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#Daphne stuck in the middle now series#
What are some of your favorite middle grade novels?įor sure, the One Crazy Summer series by Rita Williams-Garcia.
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My debut, Like Vanessa, was born out of similar personal experiences I went through as a 13-year-old. It only seemed right to get those feelings on the page. I clearly remember this period of my life when I was trying to figure out who I am and who I wanted to be. Why did you decide to write a middle grade novel? This really reignited my passion to become an author. She was a teacher (and eventual principal) at my elementary school, so I didn’t really have a choice, ha! She introduced me to many of my favorite authors: Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Lois Lowry, Beverly Cleary, etc…When I became a teacher, I experienced the joy of reading more diverse books that I wasn’t exposed to as much while growing up. Who or what inspired you to become a writer?įirst and foremost, my mother played a huge role in my love of reading. A companion novel to the much-lauded Like Vanessa. 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. Now the only question is: will the gang let her go? 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. 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.
#Daphne stuck in the middle now professional#
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. (Or sneaking in a nap…because sleep is LIFE!) Becoming Beatriz released September 17, 2019.īeatriz dreams of a life spent dancing–until tragedy on the day of her quinceañera changes everything.
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When Tami isn’t writing, she can be found presenting at schools both stateside and abroad. Her recent titles include a humorous middle grade, Definitely Daphne, picture book, Freedom Soup, and YA novel, Becoming Beatriz. Her middle grade novel, Like Vanessa, earned Top 10 spots on the Indies Introduce and Spring Kids’ Next lists, three starred reviews, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Tami Charles writes books for children and young adults. The books that speak to these young readers tend to have lots of heart and great voices that capture all that is awkward and brilliant about that time.įormer teacher. The middle grades are a crucial time in child development socially, emotionally, and academically.
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We decided to shine a spotlight on middle grade writers and their novels because, often, they are “stuck in the middle”–sandwiched between and overlooked for picture books and young adult novels. This is the twelfth in an occasional series about middle grade Latinx authors.