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If You Come Softly
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
Jeremiah feels good inside his own skin. That is, when he's in his own Brooklyn neighborhood. But now he's going to be attending a fancy prep school in Manhattan, and black teenage boys don't exactly fit in there. So it's a surprise when he meets Ellie the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock and after that they know they fit together -- even though she's Jewish and he's black. Their worlds are so different, but to them that's not what matters. Too bad the rest of the world has to get in their way.Reviewers have called Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson's work "exceptional" (Publishers Weekly) and "wrenchingly honest" (School Library Journal), and have said "it offers a perspective on racism and elitism rarely found in fiction for this age group" (Publishers Weekly). In If You Come Softly, she delivers a powerful story of interracial love that leaves readers wondering "why" and "if only...."
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erzascarletbookgasm
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Stories of interracial romance are not new but Woodson expertly weaves in other topics like family & siblings relationships, class, LGBTQ, mental disorders, etc. in a subtle way. Beautiful language that evoke much emotions. Don‘t read the reviews, just dive into the story.

#AuthorAMonth

Moonprismpower I‘ll have to try this. I don‘t much care for her middle grade books. I just don‘t read much middle grade. 3y
TheBookHippie It‘s a long time favorite of teens I have mentored/mentor they all love it and reread it over and over. 3y
Cathythoughts Lovely review 3y
See All 6 Comments
erzascarletbookgasm @Moonprismpower Her adult novel is good, if you haven‘t read it. 3y
erzascarletbookgasm @TheBookHippie I didn‘t know it was written so long ago (still so relevant), I‘m going to read the sequel. 👍 3y
58 likes6 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

A modern day Romeo & Juliet retelling, this time the star-crossed lovers are a Jewish girl & a black boy, and with issues like police brutality & anti-semitism front and center in the current news, it feels like it was written yesterday instead of 20+yrs ago. Although I will admit, both of those tensions were a given, but both have complicated families (divorce, infidelity, workaholics, mental illness) & I found those issues just as compelling.

OriginalCyn620 Stacked! 3y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @OriginalCyn620 It‘s a quick & short YA read, but I think she adapted it will for that audience...and again, sadly still timely issues. 3y
62 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Melismatic
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Ooooph this is a tearjerker. Fabulous YA romance that‘s a bit more like a novella than a novel. #AuthorAMonth

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Addison_Reads
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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#AuthorAMonth2021 @Soubhiville

Another beautifully told story by Woodson. Other reviews say this felt like a modern Romeo and Juliet and I definitely agree with that.

With every book I read by this author, I am more impressed with her ability to say so much and evoke so many emotions with so few words.

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Skygoddess1
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Such a beautiful and heartbreaking of two teens with different backgrounds meeting and falling in love. While this book came out more than 20 years ago, the conversations the book sparks are just as relevant today as they were 20 years ago. #AuthorAMonth

21 likes1 stack add
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Eggs
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

A lyrical story of star-crossed love: Jeremiah and Ellie meets the first week of school. In one frozen moment their eyes lock, and after that they know they fit together--even though she's Jewish and he's black. This was a beautiful layered story which Woodson does so well ❤️😥🧡
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
#authoramonth21 @Soubhiville
#mourns #maycharacters @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good! 3y
Tera66 I haven't heard of this one, sounds good! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Tera66 @TheAromaofBooks There is a sequel too which I‘ll review soon 3y
59 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Soubhiville
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Typical photo of bedtime at my house 💜.

This is a sweet middle grade first love story, but it‘s also sad as it‘s Jacqueline Woodson‘s Romeo and Juliet retelling. Maih and Ellie are 15, and they have a beautiful blossoming love. Set in NYC, and with a great sense of place for such a small book.

#AuthorAMonth

Crazeedi 💞💞💞 this 3y
Simona Bedtime❣️ 😻😻😻 3y
AmyG A full house! 3y
77 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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megnews
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Got about an hour of early morning reading in for #SuperSeptember.
This 20th anniversary edition is as beautiful as its cover and everything I‘ve come to expect from Jacqueline Woodson. Young love. My 💔is breaking. I‘m definitely going to read the sequel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

erzascarletbookgasm The cover is beautiful 💜 4y
Reggie This book....😭. 4y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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megnews
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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TheSpineView
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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OriginalCyn620 Beautiful quote! 4y
49 likes2 comments
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BekaReid
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

I was immediately drawn to Ellie and Miah and pulled into the pages as their story unfolded. And then... totally not prepared for that to be the last page. It may be a short volume, but so much is contained within the pages. Beautiful, perceptive writing by Jacqueline Woodson!

Blaire I love her writing! 4y
13 likes1 comment
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rsteve388
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson

So I listened to this in 2018 for a book club i am apart of.

Today I found out that Jacqueline Woodson is on Tour for her latest book she is coming to Denver!!!!

So excited!

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Creadnorthey
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

This is a poignant emotional story that will sit nicely on our school‘s grade 8 summer reading list. The romance is gracefully carved out of poetic descriptions. The ache in the heart brought on by the tragedy weighs heavy because we know the story all too well. In just a few short pages, Woodson makes us care about these characters with epic proportions.

6 likes1 stack add
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hissingpotatoes
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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You know how sometimes the question goes around about the one book you'd want everyone to read?

This is it. If You Come Softly is my choice.

Full review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2715848304.

#blackathon #contemporaryathon #projectreread

Crazeedi Following you! 5y
25 likes1 stack add1 comment
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PolaroidPoet
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Finishing up book 1 of John Green‘s book club #lifeslibrary

35 likes1 stack add
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Jas16
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Well that was a heartbreaking audiobook.

#24in48

Tanisha_A The cover! 😍 5y
Reggie Omg this book...😭. The fact that their hearts were broken by their families way before the end happens killed me. Her mom leaving for periods of time. His dad having the affair. Glad you liked it. 5y
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theshrinkette
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
Pickpick

I was wholly unprepared for that ending and oh my heart Jeremiah 💔 Jacqueline Woodson's writing is as always, beautiful.

37 likes1 stack add
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theshrinkette
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Somehow I've managed to develop a cold in the middle of the night and can't seem to go back to sleep. So I've busted out this quick read.

Also, I really like Libby's audiobook interface.

34 likes2 stack adds
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MsLeah8417
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Beautifully written!
Tenderly tragic.
Twenty years ago, and today.

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MsLeah8417
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson

I already know this book is going to break my heart.

8 likes1 stack add
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LibraryLovingMommy
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Just finished the first novel (If You Come Softly) and can't wait to dive into the next. The tenderness with which Jacqueline Woodson tells this beautiful story of tentative young love is so authentic. Thoughtfully addresses some racial issues that are still very relevant. First pick in John Green's Life's Library book club and I'm excited to explore the discussion platform they set up to dissect the book with other readers.

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Bookswithjams
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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This was a powerful little punch of a book, so beautifully written and thought provoking. And be prepared, Woodson delivers a sucker punch at the end that is gut wrenching but over so fast that you are sitting there in tears like whaaaat?! Loved it.

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AvidReader25
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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This young adult novel tells the story of two teenage who fall in love. Miah is black and Ellie is Jewish and white. Their differences melt away as they spend afternoons together in Central Park. The book is a quick read but full of heart. It was a beautiful story.

35 likes2 stack adds
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Tamra
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Littens already know my general disdain for romance threads in stories, let alone the self absorbed all encompassing hormonal tornado of teen romance. But, the power of Woodson‘s writing is a magnet and once again I am enthralled with the beauty of her talent. Despite the subject matter, I enjoyed the poetic prose, frank treatment of race, and the unexpected, but very current for being 20 years old, ending.

Notafraidofwords It was this book that made me a reader. 6y
Tamra @Notafraidofwords 👏🏾 Those are very special books. Have you read more by Woodson? Everything she writes is poignant. 6y
Notafraidofwords @Tamra yes mostly of all her stuff. She‘s a treasure. 6y
See All 6 Comments
Reggie I still haven‘t read any of her other stuff but I absolutely loved this from earlier this year. Yes, very relevant. The part where his dad tells him never to run in a white neighborhood. In The Hate You Give, Starr‘s father tells her how to act while being pulled over. Not much has changed it feels like. 6y
Tamra @Reggie exactly! You really need to get to 6y
Tamra @Reggie this one is good, but not as great as Brown Girl. (edited) 6y
80 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Nutmegnc
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Author of Brown Girl Dreaming wrote this Amazon sale book. Y‘all. This woman packs a punch with her words.

16 likes2 stack adds
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chlolovesbooks
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 I really like this one. I‘ve only read brown girl dreaming and this book. I‘m excited to read more from her in the future❤️

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PictureandBook
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

TLDR: young love in between a black man and a white girl in a NY private school

Good:
Beautifully written
Strong characters
Surprising elements
Confronts stereotypes
Considers race in complicated ways
Makes you cry

Bad
Makes you cry

Woodson‘s new book is as good as her others with characters that feel like you know and situations and push your understanding of the world. But read it with Kleenex. #ya #yalit #romance

12 likes3 stack adds
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Reggie
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Miah (Jeremiah), black, and Ellie, white, are from well to do families. It is unfortunate that their first heartbreaks in life come from their own family members. It is rare to meet that one person who can know our soul. It is devastating to know it can all done away with by the color of one‘s skin. This book has devastated me. Just beautiful. It was originally published in 1998 and it‘s sad that it is still relevant now.

erzascarletbookgasm This poem is so beautiful. 6y
Cathythoughts Yes gorgeous poem 👍🏻❤️ 6y
Notafraidofwords I read this as a tween and it defined so much of my life. 6y
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emtobiasz This cover is stunning too 6y
Tamra This is on my TBR. Woodson has a way with heart breaking. If you haven‘t read it yet, the next time you are in a bookstore look for her Each Kindness picture book. Stab.Me.In.The.Heart. (edited) 6y
Reggie @erzascarletbookgasm @Cathythoughts the poem as it relates to the book will just make you want to cry. Sooo good. @Notafraidofwords I feel like Woodson has a way of letting you come to her and not the other way around when reading this. The part where the dad is telling him never to run in white neighborhoods just got to me. And it sounds so stupid, that it‘s something people have to think about. @Tamra I will, this was my first of hers. Loved it. 6y
Tamra @Reggie also Brown Girl Dreaming, written in verse, is so beautiful. It‘s a favorite. 6y
Reggie @Tamra Thank you, I will. 6y
Centique Brilliant review @Reggie this looks unmissable! 6y
56 likes6 stack adds9 comments
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MaggieCarr
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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20 years after originally being published, If You Come Softly has become timeless. Sarcastically speaking, we, as Americans, we are so inclusive of everyone and all relationships. Truthfully, we, as Americans, have a long way to go and that is obvious when #BlackLivesMatter is mentioned in every newscast. We should be celebrating humanity rather than separating ourselves from others in all the ways that don't really matter.

Bookladylinda Amen! 6y
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Biensoul
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Peaceful_Reader
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

Woodson tells this love story perfectly, in such a subtle good way. Jeremiah and Ellie meet by chance at school and really it‘s live right away. Told in alternating chapters we hear both sides of this mixed race story.

11 likes1 stack add
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DebbieGrillo
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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SilversReviews Gorgeous!! 6y
tracey38 Love the colors. 6y
MissAimz_55 Love it! 6y
144 likes3 comments
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dastevensish
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Pickpick

I‘ve only read a few of Woodson‘s books thus far, but have loved them all. This was no exception. It broke my heart and filled it up all at once. Yeah, I loved it hard.

Notafraidofwords One of my favorites growing up 6y
8 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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DebbieGrillo
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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This sweet YA novel from three time Newberry Honor Author Jacqueline Woodson is #setinwinter
#DecktheShelves @JoeStalksBeck @Tiffy_Reads

87 likes2 stack adds
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DebbieGrillo
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Four books that are #setinwinter
Has anyone read The Ice Child? It's been on my shelves for a few years but I've never actually considered it part of my TBR pile.
#JingleShelves
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @bookloo

Tamra A Snowy Day 💜💜 6y
ErikasMindfulShelf I have read all of Camilla Läckberg‘s books and they are great! 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks The Polar Express!!! ❄️❤️ 6y
97 likes3 comments
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DebbieGrillo
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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If you come softly
as the wind within the trees
you may hear what I hear
see what sorrow sees.

A short and sweet tale about first love, grief, and how our differences matter much less than our commonalities. #onelove #blacklivesmatter #septemberreads

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DebbieGrillo
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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JazzFeathers So, what about all the agents and dditors who recommand never opening with someone whi's waking up? 😉 7y
DebbieGrillo @JazzFeathers Maybe a three-time Newberry Honor Author can do whatever they want and get away with it. 7y
JazzFeathers @DebbieGrillo That either says something about authors or about agents and editors 😉 7y
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lifeofinkandwords
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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"...this is how I remember us. This is how I will always remember us. And I know when I look at that picture, when I think back to those few months with Miah, that I did not miss the moment."
If You Come Softly || Jacqueline Woodson

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Bookishbroadway
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
Pickpick

Beautiful, captivating, compelling. I'd gladly read this author again!

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ramyasbookshelf
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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This was such an amazing book! This was my first Woodson novel and I had no expectations whatsoever. It turned out to be really thought provoking and heart wrenching! Highly recommend it if you haven't read this one. I haven't seen race discussed to this depth in many books and I feel like it should be!

aeeklund You should pick up her novel Another Brooklyn that was just released... It's absolutely incredible and devastating in the best possible way. 8y
ramyasbookshelf @aeeklund thanks for the reco! I'll definitely try to grab a copy.. 8y
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ramyasbookshelf
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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Sigh! The innocence of first love..

bermudaonion I love Woodson's writing. She has a true gift with the written word. 8y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ramyasbookshelf
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson
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I'm in the mood for some intense young adult first love kinda book..

bookishkai This is such a good book! 8y
Mayread First love? That book cover looks like a whole lotta love. 😏 8y
ramyasbookshelf @bookishkris I've heard such great things about the book and the author.. This is my first book by Woodson. 8y
See All 9 Comments
ramyasbookshelf @Skiles lol😂😂 not sure how intense this first love is going to be! 8y
Notafraidofwords This book changed my life when I read it as a young girl. 8y
ReadingEnvy Sometimes it's just the thing! 8y
ClairesReads Oh one of my faves!!! 8y
ramyasbookshelf @Notafraidofwords I'm just a few chapters in.. But it's intensity is dragging me in! Can't imagine how it might have affected me had I been much younger.. 8y
ramyasbookshelf @ClairesReads easily becoming one of mine too! 8y
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blurb
Notafraidofwords
If You Come Softly | Jacqueline Woodson

This book changed everything. I never went back to being just a regular girl. I was now a reader and never went back to being a non-reader.

22 likes4 stack adds