Woodson's seventh grade English teacher returned her first short story to her with the comment, "You are the real thing" (1). Jacqueline Woodson: "The Real Thing" explores how Woodson became "the real thing," why she deserves to be acknowledged as one of the finest writers for young adults today, who her literary mentors have been, and how her family history has helped to shape her as an artist, beginning with the success of her first novel, Last Summer with Maizon.