You Gotta Read This!
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Title: You Should See Me in a Crown
Author: Leah Johnson Publisher: Scholastic Press (2020) ISBN13: 978- 1338503265 Genre: Realistic Fiction, YA, Romance Topics/Themes: Stepping outside your comfort zone, coming-of-age, first love, navigating friendship Diversity Tags: BIPOC: Black Main Character, LGBTQIA+: Lesbian Main Character, Death of a parent/raised by grandparents Recommended Age Level: 14-19 Awards / Recognitions:
Summary: Senior Liz Lighty is on track to graduate at the top of her class and head to her dream college, Pennington, to study medicine and play in their world famous orchestra. Her plan is to become a hematologist to work with patients who have Sickle Cell Anemia, the blood disorder that took her mother’s life and her little brother is struggling with. When her music scholarship unexpectedly falls through, Liz realizes that she must take matters into her own hands since her grandparents cannot afford to pay for her college. Her solution: run for prom queen in the annual competition that her school and small town are weirdly obsessed with because the prize is a scholarship that would more than pay for the rest of her tuition. Though it goes against every fiber of her spotlight-avoiding being, Liz will not let anything get in the way of her dreams to make it to Pennington, not even the gauntlet of public events and social media that she despises. Although she is the top of her class, Liz has always struggled with feelings of not fitting in as “too black” or “too poor” in her rich, midwestern school. Launching herself at this prom queen campaign, Liz must confront these fears head on as she meticulously works to create an image for herself. When Liz begins to fall for the smart and funny new girl, it seems she must make the impossible decision of whether stopping at nothing to achieve her dreams or finding love and being true to herself are more important. Professional Reviews: “Johnson puts a fresh spin on this novel with an unlikely romance, heartwarming friendships, and the tension of being Black, poor, and queer in a small town. Readers will revel in the growth of the entire cast, as their high-school years come to an exciting and wildly unanticipated close. A feel-good title for sure.” – Melanie Kirkwood, Booklist, 2020 “Readers will fall in love with this refreshing book that celebrates the beauty of individuality.” – Cicely Lewis, School Library Journal, 2020 “Johnson does an excellent job of portraying the anxiety and internalized self-hatred from being different in a mostly white, affluent small town. The queer prom romance you didn’t know you needed.” – Kirkus Reviews, 2020 Personal Insights: Since this story took place in a fictional town just outside of non-fictional Indianapolis, I loved the many references to Indiana, and felt an added connection to the culture and environment that Liz found herself in in this story. I was also a big fan of how much this story was able to pack in and address: not only is it a beautiful queer romance story, but it’s also a fantastic success story about a Black girl finding her way in a very white school. Also, yet another great examples of an #ownvoices story by a LGBTQIA+ and Black author! You can read more about the author’s journey and writing of the book here: https://electricliterature.com/leah-johnson-you-should-see-me-in-a-crown/ Notable Quotes: “I never needed this race, or a hashtag, or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown.” “And I know then what I've always known: Campbell is never going to make a space for me to fit. I'm going to have to demand it.” “Silence and shame aren’t the same thing—not by a longshot. But sometimes silence is simpler.” “Loyalty between lifelong friends is complicated and runs deep. More deeply, even, than I think you realize, until just how different you and your friends have become is practically unavoidable.” Readalikes: (Summaries from GoodReads) If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann (2019) - High school finally behind her, Winnie is all set to attend college in the fall. But first she's spending her summer days working at her granny’s diner and begins spending her midnights with Dallas—the boy she loves to hate and hates that she likes. Winnie lives in Misty Haven, a small town where secrets are impossible to keep—like when Winnie allegedly snaps on Dr. Skinner, which results in everyone feeling compelled to give her weight loss advice for her own good. Because they care that’s she’s “too fat.” Winnie dreams of someday inheriting the diner—but it'll go away if they can't make money, and fast. Winnie has a solution—win a televised cooking competition and make bank. But Granny doesn't want her to enter—so Winnie has to find a way around her formidable grandmother. Can she come out on top? The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding (2018) - Seventeen, fashion-obsessed, and gay, Abby Ives has always been content playing the sidekick in other people's lives. While her friends and sister have plunged headfirst into the world of dating and romances, Abby has stayed focused on her plus-size style blog and her dreams of taking the fashion industry by storm. When she lands a prized internship at her favorite local boutique, she’s thrilled to take her first step into her dream career. She doesn't expect to fall for her fellow intern, Jordi Pérez. Abby knows it's a big no-no to fall for a colleague. She also knows that Jordi documents her whole life in photographs, while Abby would prefer to stay behind the scenes. Then again, nothing is going as expected this summer. She's competing against the girl she's kissing to win a paid job at the boutique. She's somehow managed to befriend Jax, a lacrosse-playing bro type who needs help in a project that involves eating burgers across L.A.'s eastside. Suddenly, she doesn't feel like a sidekick. Is it possible Abby's finally in her own story? But when Jordi's photography puts Abby in the spotlight, it feels like a betrayal, rather than a starring role. Can Abby find a way to reconcile her positive yet private sense of self with the image that other people have of her? Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (2012) - Astrid Jones desperately wants to confide in someone, but her mother's pushiness and her father's lack of interest tell her they're the last people she can trust. Instead, Astrid spends hours lying on the backyard picnic table watching airplanes fly overhead. She doesn't know the passengers inside, but they're the only people who won't judge her when she asks them her most personal questions--like what it means that she's falling in love with a girl. As her secret relationship becomes more intense and her friends demand answers, Astrid has nowhere left to turn. She can't share the truth with anyone except the people at thirty thousand feet, and they don't even know she's there. But little does Astrid know just how much even the tiniest connection will affect these strangers' lives--and her own--for the better.
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