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.
| Publisher | Charlesbridge (March 13, 2018) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 288 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1580897770 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1580897778 |
| Reading age | 10 years and up |
| | |
| Grade level | 5 - 6 |