{"product_id":"9781580898997","title":"Like Vanessa","description":"\u003cb\u003eMiddle graders will laugh and cry with thirteen-year-old Vanessa Martin as she tries to be like Vanessa Williams, the first black Miss America.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"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.\"   \u003cb\u003e—Vanessa Williams, Multi-Platinum Recording Artist, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBest-Selling Author, Fashion Designer and star of Television, Film and the Broadway Stage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eLike Vanessa\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eOne Crazy Summer\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eP.S. Be Eleven\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e♦ \"This debut is a treasure: a gift to every middle school girl who ever felt unpretty, unloved, and trapped by her circumstances.\"— \u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews \u003c\/i\u003eSTARRED REVIEW\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e♦ \"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.\"— \u003ci\u003eBooklist \u003c\/i\u003eSTARRED REVIEW\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e♦ \"\u003ci\u003eLike Vanessa\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\"— \u003ci\u003eForeword Reviews \u003c\/i\u003eSTARRED REVIEW\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Charlesbridge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42370863464509,"sku":"9781580898997","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0603\/0838\/9949\/files\/9781580898997_p0.jpg?v=1771571767","url":"https:\/\/www.tatteredcover.com\/products\/9781580898997","provider":"Tattered Cover","version":"1.0","type":"link"}