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The Other Side of Imani
A story about finding your voice alongside your real self, The Other Side of Imani is a heartfelt, fresh, and powerful middle grade contemporary debut that’s perfect for fans of Front Desk, That Girl Lay Lay, and Just Right Jillian.
Ever since she could remember, thirteen-year-old Imani has wanted to be a fashion designer.
But fashion designers are bold, out-there, and in your face. And despite her unique sense of style, Imani has trouble fitting in, let alone standing out. Entering her new school’s design competition for a scholarship to the nearby arts high school seems like the perfect way to make new friends and get closer to her dream of being a designer.
Then Imani’s designs are stolen by one of her classmates, and Imani is forced to enter the competition anonymously, under a virtual persona of her own creation—“Estelle.” When Estelle then goes viral, Imani must figure out how to be her “real” self as she finds her true friends and her voice... all while hoping to win the competition.
Ever since she could remember, thirteen-year-old Imani has wanted to be a fashion designer.
But fashion designers are bold, out-there, and in your face. And despite her unique sense of style, Imani has trouble fitting in, let alone standing out. Entering her new school’s design competition for a scholarship to the nearby arts high school seems like the perfect way to make new friends and get closer to her dream of being a designer.
Then Imani’s designs are stolen by one of her classmates, and Imani is forced to enter the competition anonymously, under a virtual persona of her own creation—“Estelle.” When Estelle then goes viral, Imani must figure out how to be her “real” self as she finds her true friends and her voice... all while hoping to win the competition.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 2, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Imani's father is from Barbados, and after spending time assisting in high end restaurants, has moved the family from California so that he can open the Calypso Grill food truck in New York City. The family, including Imani's mother, who is from Ghana, as well as her sister Lyric and brother Jesse, all pitch in, especially at events like the West Indian Day Parade. Imani is very interested in fashion, so is excited to be in the city, although she is a bit apprehensive about starting a new school. She makes some friends right away, including Harlee, who also designs clothes and has a mother who was a model and now works in the industry. Imani's mother works as a cook for the school, which Imani doesn't mind. After visiting Harlee's house and working on designs for an upcoming, high stakes school contest (the winner gets a place at the Dekalb Art and Design High School), Imani questions Harlee's use of traditional Ghanian Kente cloth in her designs and discusses the idea of cultural appropriation with her. Harlee doesn't think what she is doing is wrong, althought Imani gets back up from her family, who agree with her. After the visit, Imani realizes her sketch book with all of her designs for the contest is missing, and Harlee says she hasn't seen it. When the two submit designs, however, they submit almost identical garments. The school admiistration gets involved, and Imani is accused of plagiarism, in part because she is new and Harlee's mother gives the school donations, but there is some implied racism involved as well. Imani is hurt and devastated, and starts a new Imagegram account under the name of Estelle to post some of her new inspiration and to try to educate people about culture and fashion. Many people like Estelle's account, but Harlee of course does not. Will the school finally clear Imani's name and let her enter the contest?
Strengths: Imani's family was great fun, and it was delightful to get to see all of the delicious food that the father made for the family dinners. I was glad to see that Imani didn't complain about moving such a distance, and that she was able to make friends quickly, even if not all of them worked out. There are strong themes of cultural identity and racial justice. My favorite part was all of Imani's exuberant and colorful fashions. Not many 8th graders can sew clothing, much less have their own machines. Having her work with a mentor, Aida, in the garment industry was fascinating.
Weaknesses: The way the "plagiarism" was handled in the school did not ring true to me at all. Schools are so concerned about law suits these days that it was surprising that Imani was very pointedly guilty until proven innocent. Certainly makes for a more compelling story, though! Also, my students don't care very much about fashion. Most wear sweats and hoodies in gray, black, and navy. Perhaps things in New York City are just very different.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy fashion design and liked Taylor's Sew Zoe books, West's Maybe This Time or Wilson's Be Real, Macy Weaver.
Imani's father is from Barbados, and after spending time assisting in high end restaurants, has moved the family from California so that he can open the Calypso Grill food truck in New York City. The family, including Imani's mother, who is from Ghana, as well as her sister Lyric and brother Jesse, all pitch in, especially at events like the West Indian Day Parade. Imani is very interested in fashion, so is excited to be in the city, although she is a bit apprehensive about starting a new school. She makes some friends right away, including Harlee, who also designs clothes and has a mother who was a model and now works in the industry. Imani's mother works as a cook for the school, which Imani doesn't mind. After visiting Harlee's house and working on designs for an upcoming, high stakes school contest (the winner gets a place at the Dekalb Art and Design High School), Imani questions Harlee's use of traditional Ghanian Kente cloth in her designs and discusses the idea of cultural appropriation with her. Harlee doesn't think what she is doing is wrong, althought Imani gets back up from her family, who agree with her. After the visit, Imani realizes her sketch book with all of her designs for the contest is missing, and Harlee says she hasn't seen it. When the two submit designs, however, they submit almost identical garments. The school admiistration gets involved, and Imani is accused of plagiarism, in part because she is new and Harlee's mother gives the school donations, but there is some implied racism involved as well. Imani is hurt and devastated, and starts a new Imagegram account under the name of Estelle to post some of her new inspiration and to try to educate people about culture and fashion. Many people like Estelle's account, but Harlee of course does not. Will the school finally clear Imani's name and let her enter the contest?
Strengths: Imani's family was great fun, and it was delightful to get to see all of the delicious food that the father made for the family dinners. I was glad to see that Imani didn't complain about moving such a distance, and that she was able to make friends quickly, even if not all of them worked out. There are strong themes of cultural identity and racial justice. My favorite part was all of Imani's exuberant and colorful fashions. Not many 8th graders can sew clothing, much less have their own machines. Having her work with a mentor, Aida, in the garment industry was fascinating.
Weaknesses: The way the "plagiarism" was handled in the school did not ring true to me at all. Schools are so concerned about law suits these days that it was surprising that Imani was very pointedly guilty until proven innocent. Certainly makes for a more compelling story, though! Also, my students don't care very much about fashion. Most wear sweats and hoodies in gray, black, and navy. Perhaps things in New York City are just very different.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoy fashion design and liked Taylor's Sew Zoe books, West's Maybe This Time or Wilson's Be Real, Macy Weaver.
July 13, 2025
This one is a bit tough to rate, because the parts that I liked had me hooked, and the parts that didn't work for me made me physically cringe.
*What Worked For Me:*
- The conversations about cultural appropriation, in the context of a middle grade story, worked pretty well. Which tied into:
- The cultural stuff. Imani's dad owns a food truck. The food an festivals were great, there were things I had to look up because I learned something, and the details were engaging. Imani's work with clothing and fashion, too, provided a lot of opportunity for Springer to talk about specific prints, textiles, and cultural narratives. Imani's clothes tell a story, and Springer conveys those stories throughout the text. I loved how detailed she go with certain things.
- Imani, her friends, and her family were delightful, and felt surprisingly well developed in a relatively short manuscript.
---
*Not So Much:*
- The whole "plan" with Imagegram makes no sense, and that made it hard for me to care about the stakes. She really doesn't seem to have thought it through. I can't really spoil this because I don't know what was SUPPOSED to happen. There was no scenario in which her lies wouldn't come out, so what were we doing here.
- Late in the story, there's a short and confusing segment where Imani goes to New York Fashion Week. It's very rushed, and again, I wasn't sure what the plan was here. This segment also had minimal physical description, so had a hard time understanding what the point of this interlude was.
- On a conceptual level, I found the whole drama with Imagegram to be... not good. My real-world adult brain kept thinking about the fact that we KNOW social media targets teen and tween girls to make them feel bad about themselves for profit. But also, is Imagegram JUST for fashion stuff? Do this many kids care this much about fashion, that the whole school is going bonkers about this drama? Also, Imani is NOT SUBTLE or sneaky about her plan, and pretty much quotes herself in her Estelle posts.
Overall, this was a pretty mixed bag for me. Maybe if I was a middle grader, I could get sucked into the drama of the story and revel in the idea that everyone in my school might care about my social media beef with the cool girl. In reality, I can see child-me coming up with a plan this convoluted, but it would be so obvious and everyone would immediately guess it was me. This was honestly too much like the Cait Corrain nonsense last year for me to enjoy the scheme.
Still, there were a lot of things I did enjoy, so I wouldn't write this off entirely. Ask a middle grader with an eye for fashion and/.or a desire to gain secret fame on socials. I can see this going over well with the right audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
*What Worked For Me:*
- The conversations about cultural appropriation, in the context of a middle grade story, worked pretty well. Which tied into:
- The cultural stuff. Imani's dad owns a food truck. The food an festivals were great, there were things I had to look up because I learned something, and the details were engaging. Imani's work with clothing and fashion, too, provided a lot of opportunity for Springer to talk about specific prints, textiles, and cultural narratives. Imani's clothes tell a story, and Springer conveys those stories throughout the text. I loved how detailed she go with certain things.
- Imani, her friends, and her family were delightful, and felt surprisingly well developed in a relatively short manuscript.
---
*Not So Much:*
- The whole "plan" with Imagegram makes no sense, and that made it hard for me to care about the stakes. She really doesn't seem to have thought it through. I can't really spoil this because I don't know what was SUPPOSED to happen. There was no scenario in which her lies wouldn't come out, so what were we doing here.
- Late in the story, there's a short and confusing segment where Imani goes to New York Fashion Week. It's very rushed, and again, I wasn't sure what the plan was here. This segment also had minimal physical description, so had a hard time understanding what the point of this interlude was.
- On a conceptual level, I found the whole drama with Imagegram to be... not good. My real-world adult brain kept thinking about the fact that we KNOW social media targets teen and tween girls to make them feel bad about themselves for profit. But also, is Imagegram JUST for fashion stuff? Do this many kids care this much about fashion, that the whole school is going bonkers about this drama? Also, Imani is NOT SUBTLE or sneaky about her plan, and pretty much quotes herself in her Estelle posts.
Overall, this was a pretty mixed bag for me. Maybe if I was a middle grader, I could get sucked into the drama of the story and revel in the idea that everyone in my school might care about my social media beef with the cool girl. In reality, I can see child-me coming up with a plan this convoluted, but it would be so obvious and everyone would immediately guess it was me. This was honestly too much like the Cait Corrain nonsense last year for me to enjoy the scheme.
Still, there were a lot of things I did enjoy, so I wouldn't write this off entirely. Ask a middle grader with an eye for fashion and/.or a desire to gain secret fame on socials. I can see this going over well with the right audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 24, 2025
There's a lot to love in here, and a lot that's confusing. The love: Imani's family -- they work together, they support each other, they have their own interests and talents and they are lovely people. Loved the appreciation for both Ghanaian and Caribbean culture and food. Loved the interest in fashion and textiles. Loved the conversations about appropriation. And a particular shout out to a storyline in which an immigrant family strongly believes in the Arts as a wonderful career choice. So often the conflict in a middle grade book is about family steering kids away from their passions and that is not the case here.
The confusing: why on earth would the school just believe Harlee over Imani on the plagiarism question? The book is spinning this as a one parent gives money to the school, so they just won't even investigate Harlee, but that seems very unlikely to me. I'm also glad that Imani's parents show up for the conversation, but they certainly don't advocate for her, which is so weird given how much they support her in every other matter. And I love that Imani advocates for herself with her teacher, but there's a kind of throwaway mention of restorative justice in that conversation, and I would have liked that to be more central/reasoned out/actually proposed as opposed to dropped in. Finally, the Fashion Week adventure is just odd -- why is that representative of Sanctuary? How is it necessary to actually be at fashion week if you're going to take a photo of a dress on a rack?
Eh, on the whole, I like the messages, I like that the book is accessible, interesting and a quick read, and I love the characters and the fashion subject. I definitely think this will resonate with the intended audience.
The confusing: why on earth would the school just believe Harlee over Imani on the plagiarism question? The book is spinning this as a one parent gives money to the school, so they just won't even investigate Harlee, but that seems very unlikely to me. I'm also glad that Imani's parents show up for the conversation, but they certainly don't advocate for her, which is so weird given how much they support her in every other matter. And I love that Imani advocates for herself with her teacher, but there's a kind of throwaway mention of restorative justice in that conversation, and I would have liked that to be more central/reasoned out/actually proposed as opposed to dropped in. Finally, the Fashion Week adventure is just odd -- why is that representative of Sanctuary? How is it necessary to actually be at fashion week if you're going to take a photo of a dress on a rack?
Eh, on the whole, I like the messages, I like that the book is accessible, interesting and a quick read, and I love the characters and the fashion subject. I definitely think this will resonate with the intended audience.
August 3, 2025
Being new at a school is rough. Imani is overjoyed to find another girl who is as interested in fashion and design as she is, and she excited to be invited to the other girl’s house to work on their designs for their school’s competition. (I find it a little hard to believe that everyone in their middle school is so excited about this competition.)
As an adult reading this book, I saw the theft of Imani’s designs coming. Her resolution of the situation is what the real story is about.
Honestly, the fact that all these middle-schoolers are so heavily engaged in the story’s equivalent of Instagram is a little disturbing. I mean, yes, my high school students are super into it. But to have 11-14-year-olds so invested…oof.
As is the case with so many middle grade novels, Imani feels she must solve her problem by herself. Of course, if she just confided in her parents or her older sister, we wouldn’t really have a story.
There are some awesome supporting characters. And some—like the school principal—that you’ll love to hate.
Possible objectionable material:
Bullying. Sneaking around. Lying. Way too much social media use.
Who might like this book:
Those who like fashion and creative expression. This one’s probably going to be of interest to more girls than to boys.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#BookReview #NetGalley #MiddleGrades #TheOtherSideOfImani #LisaSpringer #HarperCollins #biblioquacious
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
As an adult reading this book, I saw the theft of Imani’s designs coming. Her resolution of the situation is what the real story is about.
Honestly, the fact that all these middle-schoolers are so heavily engaged in the story’s equivalent of Instagram is a little disturbing. I mean, yes, my high school students are super into it. But to have 11-14-year-olds so invested…oof.
As is the case with so many middle grade novels, Imani feels she must solve her problem by herself. Of course, if she just confided in her parents or her older sister, we wouldn’t really have a story.
There are some awesome supporting characters. And some—like the school principal—that you’ll love to hate.
Possible objectionable material:
Bullying. Sneaking around. Lying. Way too much social media use.
Who might like this book:
Those who like fashion and creative expression. This one’s probably going to be of interest to more girls than to boys.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#BookReview #NetGalley #MiddleGrades #TheOtherSideOfImani #LisaSpringer #HarperCollins #biblioquacious
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
July 28, 2025
In THE OTHER SIDE OF IMANI, when Imani’s family moves to Brooklyn, the fashion-obsessed middle schooler is excited about being close to the fashion scene, but nervous about starting at a new school. She’s thrilled when Hailee, a fellow fashionista and daughter of a high-profile designer, invites her over to spend time brainstorming ideas for the school’s fashion design competition. When her sketch book goes missing and she and Hailee submit similar designs for the contest, Imani finds herself accused of plagiarism. Devastated, mad, and with the prize of a prestigious scholarship at stake, Imani creates a secret social media alter ego to help her bring down the perpetrator.
A fashion-themed slant on a friendship story, this one does a great job diving deep into both culture and issues around cultural appropriation, especially as it relates to fashion. Imani’s supportive family and friends add to the story and help her to shine. The social media angle will capture middle grade readers who are curious about being an influencer, though I wouldn’t encourage them to behave online like Imani does. With the pairing of school/friendship drama and fashion, this story about identity and creativity will catch—and hold—the attention of readers.
A fashion-themed slant on a friendship story, this one does a great job diving deep into both culture and issues around cultural appropriation, especially as it relates to fashion. Imani’s supportive family and friends add to the story and help her to shine. The social media angle will capture middle grade readers who are curious about being an influencer, though I wouldn’t encourage them to behave online like Imani does. With the pairing of school/friendship drama and fashion, this story about identity and creativity will catch—and hold—the attention of readers.
November 19, 2025
Budding fashion designer Imani recently moved with her family to Brooklyn. She is thrilled to learn her school is having a design contest and the winner will receive a scholarship to a prestigious high school for the arts. When a new friend betrays Imani by stealing her designs for the contest, she is accused of plagiarism and has to get creative to find a way to follow her dream. The real strength of this story is in Imani's close-knit family and the importance of their ancestry—both Caribbean and West African. All of the children support each other and help run the family food truck. Questions of cultural appropriation are raised when Imani's designs are stolen and Imani finds a creative, if slightly misguided, way to speak out against such practices. Readers will find rich descriptions of the fashion and food that are important to Imani and her family. Despite the focus on fashion, the narrative also deals with social pressures of middle school, the complications of an anonymous online presence, and figuring out how to be true to oneself. There is a lot to the story that will be appreciated by middle school readers, however they may be turned off by the cartoon-ish depictions of Imani on the book's cover.
Recommended for readers in grades 5-8.
Recommended for readers in grades 5-8.
May 19, 2025
Imani and her family move to Brooklyn where Imani is close to the fashion scene she loves so much. As a future upcoming designer, Imani is given the chance to enter her school's competition and compete for a scholarship at the nearby arts high school. However, her dreams are stomped out when her classmate steals her art... or is it?
Honestly, this was just a fun read. While there are unrealistic parts of the story (like the way plagiarism was handled in the book) or how Estelle didn't get connected to Imani--sure unrealistic. But it helped the story grow and I loved it. With the use of her online persona, Imani was able to find her love of fashion and find her own voice.
This book was fun. It was my first book with middle schoolers interested in fashion and I thought overall it was a unique take.
Honestly, this was just a fun read. While there are unrealistic parts of the story (like the way plagiarism was handled in the book) or how Estelle didn't get connected to Imani--sure unrealistic. But it helped the story grow and I loved it. With the use of her online persona, Imani was able to find her love of fashion and find her own voice.
This book was fun. It was my first book with middle schoolers interested in fashion and I thought overall it was a unique take.
August 12, 2025
The Other Side of Imani is such a fun and uplifting read, packed with heart, creativity, and just the right amount of drama. It’s a story that celebrates individuality and self-expression in a way that feels both fresh and empowering, without ever losing its sense of fun. Imani’s journey is relatable and inspiring, especially for anyone who's ever felt unsure about how to let their true self shine. The fashion world backdrop adds a vibrant splash of color, and the balance between real challenges and joyful moments makes it a thoroughly enjoyable book from start to finish. A feel-good, confidence-boosting read that leaves you cheering for Imani—and maybe dreaming up your own alter ego. Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
October 18, 2025
3.75
Rep: Barbadian-Ghanaian American cis girl MC (Imani); Barbadian-Ghanaian American SCs (Lyric, Jesse); Ghanaian American cis woman SC (Mom); Barbadian American cis man SC (Dad); brown cis girl SC (Harlee); Black cis girl SCs (Willow, Tinka); Sierra Leonean American SCs (Aida, Genevieve, Andrew); BIPOC background characters
Rep: Barbadian-Ghanaian American cis girl MC (Imani); Barbadian-Ghanaian American SCs (Lyric, Jesse); Ghanaian American cis woman SC (Mom); Barbadian American cis man SC (Dad); brown cis girl SC (Harlee); Black cis girl SCs (Willow, Tinka); Sierra Leonean American SCs (Aida, Genevieve, Andrew); BIPOC background characters
September 6, 2025
3.5 stars. I felt very steeped in Caribbean-Afro culture. I enjoyed looking up some of the textile terms, and it made me very hungry. The drama felt a little clunky at times, but all the characters were so earnest and likeable. The sibling relationship was the best.
December 16, 2025
Imani enters a design contest to win a scholarship to an arts high school. The competition fierce and when her designs are stolen she must discover how to get her designs out there while she learns who her true friends are.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews