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    Turning Point
    Turning Point
    Turning Point
    Audiobook8 hours

    Turning Point

    Written by Paula Chase

    Narrated by Bahni Turpin

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateSep 15, 2020
    ISBN9780063026001
    Author

    Paula Chase

    Paula Chase is the cofounder of The Brown Bookshelf, a site designed to increase awareness of African American voices writing for young readers. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland. Her novels include the acclaimed So Done and its companion, Dough Boys. www.paulachasehyman.com

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    Reviews for Turning Point

    4.5/5

    9 ratings2 reviews

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    • 5/5
      (Spoiler Alert) Well, this is the first of any Freya North I've read and I maintain it won't be the last she is a wonderful writer. The story was so well developed and the cast of characters came right off the page, so much so when she wrenched the plot so quickly I lost my breathe! Great, great book, but I haven't forgiven her for the end yet.
    • 4/5
      Turning Point, a realistic fiction novel, is a 2021 Lone Star selection.The novel alternates between Rasheeda and Monique's stories. They are good friends but will be spending three pivotal weeks apart because Monique and their other friend Mila both got into an impressive, intensive ballet program. Rasheeda did not get in, so she's feeling left out. At home, Rasheeda's aunt raises her. Aunt D possesses strong opinions about how one spends one time, how one behaves, and with whom one should spend time. Rasheeda spends much of her time at First Baptist (First Bap). She sings, dances, helps with the kids, and is pretty much there all the time. She really doesn't enjoy her "church friends" and with Monique gone, she feels her choices are limited. Monique's brother starts texting her, and Sheeda really likes him, but Aunt D has rules! She can't go to Monique's house normally, so she certainly can't visit him when Monique isn't there. Rasheeda follows the rules and does not like conflict. She stays silent if people are arguing--leave her out of it! The internal battles are plaguing her--she feels that her choices are limited: church or home. What to do about Lennie? She needs to find her voice and find a compromise with her aunt.Monique often responds to people with anger. At home, most of her brothers are all in jail or prison, so it's just Lennie and Monique. Mom is determined they will NOT get in trouble, so they have a lot more responsibilities. Money is tight. A scholarship has paid for Monique's dance. Only she and Mila are black. Everything makes Monique feel that she is treated differently due to her color. She's determined to be a better dancer but feels she's judged differently. She feels equal to Mila although she states Mila seems to move more effortlessly than Monique. Any comment or look can set Monique off. If they do well enough, they'll be invited to the year round ballet school. That becomes her goal even though she really doesn't seem to like ballet--other than dancing it. She falls asleep at every performance they watch. She has two white suitemates, which makes the three weeks even more interesting. She needs to find her own dance path and control her quick bouts of anger when she interacts with people.I really liked the novel because it shows that we are all so busy in our lives that we assume so much about others. Sometimes we need to really sit and listen to understanding how others feel instead of wasting time arguing or being jealous over stuff that doesn't matter or you aren't interested in. In the end, they have to discover who they are individually and learn to explain themselves in order to be heard and respected.