Turning Point

“Best friends Monique and Rasheeda spend the summer before ninth grade apart when Monique gets into a prestigious ballet training program and Rasheeda is left behind to help her aunt at their close-knit church. . . . Readers will enjoy the contrasting narratives as well as the authentic dialogue. . . . Fans of . . . Jason Reynolds’s “Track” series are sure to enjoy . . . Chase writes the diverging, formative experiences of young Black girls beautifully.” — School Library Journal (starred review) “Two 13-year-old girls figure out what’s really important to them during a transitional summer. Best friends Monique Jenkins and Rasheeda Tate are facing unfamiliar situations without each other to lean on . . . Writing from the girls’ alternating third-person viewpoints, Chase lends authenticity to the characters’ distinct voices. She delves into the unique pressures of ballet and church cultures with empathetic understanding.” — Kirkus Reviews “At ballet, Mo is dealing with being one of the only Black students . . . [while] at home, Sheeda finds herself flirting, via text and in person, with Mo’s older brother Lennie and struggling to find a friend groove . . . Chase . . . captures the viewpoint and texting voices of young teens with wit and vivacity. . . . The inviting voice, vivid characterization, and comradely take on teen troubles continues to make the girls from the Cove engaging company, and readers will be keen to see what’s next.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Monique and Rasheeda are best friends . . . But when Mo is accepted into their school’s talented and gifted dance program . . . Sheeda is left questioning . . . what the girls’ summer has in store for them. With what feels like a world between them, the girls navigate unfamiliar territory and the social pressures of adolescence. . . . Chase’s latest . . . will hook readers . . . [and] is sure to shift perspectives and move hearts. . . . [A] timely middle-grade title, further diversifying representations of Black girlhood.” — Booklist “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.” — Horn Book Magazine