She raises important questions about God, racial segregation and issues surrounding the hearing-impaired with a light and thoughtful touch. Set in 1971, Woodson's novel skillfully weaves in the music and events surrounding the rising opposition to the Vietnam War, giving this gentle, timeless story depth. She is best known for Miracles Boys, and her Newbery Honor -winning titles Brown Girl Dreaming, After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Print Word PDF This section contains 220 words (approx. Because she has experienced so much sadness in her life (her brother's deafness, her mother's miscarriages) the heroine is able to see beyond it all to look forward to a time when the pain subsides and life continues. Jacqueline Woodson (born February 12, 1963) is an American writer of books for children and adolescents. Feathers Topics for Discussion Jacqueline Woodson This Study Guide consists of approximately 33 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Feathers. Frannie's keen perceptions allow readers to observe a ripple of changes. The Jesus Boy's sense of calm and its effect on her classmates make Frannie wonder if there is some truth to Samantha'a musings, but a climactic faceoff between him and Trevor bring the newcomer's human flaws to light. Trevor, the classroom bully, promptly nicknames him 'Jesus Boy,' because he is 'pale and his hair long.' Frannie's best friend, Samantha, a preacher's daughter, starts to believe that the new boy truly could be Jesus ('If there was a world for Jesus to need to walk back into, wouldn't this one be it?'). Narrator Frannie is fascinated with Emily Dickinson's poem, 'Hope is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul,' and grapples with its meaning, especially after a white student joins Frannie's all-black sixth-grade classroom. First, it is told from a young girl’s point of view, and the themes are so grown-up. I was moved by this book for two reasons. Looking forward' is the message that runs through Woodson's (The House You Pass on the Way) novel. Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson was a winner of a Newbery Honor, and understandably so it is a very powerful and moving story, even though it is a short 118 pages.