Like Vanessa
Like Vanessa
4.2/5
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Like Vanessa

Written by Tami Charles & illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Hardcover
$16.99
$15.97
10 - 99
Reading age
288
Page count
228
Words per page
730L
Lexile measure
Mar 13, 2018
Publication date

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What's Like Vanessa About

Publisher Summary

Middle graders will laugh and cry with thirteen-year-old Vanessa Martin as she tries to be like Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America. In this semi-autobiographical debut novel set in 1983, Vanessa Martin’s real-life reality of living with family in public housing in Newark, New Jersey is a far cry from the glamorous Miss America stage. She struggles with a mother she barely remembers, a grandfather dealing with addiction and her own battle with self-confidence. But when a new teacher at school coordinates a beauty pageant and convinces Vanessa to enter, Vanessa’s view of her own world begins to change. Vanessa discovers that her own self-worth is more than the scores of her talent performance and her interview answers, and that she doesn’t need a crown to be comfortable in her own skin and see her own true beauty. “It’s such an honor to be the focal point of this wonderful book! Without a doubt, it will be inspiring to a new generation of young, talented girls well on their way to promising careers.” –Vanessa Williams, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Fashion Designer and star of Television, Film and the Broadway Stage “Like Vanessa has it all and then some! Gritty, poetic, emotionally true, Tami Charles wrings out every hope, every stumble and every triumph of a girl on an uneasy road to possessing her self, her strength and her own beauty. An unforgettable debut.” –Rita Williams-Garcia, author of One Crazy Summer and P.S. Be Eleven ♦ “This debut is a treasure: a gift to every middle school girl who ever felt unpretty, unloved, and trapped by her circumstances.”– Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW ♦ “Charles evades the clichés and imbues Vanessa with an inner life that’s so real and personal it’s hard to deny the charm, heartbreak, and triumph of her story. . . . Superb.”– Booklist STARRED REVIEW ♦ “Like Vanessa is an emotionally potent, engaging young adult story with a heroine whom it is impossible not to root for. The life lessons that Nessy learns are relevant and worthwhile for everyone.”– Foreword Reviews STARRED REVIEW

What Kind of Book is Like Vanessa

Topics

historyschoolself-esteemconfidenceperforming arts20th centurysocial themesfamily lifegirls and womenself-esteem and self-reliancefamily problemspageants

Locations

Race, Ethnicities, & Nationalities

Reviews

    Book Lists That Include Like Vanessa

    The Creatives Behind the Book

    What Has Tami Charles Said About This Book

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    What Has Vanessa Brantley-Newton Said About This Book

    Nothing yet! Let Vanessa Brantley-Newton know that you want to hear from them about their book.

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    Book Details

    ISBN
    9781580897778
    Publication Date
    March 13, 2018
    Publisher
    Charlesbridge Publishing
    Page Count
    288
    Words Per Page
    228
    Reading Age
    10 - 99+ years
    Lib. of Congress (LCCN)
    2016053961
    Lexile® Level
    730L
    Est. Fountas & Pinnell Level
    ~Q
    ATOS® Book Level
    4.9
    Accelerated Reader® Points
    10
    Accelerated Reader Quiz
    193702
    Accelerated Reader Interest Level
    MG

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