Turning Point: A Provocative Middle Grade Novel of Best Friends, Ballet, and Racial Barriers

So Done #3

by Paula Chase

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.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Sports, Contemporary, Fiction, Social Justice

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2020

About the author

I'm a creature borne of pop culture. It's created a volatile mix of hope and cynicism within me that I help myself understand by putting my young characters through the world's paces.

I have a big heart for young readers. Young Adult and Middle Grade novels are my home.

And because no one lives in a vacuum, I co-founded The Brown Bookshelf to ensure that the spotlight on children's lit created by persons of color never dims.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

TURNING POINT
by Paula Chase

Typical preteen girls, Rasheeda and Monique are both struggling with goals, growing up, relationships between aunties, God, church, and best friends in addition to things like body image, racial issues, to ballet, and boys. The reach is broad and the book is fun. Great read, no matter your age.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book to review.

I absolutely love this author’s writing, so I was delighted to get a chance to read this September release ahead of time. TURNING POINT is a stand alone story, but focuses on characters from The Cove we know from SO DONE and DOUGH BOYS. This story is told from the dual perspectives of Mo and Sheeda, and their very different summers apart from each other. Mo attends a with a three week ballet intensive with Mila out of town, and is thrust into a dance world that shakes her confidence. Sheeda is left behind and stuck going to church, while exploring her feelings for Lennie that don’t fit with her aunt’s expectations of her. Both girls grapple with who they are when outside pressures build and force them to deal independently.

I love how the author writes her characters, and how fleshed out and real they feel. I love the dual perspectives because the story feels rich and complex, and there’s so much for readers to take in. The girls deal with issues common to many young teens, and yet being Black adds extra layers and nuances to their experiences. I would love to see even more kids finding these books, and benefitting from them.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two different friends are on different paths for the summer and the group feels a little strained. Not only is their a romance between a friend and the other friend's brother, but there's plenty of prejudice at the dance corps institute that the girls are at as the only Black ballerinas. And it feels off. The girls address the fears and stand up against the discrimination.

There is a bit about ballet but not overwhelming for those that don't know much about it and plenty of texting drama and communication to fill the pages that feels like teen talk. Plenty to enjoy but the characters while well-rounded weren't connected but in reading the description I also see that it's part of a companion of books so maybe I would know them better had I read the others.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in Paula Chase's So Done series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I loved the portrayal of female friendships and how they are affected by distance and romantic relationships. Mo's story arch is compelling as she tries to determine how many of her problems are due to the nonacceptance of a White world and how many are due to her own perceptions. I also really appreciated her conclusions about classical ballet which felt totally earned and realistic. Sheeda's struggles with trying to be herself and find companionship in her lonely summer will resonate with readers, as will her insecurities about Lenny's attention. I also appreciate the portrayal of a religious lifestyle as normal even if her aunt is a little overbearing. Like Mo, she comes to some conclusions about herself and what she wants by the end. There is one scene where a boy makes her feel uncomfortable by imposing her physically. It is handled well and is an essential part of her personal growth. Highly recommended.

Read more at Bookish Adventures.

[Laura Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turning Point is the third book by @thatpaulachase about friends in the same neighborhood. Rasheeda and Monique have been best friends forever, but this summer the two are separated. Mo is in a ballet intensive for three weeks, but she’s only one of two Black girls and she feels underprepared. Meanwhile, Sheeda is lonely; most of her time is spent at church with her aunt or texting Mo’s brother Lennie. This incredible coming of age novel addresses body image, sexual harassment, racial prejudice and female friendships. The audiobook is awesome.

[Kenya | Reviews May Vary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publishers for a free copy of this middle grade book.

Monique and Rasheeda are best friends who are about to spend a summer apart. Mo's headed to an elite summer dance experience with a bunch of privileged White girls who have been dancing since they were two. Sheeda is staying home and expected to help lead the youth ministry at church. They both have things to learn about being honest with themselves and their friends.

Great book about friendship and finding your own stengths.

TW: forced physical closeness

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Monique and Rasheeda are best friends, but things are changing the summer before they go into high school. Mo's been accepted to a prestigious summer ballet program, while Sheeda is chafing at the restrictions her super-religious aunt is putting on her all of a sudden. When Sheeda catches the eye of Mo's older brother, she finds herself with opportunities to break Auntie D's rules, and when Mo realizes that the invisible barriers of race in the world of ballet aren't so invisible after all, she finds herself wondering if she'll qualify to attend Ballet Academy's full-time school in the fall. For both girls, the beginnings of this summer might mean the end of their friendship as they know it...

Watch my trailer: https://youtu.be/y69MaNgDHd0

Check out my book trailer: https://youtu.be/y69MaNgDHd0

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence G; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity PG; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (consent; adolescent angst, racism) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: While I admit that I had to look up some of the slang in this book (thanks, Urban Dictonary of Slang), I liked the story and was glad I also had the companions in the series: "So Done" and "Dough Boys". All good choices if you're looking to beef up diversity in your MS library.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. Turning Point by Paula Chase is a compulsively readable upper middle-grade book (more mature than the average but not quite YA) that explores a horde of important themes. This book handles everything from female friendships, body image, sexual harassment, religion, racial prejudice, to ballet, If you're looking for a middle-grade book about ballet, I'd highly recommend this one. As at the time of this review, it's the best I've read. Claire Swinarski's What Happens Next features a ballerina, but she's not the protagonist and there isn't much about ballet in the book.

Read my full review on my blog.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Paula Chase and Greenwillow Books for sharing this book AMAZING MUST READ with the LitReviewCrew in exchange for an honest review.

Like all of Paula's books, I devoured Turning Point and it may be my favorite of the So Done series. It's hard to choose though because they are all so good. The dual perspectives give a richness that makes you live the story with the characters. There are so many reasons I loved this book, but three main ones are:
1-Dual Point of View
2-Becoming independent
3-Ballet

I think there need to be more books like this one for upper middle grade. It is a time of learning independence, learning who you are apart from your family, and how you will handle and grow through tough choices and tough circumstances. Go read it!

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

What it's about: Mo and Sheeda are best friends, but as they enter the summer before ninth grade, they're going separate ways.

Mo is heading off to a ballet intensive, a camp to which she's gotten a scholarship, and which might give her the opportunity to further pursue her goals of being a ballerina and joining the ranks of such luminaries as Alvin Ailey.

Sheeda is staying home while Mo and every other friend in her crew are off doing their own thing - everyone except Tai, who Sheeda would be just as glad to have off someplace else. Sheeda's lonely summer has its schedule filled up by her Auntie D, with whom Sheeda lives. Sheeda is going to spend the summer working in various ministries and programs for her church. While she loves some of the activities she'll get to participate in, she's not looking forward to being part of the Baptist Kids crew.

The two best friends plan to keep in touch via text; but texts can only convey so much information. And as Mo and Sheeda both come up against unexpected situations, they find themselves wishing they had their best friend with them.

Mo wonders how to make her way in the mostly-white ballet program, and whether being Black is hurting her chances to move up in the program.

Sheeda finds herself talking with Mo's older brother, Lennie. Sheeda isn't allowed to be talking to any boys, but Lennie seems different; he seems like he really is interested in Sheeda as a person, and not just as some girl to holler at. But Sheeda feels strange about taking anything anywhere with Lenny without checking that Mo is okay with it; and yet, Sheeda doesn't know how to bring the topic up.

As both girls struggle with their challenges, they find that growing up brings some challenges that they weren't ready for.

What I thought: One of the things I've really enjoyed about Chase's So Done books is how she establishes two main characters and alternates chapters between their perspectives. Chase does a great job of establishing each character as a full, deep, rounded personality; and getting to see the story from two different points of view adds to the depth of her worlds.

I also really like that each character, and particularly the two in Turning Point, have their own unique situations. While they're coming from the same physical place and similar backgrounds, each character is their own person, and each has a different take, just like real people.

This book's exploration of the Black experience in ballet is really interesting, because there's so much ambiguity about what is racism and what is Mo's ability level with her ballet. It's a very frustrating position for Mo to be in, particularly as she is a character who is ready and willing to say what's on her mind and deal with the consequences; but in this particular situation, these qualities aren't helping her like they do in the Cove. She is a fish out of water, and she's having a hard time figuring out how to maneuver and adapt to a world that is extremely different than the one she's used to. I found it really illuminating to see Mo's struggles to feel like such an outsider while most of her fellow ballerinas are on the "inside" of language, experiences, and cultural norms. Mo finds it exhausting to try to figure out whether she's being slighted, and whether it's her skills or her experience or her being Black that drive each interaction. Seeing this inside perspective really helped me see and understand that experience.

I also really enjoyed seeing Sheeda's journey as she goes from being the quiet, protected friend to her own person, navigating some difficult friend-group situations with the Bap Kids. Her evolving interactions with Lennie are also really engaging. As an adult, seeing how Sheeda reacts to Lennie's attention was a little cringe-inducing, because it was so real. And I was surprised how much I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Sheeda and her aunt; have Auntie D be more than a stereotypical adult, particularly a very devout adult, was really wonderful in a MG/YA book.

Of course, I shouldn't have been surprised - one of the things Chase has done in every one of her books is start with characters who could easily be stereotypes, then gives each an in-depth dive to show who they really are and why they are the way they are. She brings depths and humanity to characters that other authors would use as wallpaper and plot points, and her readers' empathy benefits from Chase's care for and insight into her characters.

Why I rated it like I did: This is an engaging story with some grounded characters dealing with situations that readers will recognize - or if not, that they will learn from. It's a great addition to the So Done world.

[Ellie M]

We've heard from Mila and Tai and Rollie and Simp in the previous books So Done and Dough Boys. While this book's cover doesn't match the other two, it is the third Cove story in a series, this time from the points of view of Sheeda and Mo. I wasn't able to remember very much about them from the earlier books, so it was exciting to see their points of view the summer before high school. They almost reminded me of Mila and Tai themselves.
Rasheeda Jenkins is basically alone for the summer. Mila and Mo are at their ballet camp and Chrissy is visiting faraway relatives. While Tai is there, her plans often interfere with church for Sheeda, who lives with an aunt that organizes Vacation Bible School. During church activities, her group has been torn apart by two of the girls' fighting, and one boy starting a serious relationship with one of the same girls. Sheeda doesn't want to let Auntie D down, but is also hiding a secret: she has been meeting up with Mo's brother, Lennie, and she likes him as more than a friend.
Monique Jenkins and her best friend Jamila are looking forward to attending a three-week-long dance intensive in Philadelphia. Back home, they are the best dancers in their class and highly respected by everyone else, fitting right in. But when they arrive at the college campus, they find that they are the only Black girls there, and two of only six non-white girls. Mo is constantly held to a higher standard because of this. Not only that, but some of the girls seem to have an obsession with being skinny and inadvertently shaming Mo for not being as thin as them. She's realizing that Mila just might be better than her, as she is met with nothing but praise. She does find friends in her suite mates Brenna and Katie, but doesn't know how to get approval from her new teacher. And the entire group has a chance to be accepted into the intensive's year-round program.
Since the characters are almost in high school this could technically be both MG and YA. If you normally read YA and are interested in this story, I say go for it.

[eve.lyn._.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

rtc (review-to-come)
really confused about my feelin' towards this book rn. =_=

🩰🪟🏙️Turning Point🏙️🪟🩰
Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda) find their lives going in different directions as both go to pursue different dreams. Monique is accepted into one of the most prestigious ballet programs and finds that there are several things she will learn about herself and others. Rasheeda goes to church very often, and also explores her newfound relationship with Lennie. Mo tries hard to do well but finds that every single person has different techniques and experience, and she feels lonely being one of the few Black girls in the school. Turning Point deals with body image issues, growing up, talent, perseverance, racism, and sexual harassment.

Two girls. One friendship. No looking back. First of all, . . . this catchline doesn't really make sense? For one thing, the "No looking back?" Mo and Sheeda maintain a pretty solid friendship throughout the book. I liked this book, but then there were several things that didn't work for me. It circulated a lot of crushes and who's with who, and I just...didn't like the love interest in the whole book? This book dealt with sexual harassment but it was very late in the book and abrupt. . . I still applaud Paula for dealing with this extremely important subject. It was written really well; and I just felt SO MAD-

I guess a part of the disappointment was I expected this book to focus a lot on friendship, and sure it did-but not how I expected. (This is my fault for assuming!) Topics like wanting to date and crushes just didn't interest me. I've read another book by Paula Chase and I love how she deals with important topics while also focusing on friendship. Mo and Sheeda were overall characters I could root for. Sadly, I didn't have super strong emotions about this book, but it was an important read.
✅PLOT
✅CHARACTERS

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer is the time for friendship- hanging out with the people you like most, doing all the things that make you happy. Or, at least, it is supposed to be.

This summer, Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda) are split apart when Mo gets accepted to a ballet summer intensive and Sheeda is stuck with the church friends she'd rather avoid.

Mo is excited to be going to the summer intensive, along with her friend Mila, but is worried they will be the only black girls there. Upon arrival, she finds that her concern was valid. This, and her concerns about her body that doesn't look like a traditional ballerina, shade her experience. Sometimes Mo feels like her emotions are too big for other people. But should she have to change, or should they?

Sheeda's Auntie D is full of lectures and rules. She expects Sheeda to spend almost all of her time at church. Sheeda would rather not hang with Yola, Jalen, and Kita, especially after their trip to the carnival wasn't all that great. But Sheeda is afraid to tell her auntie that there is such a thing as too much church. And she certainly isn't going to be telling her that Mo's brother Lennie has been texting her all summer!

This book was lovely to read. The main characters really came to life. I love that it is written in the way that people really talk to one another. Too often books don't feel authentic because we want them to be "proper" English- but that isn't how kids (and adults!) talk in real life! I do wish that I understood the backgrounds of some of the secondary characters a little better- but I also get that they aren't the meat of the story.
The relationships throughout the book evolve beautifully and by the end it feels like everyone has settled more comfortably into their own skin.

I would absolutely recommend this book to my middle school students!

[Karen McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was my favorite So Done book yet. In some ways I could relate to Sheeda's struggle to try to follow her Aunt's deeply religious set of rules and expectations of always being in church. I too grew up in church, and I connected with the love of Vacation Bible School and singing (or dancing) while also wanting a life outside of the church and struggling to separate rules from faith. Sheeda's dangerous flirtation with an older boy brought me back to my early high school days. This is a story for teens, and I really appreciate that about the author. She writes for teens in a way they will connect better too as they enter middle school and high school bridging the gap between middle grade and YA.

In other ways, being white and coming from a culture much different than Mo and Sheeda's, their stories are an important window into experiences outside of my own. I was not a ballerina (ballroom dancer here) but found Mo's passion for dancing inspiring. I found I wanted to learn more about the ballet world. I also really appreciated seeing Mo's perspective attending a summer intensive where everyone was white and struggling with the challenges and microaggressions that come with pursuing the dance that she loves. I found myself wondering how I would handle Mo's anger and tendency to "snap back" and whether I would do a better job than her suitemates. I don't think I would have as a teen, but this book really made me wonder and think and explore my own tendencies to avoid confrontation and not recognize my own privilege.

I count any book I want to read that holds my attention in 2020 as a great book. It is challenging for me to engage, but I did with this book! #LitReviewCrew

[Akoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Harper Collins Children's Books and author Paula Chase for this advance reader copy.
All opinions are my own.
---
Summer break which is supposed to be filled with hang outs and shenanigans turns out to be anything but when Sheeda's best friend Mo leaves for a ballerina intensive camp. But the boredom Sheeda anticipates shows up with a life changing twist.
Mo takes a leap of faith to go on the ballerina intensive but she quickly realizes it's more than she bargained for when she finds out there are only three kids of colors at the camp including herself and Mila.
Both Sheeda and Mo are at critical moments in their lives where any decision they make is guaranteed to impact their future moving forward. I felt the urgency and weight of the moment deep in my chest. There was a time I was Sheeda as I grappled with things I wanted to do but a good church girl wasn't supposed to do. Those moments when as a child you plan ways to dance around your parents' rules to get away with things you were told not to do. I related with Mo so much in all those moments she questioned if she was overreacting around her white counter parts, if she was being too loud and thus scary when she didn't mean to. Basically every page in the book is a mirror to my younger self.
The voice in the book jumps off the page. It will leave you feeling like you've always known the girls and their friends.
I understand this is a companion but I had absolutely no problem sinking into the world and the story even though I haven't had the chance to read So Done or Dough Boys yet. Turning Point stands fine on its own and I highly recommend it. Be ready to be taken deep in to your feelings.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley provided me a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner by Paula Chase set in the same world as So Done and Dough Boys and featuring the same crew.

This time the story focuses on the friendship between Rasheeda and Monique and the time they must spend apart while Mo is off at an intensive dance retreat with Mila. While Mo struggles with being one of the only black ballerinas at the retreat, Sheeda struggles with her strict aunt and feeling out of place with church friends. Throw in a crush on Mo's brother and things start to get really complicated.

Chase is SO GOOD at writing authentic POC middle school voices, and the addition of text messages/chats makes the story even more appealing to younger readers. Common themes of friendship and family are woven together with issues of race and inequality in a way that is seamless and satisfying. I hope there are more stories to come in this series--I love getting to know a new pair each time.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's interesting this is a series of three books, as I really liked the first book, So Done, and couldn't quite get into the second one, Dough Boys, which followed fringe characters from the series, but Chase comes back strong with this third installment. Mo and Sheeda are the alternating narrators here, and since they were part of the close friend group with Mila and Tai, who narrated the first book, this feels like more of a direct sequel, and one that can also stand alone.

Turning Point revolves mainly around female friendships but also touches on several issues like the nuances of interracial interactions, subtle and overt prejudice against Black girls in ballet, sexual assault and the responsibility of boys to stand up to friends, perception of church friends v. neighborhood friends, and negotiating through overly restrictive adult rules. You might think the book was overloaded with so many issues addressed, but everything is woven together carefully so that the narrative flow isn't disrupted and the reader still drives toward a double climax that leaves them wondering who will get accepted into the yearlong ballet program and what will come of the crush between Sheeda and Lennie. The pacing is helped along by periods of text conversation, and while this book is technically long at almost 400 pages, this formatting makes it feel much shorter.

This is highly recommended for middle school readers of realistic fiction.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book for me, but might fair better for middle school readers. Mo and Sheeda are best friends who have to spend a few weeks apart during the summer because Mo was accepted into a ballet intensive. She’s going to at least have her other good friend with her at the intensive while Sheeda stays behind with her strict aunt and her church friends. And her new crush who happens to be Mo’s older brother. The story alternates between Mo and Sheeda. Much of the dialogue is through texting, and I just didn’t love that. It got on my nerves. Texting between Mo and Sheeda because they were in different towns, but also texting between Sheeda and Lenny, her church friends, and her friend in her school clique. It was just a lot of text talk. Part of the novel was Mo’s experience at the dance intensive and how she felt awkward about being one of only two black dancers and having to fit in with her white suite mates. Part of the novel was Sheeda’s time flirting with Lenny and keeping it from Mo and hanging out with her church friends who she didn’t particularly enjoy. I’d say this is a somewhat bland read, but I’m used to adult novels with more meat to them, so I don’t know if I’m being completely fair in my review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mo and Sheeda are best friends who are about to spend a big part of the summer away from each other. Mo is going to a ballet intensive while Sheeda is staying home with her aunt. Each girl has a lot to deal with, and neither will end the summer the same. Mo’s confidence is shaken in the almost all-white ballet intensive, while Sheeda struggles to meet her aunt’s expectations and explore her feelings for a boy.

The author’s writing is engaging, and this book is difficult to put down. The story is told in alternating perspectives, so the reader gets to know each girl. I think that readers will strongly connect to each of them. This is one I will re-read and booktalk in my classroom.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheeda and Mo are best friends about to experience a very different summer then they're used to. Mo was accepted to a ballet dance intensive, and Sheeda was not. Left behind, Sheeda experiences her first summer without her best friend while Mo experiences many firsts, having never been away from home.

I enjoyed the alternating, third person story telling, and found the sprinkling of text messages a crafty way to hear the authentic voices of each girl. Some heavy topics of consent, stereotyping, and race were handled in a down to earth manner that wasn't preachy and rang true. I highly recommend the audio book! Bonnie Turpin did an amazing job performing it.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great to read an authentic African American voice throughout this young adult fiction. Although I hadn't read books one and two, I was able to jump into the lives and settings of the two main characters. As a former ballerina, I was slightly more interested in Mo's story at ballet school, but Rasheeda's story was equally important as she navigated her first interaction with a boy her age. I'm quite out of date with the abbreviations used in text messages so had to look up a few, but I am sure today's young adults will be more up with the current lingo than me. I'm just not sure the longevity of the book. Will teens in ten years be able to connect to the book as well?

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stand-alone book in the So Done series. The story follows two friends, Rasheeda and Monique, through the summer before high school. The girls are both trying to figure out their place in the world as their relationship with each other and their growing individualism change over time.

This #representationmatters and #ownvoices middle-grade novel touches on many tough topics. The author does not shy away from racism, rebellion, and difficult relationships. There is a lot here to encourage discussion with your child as they read.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheeda and Mo are best friends but when the summer before high school they have separate experiences, both eye opening, they aren’t sure if absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Sheeda is stuck between the church world her aunt occupies and the “normal” teen world she wants to occupy. Mo struggles with finding her identify as a young woman and as a dancer at the elite dance camp she attends for the summer. A great middle grade novel about finding yourself, speaking your truth, learning to listen and holding your friends close.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a coming of age story that follows two friends, Monique and Rasheeda, who spend a summer apart. Monique is going a ballet intensive program while Rasheeda stays at home helping out with her church’s bible camp. This is a coming of age story as much is a tale about friendship and finding yourself. Both girls are put in different situation where they out of place both separated, but are only able to stay connected through text....

Read the full book review on the blog: https://www.lifeofafemalebibliophile....

[Laurie]

Paula Chase is one of my favorite upper MG authors, and I loved TURNING POINT just as much as her others! This is such a powerful, compelling, smart story about friendship, ballet, religion, and race. I loved getting to know Mo and Sheeda better after meeting them as secondary characters in SO DONE and DOUGH BOYS. They are memorable, lovable, fully realized characters, and this story is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. HIGHLY recommend Paula’s MG for middle school readers and 7th and 8th graders especially. We need more books for that age and Paula’s are exceptional.

[Lisa Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great for readers not quite ready for the sexuality and deeper themes of YA books but still want drama and intricate friendships of teens. There are some less present things in the book that would make EXCELLENT conversation starters for parents and teens. I learned a new text term. This is the third book written in this “series”. Each book is written from a different character in the neighborhood they call The Cove. This book was written for middle grade readers. This book was not written for grownups. I LOVE her writing and characters. Excellent.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a recommend for junior high/early high school readers. It's nice to find a YA book that focuses almost entirely on the friendships between the characters. YA readers will be able to connect to the emotions and concerns facing each character - crushing on a boy, worrying about fitting in, outgrowing friendships. There are some mature themes in the book, however, but they are briefly mentioned and are not graphic.

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in dual voices, Turning Point tells of two girls from the same neighborhood, who are best friends who go separate ways for the summer and learn about themselves.
Sheeda is staying home and helping out at church. She lives with her aunt, because her mom gave her up several years ago. She is expected to be VERY involved at church, because her aunt is. She has her "church" friends and then her school/ neighborhood friends. She is not looking forward to the summer because Mo will be gone, however Mo's brother shows some interest in her and she thinks he likes her, so that is kinda exciting. BUT will possibly having a relationship with her brother affect her friendship with Mo?

Monique has been accepted to an exclusive ballet school, but she and Mila are the only two black girls there. As Mo struggles to find her place in this WHITE world she deals with learning to figure out if she is being judged for the color of her skin or if she is assuming the judgement.

Great theme of growing up and adjusting to new challenges and speaking up for yourself. Fine for 6th and up.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book. I enjoyed the book and the characters. The change in the characters as the book progresses is believable and relatable. Rasheeda (Sheeda) and Monique (Mo) are best friends that must find their own way this summer for three weeks. Mo was accepted into a ballet intensive camp, and Sheeda was not. Mo must learn to deal with her short temper.

[Zenita Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful coming of age story about the paths we choose to walk in life and how to fit into them while remaining true to ourselves.

I think it's a book my younger self could have used.

I go into it a bit more here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXSkK...