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Stepping Up: A Graphic Memoir

by Kiara Valdez

Finding a place—and deciding what belonging means

Regular price $24.10 USD
Regular price $40.17 USD Sale price $24.10 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

Finding a place—and deciding what belonging means

Kiara Valdez’s graphic memoir centers on the divide between her life in Washington Heights and her new surroundings as a financial-aid student at Phillips Academy Andover. As one of the few Black students at the predominantly white boarding school, she encounters visible differences in wealth and questions about where she fits. Joining the all-star step team gives her a community on campus, but a tragedy affecting people close to her complicates that sense of belonging. The memoir connects friendship and self-discovery with questions of race, class, privilege, and speaking up for oneself and others in an elite school environment.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in graphic memoirs about adolescence and self-discovery
  • Readers looking for stories about race, class, and belonging in school communities
  • Readers interested in friendship and team communities

Themes

Belonging and identityRace and classPrivilege in educationFriendship and communitySelf-advocacy

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"A balm to my soul."--Jen Wang, New York Times bestselling author of The Prince and the Dressmaker

A timely and vibrant teen graphic novel memoir about community, friendship, and self-discovery told through the eyes of a high school freshman Kiara, one of the few Black students at her predominantly white boarding school--perfect for fans of Almost American Girl and Brownstone!

Kiara is a long way from Washington Heights. She's at Phillips Academy Andover--the prestigious school of her dreams. But her bulky financial aid laptop in a room full of brand-new Macs, her classmates' endless chatter about overseas vacations, and everyone's pristine North Face jackets have her feeling like she'll never fit in.

Then she discovers the all-star step team, SLAM. Kiara will gladly endure long practices, sore muscles, and chafed palms to finally find her place on campus. That is, until tragedy strikes and those closest to her are hurt, and she realizes exactly what it means to be an Andover student.

Because at a school where her wealthy white classmates can get away with almost anything and students like her are made to feel lucky to even be at the academy to begin with, is belonging really what Kiara wants? And is she brave enough to step up--for herself and her friends?

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