Becoming Beatriz

A compelling read about the quest for fame
--Debbie Allen, star of Fame

Redemption is a heartbeat away.
--Guadalupe Garcia McCall, author of the Pura Belpre Award winner Under the Mesquite

Beatriz dreams of a life spent dancing--until tragedy on the day of her quincea era changes everything.

Up until her fifteenth birthday, the most important thing in the world to Beatriz Mendez was her dream of becoming a professional dancer and getting herself and her family far from the gang life that defined their days--that and meeting her dance idol Debbie Allen on the set of her favorite TV show, Fame. But after the latest battle in a constant turf war leaves her brother, Junito, dead and her mother grieving, Beatriz has a new set of priorities. How is she supposed to feel the rhythm when her brother's gang needs running, when her mami can't brush her own teeth, and when the last thing she can remember of her old self is dancing with her brother, followed by running and gunshots? When the class brainiac reminds Beatriz of her love of the dance floor, her banished dreams sneak back in. Now the only question is: will the gang let her go?

Set in New Jersey in 1984, Beatriz's story is a timeless one of a teenager's navigation of romance, her brother's choices, and her own family's difficult past. A companion novel to the much-lauded Like Vanessa.

Author: Tami Charles
Publisher: Charlesbridge Teen
Published: 09/17/2019
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.60w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781580897785
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.6
Point Value: 9
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 504970 / Becoming Beatriz


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2019 pg. 165
Booklist 07/01/2019 pg. 62
School Library Journal 08/01/2019 pg. 75
Publishers Weekly 09/02/2019
Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2019 pg. 82
Shelf Awareness 09/24/2019
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2019 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Tami Charles is a former teacher and full-time author of picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, and nonfiction. As a teacher, she made it her mission to introduce her students to all types of literature, but especially diverse books. While it was refreshing to see a better selection than what she was accustomed to as a child, Tami felt there weren't nearly as many diverse books as she'd hoped for. It was then that she decided to reignite her passion for writing. Tami is the author of the middle grade novel Like Vanessa (2018) and the picture book Freedom Soup (Candlewick Press, 2019).