Jacqueline Woodson (born February 12, 1963) is an American children's and teen author. Her best-known works are Miracle's Boys and the Newbery Honor books Brown Girl Dreaming, After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. She has also written several adult novels including The House on Sugar Land Road, which was adapted into a film of the same name in 2000. Woodson was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. She has two sisters and one brother. Her mother died when she was nine years old, and she was raised by her father who had multiple health problems himself. This left Jacqueline to take care of her younger siblings, which she did for several years before going to college at Howard University. After graduating from Howard with a bachelor's degree in English, Woodson moved to New York City where she worked as a copywriter for advertising agencies and wrote articles for publications such as Essence and Ladies' Home Journal. It was here that she began writing stories for herself and her friends' children. These stories later turned into books that have been published over 20 years after their initial release. Some of her works have been adapted into films, television shows, and documentaries. One of her books, Brown Girl Dreaming, has been listed on many best-of-all-time lists for young adults.