SPARKLE

A Black sixth grader’s love of modeling and performing is challenged on and off the stage.

Maryland tween Sparkle Moore is a budding social media influencer, and her hair—abundant “chestnut-colored locks”—is a big part of her persona. Her mother is a former model who has shifted her focus into making Sparkle and her sister social media successes. Sparkle and her best friends, Taryn and Rae, who are also Black, hope to make a good impression on Ms. June, the Arts Academy drama director. Sparkle wants to help her family out financially by landing a key role in the school’s spring production and creating content that could attract the attention of Hollywood casting agents; Sparkle’s dad was a famous TV star, but the residual checks they live on have been shrinking. Things take an unexpected turn when Taryn notices a small bald spot on Sparkle’s scalp. Following a scary diagnosis of alopecia, Rae designs creative hair accessories to help Sparkle cover up her bare patches, but Sparkle’s friendship with Taryn becomes strained as she deals with her shifting roles at school and home. This is an honest look at the impact of a medical diagnosis that affects appearance, particularly in the context of social media. Sparkle is an original character who is personally driven but also able to put her family first. The relationship dynamics among the friends will resonate with middle school readers.

A timely and relatable story about self-perception and social pressures.