When being yourself
isn't good enough, who should you be?

Told
in dual perspectives, this provocative and timely novel for middle-school readers
by Paula Chase, the acclaimed author of So
Done and Dough Boys, will
resonate with fans of Jason Reynolds, Rebecca Stead, and Renée Watson.

Best friends Rasheeda
and Monique are both good girls. For Sheeda, that means keeping her friends
close and following her deeply religious and strict aunt’s every rule. For Mo,
that means not making waves in the prestigious and mostly White ballet
intensive she’s been accepted to.

But what happens when
Sheeda catches the eye of Mo’s older brother, and the invisible racial barriers
to Mo’s success as a ballerina turn out to be not so invisible? What happens
when you discover that being yourself isn’t good enough? How do you fight back?

Paula Chase explores the
complex and emotional issues that affect many young teens in this novel set in
the same neighborhood as her acclaimed So Done and Dough Boys.
Friendship, family, finding yourself, and standing your ground are the themes
of this universal story that is perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds, Rebecca
Stead, and Renée Watson.

“The crew from the Cove is back . . . Empathetic to the ambiguities of Black girlhood, and to adolescence in general, Chase moves effortlessly between Sheeda’s and Mo’s alternating chapters, as they go forward with a better understanding of themselves and each other. Readers will root for Sheeda and Mo’s friendship from beginning to end. . . . A solid standalone.”