Overview
Kayla Dean, junior feminist and future journalist, is about the break the story of a lifetime. She is auditioning for the Lady Lions dance team to prove they discriminate against the not-so-well endowed. But when she makes the team, her best friend and fellow feminist, Rosalie, is not happy.Now a Lady Lion, Kayla is transformed from bushy-haired fashion victim to glammed-up dance diva. But does looking good and having fun mean turning her back on the cause? Can you be a strong woman and still wear really cute shoes? Soon Kayla is forced to challenge her views, coming to terms with who she is and what girl power really means.
Narrated with sharp language and just the right amount of attitude, The Kayla Chronicles is the story of a girl's struggle for self-identity despite pressure from family, friends and her own conscience. Kayla's story is snappy, fun and inspiring, sure to appeal to anyone who's every questioned who they really are.
Synopsis
Kayla Dean, junior feminist and future journalist, is about the break the story of a lifetime. She is auditioning for the Lady Lions dance team to prove they discriminate against the not-so-well endowed. But when she makes the team, her best friend and fellow feminist, Rosalie, is not happy.
Now a Lady Lion, Kayla is transformed from bushy-haired fashion victim to glammed-up dance diva. But does looking good and having fun mean turning her back on the cause? Can you be a strong woman and still wear really cute shoes? Soon Kayla is forced to challenge her views, coming to terms with who she is and what girl power really means.
Narrated with sharp language and just the right amount of attitude, The Kayla Chronicles is the story of a girl's struggle for self-identity despite pressure from family, friends and her own conscience. Kayla's story is snappy, fun and inspiring, sure to appeal to anyone who's every questioned who they really are.
Detroit Free Press
"A well-told story."
Editorials
Detroit Free Press
"A well-told story."Romantic Times
"The writing is as strong as the tropical sun in this Florida journalist's second young-adult novel. "BookPage
"Kayla narrates her story with plenty of sass, energy and enthusiasm....sure to inspire young women."VOYA -
In this witty novel, fourteen-year-old Mikayla Alicia Dean sets out to prove that teen girls can be smart, pretty, and athletic and still save the world. Kayla's life is complicated from the start: She has to come to terms with the loss of a loving grandmother, the reemergence of two career-seeking parents, and the "stankaliciousness" of best friend Rosalie Hunter. The plot gets moving when Rosalie forces a half-hearted Kayla to try out for a coveted position on the Lady Lions, the most popular dance team in the area. But Rosalie and Kayla have two different missions. Rosalie hopes that Kayla will be cut from the dance team and write a scathing exposT accusing the Lady Lions of discriminating against girls, whereas Kayla hopes that she will make the team and motivate the dancers to join her group, SPEAK, as they rally against injustice and demand the empowerment of girls. In a little over a month-and just in time for her fifteenth birthday-Kayla reflects upon herself, matures, and develops into a well-rounded sophomore unafraid of trusting her own gut instinct. Variations in font size and style and the insertion of headlines, e-mail messages, and quotes from notable women, make this book a fun but informative read. A humorous but unnecessary list of terms (see, for example, stankalicious, crunktacular, joygantic, and slangaroo) called "Lexicon of Kayla-isms" concludes the book. Although Kayla's actions are often predictable and many of the characters, such as the flawless younger sibling, are staples in this genre, there are still a few surprises involving race and class issues. More novels are needed like this one about a diverse, smart, talented, black young lady determined to leaveher mark on society.KLIATT -
Kayla is almost 15, a sophomore in high school, trying to figure out how she fits into her family and her world. For years she has been bossed around by her best friend, Rosalie, who is trying to save females from exploitation. Kayla thinks she agrees; well, of course she agrees. Mostly raised by her feminist grandmother, a professor, Kayla is trying to come to terms with her grandmother's death just as she is attempting to discover what she herself wants out of her own life. She knows she has a good mind and she wants to be a serious student. She loves to use her body, trained by years of gymnastics, and when there is a chance to audition for the champion dancers, the Lady Lions, she goes all out. Rosalie figures Kayla won't be chosen because she isn't glamorous, and thus it's going to be an opportunity to blast the Lady Lions for discrimination. Kayla's proud when she is accepted by the dancers, much to Rosalie's disgust. Now what? A makeover? A boyfriend? Race doesn't seem to be a component in this story because every character (I think) is African American. The high school is known for academic excellence, and even those once-suspect Lady Lions turn out to be smart, friendly, and community-minded. Kayla chronicles her dilemmas, interspersing her comments with quotes from feminists and using her own vocabulary at times for emphasis. (A lexicon of Kayla-isms is included at the end of the novel; well, do you know what "funktaciousness" means?) Frequently funny, earthy, and as fast paced as Kayla's dance moves. Age Range: Ages 12 to 18. REVIEWER: Claire Rosser (Vol. 42, No. 1)School Library Journal
Gr 7-9- This is a fun, sassy, lighthearted story of a Florida high school freshman who's trying to make a graceful transition into young adulthood. Kayla faces the usual difficulties: parents who don't understand her, a beautiful younger sister, and, of course, boy troubles. An aspiring journalist, she is persuaded by her friend Rosalie to try out for the Lady Lions dance team and expose its prejudice for large-breasted girls. This is an opportunity to stand up for women and show that looks don't make the person. Things don't turn out as expected, however, and Kayla finds herself making the team and enjoying the friendship of the other dancers. The novel is written in first person, diary style, with teen jargon and quotes from Zora Neale Hurston, Oprah Winfrey, Mary Wollstonecraft, and others interspersed throughout. A "Lexicon of Kayla-isms" is appended.-Sheilah Kosco, Bastrop Public Library, TX