skim through the middle. It is not a dramatic feeling book, although it could have been, based on the plot points. Good for teens who like realistic fiction with no love drama.
 
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mslibrarynerd | 56 other reviews | Jan 13, 2024 |
This book has an old fashioned, well manned protagonist that feels refreshing and simple and good. Were it not for the descriptions of lynchings and police murders, this book would be easy to fit on a list of books for sheltered children. It is full of the religious optimism of its adolescent main character Betty. the writing was very good, full of rich descriptive passages.
 
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mslibrarynerd | 13 other reviews | Jan 13, 2024 |
I had not heard of this book until my library added it to their digital collection. I'm so glad I stumbled across it! The audiobook was read beautifully by the author herself, and the writing was so poetic.
 
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Dances_with_Words | 56 other reviews | Jan 6, 2024 |

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Works
24
Also by
7
Members
4,336
Popularity
#5,784
Rating
4.1
Reviews
191
ISBNs
131
Languages
2
Favorited
1

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