The Kayla Chronicles

by Sherri Winston

Kayla Dean, junior feminist and future journalist, is about the break the story of a lifetime. She is auditioning for the Lady Lions dance team to prove they discriminate against the not-so-well endowed. But when she makes the team, her best friend and fellow feminist, Rosalie, is not happy.

Now a Lady Lion, Kayla is transformed from bushy-haired fashion victim to glammed-up dance diva. But does looking good and having fun mean turning her back on the cause? Can you be a strong woman and still wear really cute shoes? Soon Kayla is forced to challenge her views, coming to terms with who she is and what girl power really means.

Narrated with sharp language and just the right amount of attitude, The Kayla Chronicles is the story of a girl's struggle for self-identity despite pressure from family, friends and her own conscience. Kayla's story is snappy, fun and inspiring, sure to appeal to anyone who's every questioned who they really are.

Genres: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Contemporary, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Realistic Fiction, Teen

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Prepare for your greatest mission yet. Jada Sly, Artist & Spy, is ready to take you on a journey across Manhattan and behind the scenes at her family’s museum. Fast-paced and quick-witted, Jada leads us into her conspiratorial world with great panache and determination. Perfect for cool middle grade spies.
Sherri Winston has eight published works of fiction, and lives in Orlando, FL.

Reviews

[harriyanna hasanati hook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in the library looking for a book and i came across this one. I assumed it was going to be ok, but i absolutely love it. I really underestimate this book. I think Kayla is a good role model for girls. She shows that you don't have to be all sexual to be a good dancer. Overall, i think it it a very quality book.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Katie Hayes for TeensReadToo.com

Aspiring journalist Kayla Dean and her best friend, Rosalie, are committed to feminism and fighting the injustices of society. Rosalie's latest plan is one that will push Kayla out of her comfort zone: Kayla will try out for their school dance team in order to prove their hypothesis that the Lady Lions only take girls with “big, luscious breasts,” and Kayla will
write an expose for the school paper.

But Kayla, a great dancer who has never quite gotten her confidence level to the point where she's comfortable performing, is in for a shock when, despite wearing an A-cup, she makes the team. Even more surprising is her realization that she likes being a Lady Lion and enjoys getting dressed up and wearing cute outfits. Now she has to find a way to reconcile her long-held beliefs with her newfound hobby•and to do so without losing her best friend.

I liked this book because it takes a fairly ordinary high school situation and makes it interesting with a distinct, funny style that reflects the main character's personality. Kayla tends to think in headlines, like “Kayla Dean Infiltrates Dance Team. Senate Probes Plight of Itty-Bitties. A-cups Get Their Due!” She also invents so many of her own words and phrases that there's a “Lexicon of Kayla-isms” at the end of the book. Kayla-isms include “blind-sexy: when someone looks so good even a blind person would go, ‘Mmm!'” and “dis-bliss: the point at which bliss gets run over by the dump truck of disgrace.”

Kayla is a funny, memorable character, and the book's theme•the ability to retain one's femininity while still fighting for women's rights•is one that will resonate with readers.

[MacK · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a sad stereotype that girls are readers while boys are doers. That has not always been my experience, plenty of my male students lug fiction in the crook of their arm, and plenty of girls tell me that they can't possibly read between basketball and hockey practices. So The Kayla Chronicles seemed like a genuine possibility for some of my more reluctant female readers (especially since so many revel in the world of cheering and dance team-membership that provides a focal point for the story), but I'm not quite sure what it would be for the boys.

Author Sherri Winston gives a convincing, if formulaic, story of a shy girl coming into her own. In a few pages practiced readers of young adult fiction can pick up on some of the major conflicts and plot points that will percolate throughout the story. There's not much that sets the story apart: generations, families, friendships, the tension between popularity and tradition, between athletics and academics; everything you've come to know and love (or at least expect) in youth fiction.

But where Winston (and The Kayla Chronicles) stands out is in the creative application and analysis of feminist perspectives. Rather than settling for a standard coming-of-age narrative, she weaves a debate about the nature of feminism through a few carefully chosen character. I can see a lot of merit in using a story about maturity to show the development of a personal philosophy as much as the development of an individual's personality. Winston deserves plenty of credit for tackling such issues regardless of the expectations that come along with the young adult genre, even if other parts of the book are firmly focused on meeting those expectations

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed this book! it was a random read but a very refreshing one. kayla's 14 year old pov was so reminiscent from my year as a 14 year old. i found myself rooting for kayla's character and wanting her to find herself and understand that her wishing to look cute or liking to dance or liking shoes in no way steals any of her claim over being an intellectual smart and brainy, serious woman. her bestie rosalie had me pulling at my hair in annoyance and wanting to go shake at her obvious hypocrisy and bossiness and general toxicity. it was a very quick and light read. my only qualm is that i wish winston included more of a plot relating to her black background. that would've been more interesting to read about it. but overall, it sends a good message and i think young girls would surely benefit from reading it.

[Ruth]

to be honest i think this book was amazing because it points out how some girls feel so insecure about themselves and how then they start doubting ourselves because they are told they are too ugly or that they are not good enough because of their body structure and what their body has to offer. this book is a book that every girl should read because it will teach them to love who they are no matter what anybody says. it teaches that they are all types of girls and nobody can say which type of a girl you are.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but…

It was a good book I really like how the main character eventually grows into the woman she actually wants to be but i don’t really like that she didn’t make her so-called best friend apologize to her when Rosalie was borderline bullying her and ghosting her…like that part of the plot ended in a non satisfying way other than that I think it’s a good story to read.

[Shel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winston, S. (2008). The Kayla Chronicles. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

9780316114318

188 pages.


Appetizer: Kayla has just started high school, but she has big plans to become a journalist. Her best friend, Rosalie, knows just what she should write about for her first expose. Rosalie wants Kayla, a gymnast and (secret) dancer, to try out for the high school dance team, to expose them for only allowing the curvier girls to join the team. Rosalie hopes that when Kayla (who is lacking curves) is rejected from the team then they'll be able to expose the dance team for their vile ways.

Things don't quite go as Rosalie had planned. First, Kayla didn't really want to go along with the plan to begin with. Second, Kayla makes the dance team. It quickly becomes apparent that the two may be growing apart as friends.

I absolutely loved Kayla's voice in the book. She was strong, honest and feminist and willing to question her beliefs and why she had them. All this was very refreshing. And while she initially had trouble telling her friends what she was thinking, she didn't have a problem telling the reader. Some of the time, she did feel too wise for a fourteen-year-old, but that can be explained away by the fact that she is also a genius (not just according to her, but also to "Broward County, the state of Florida and a 4.5 GPA" (p. 25)).

Her family is funny and quirky and so are her friends. And Kayla balances the pressures others put on her with her desire to belong, be a strong, independent woman and find out who she is as well.

I loved that Kayla presented herself as a feminist from the very beginning. On page two, she narrates: "When I, Mikayla Alicia Dean, soon to be fifteen, think of feminism, I think of strong females taking action--even when that action goes against the girly-girl mold society assigns us" (p.2). She goes on to breakdown some stereotypes of what readers may expect a feminist to look like.

Kayla is also dealing with her first romance as well. Her reactions to the boy she likes are often innocent, honest and over-the-top embarrassing. (So, I could see two or three embarrassing things happening in the midst of going from you know I exist? Really? to girlfriend-boyfriend. But Kayla's interactions with Roger Lee are less along the lines of those "ugh, I can't believe I said that" moments of cringiness and are closer to the "Will he still like me? Will he ever speak to me again? The horror! THE HORRROR!" level of embarrassment.) It was a little much for me by about the fourth time something SUPER-embarrassing happened to her. I'm sure other readers would say those were their favorite moments though. I personally was cringing on Kayla's behalf.

Throughout the book, Kayla describes the website her and her friends have created or her list of favorite books on listmania. With all the online references, I was surprised to see there was no website devoted to the book. Little Brown, get on that. It could be a great avenue for readers to discuss the book and the ideas in it.

Also, I chose to read this book because the plot involved Kayla joining the dance team. I was kind of surprised that the actual dancing didn't really have a place in most of the story. There's a description of a routine here or there, lots of mentions of sweating through practices, but I was left wanting more. (My WIP involves dancing. So, my current research is to see how other authors incorporate it. How explicit are they about the steps? Does their writing make me want to dance? Stuff like that.)


Dinner Conversation:

"Stankalicious!
Allow me to define it:
Stank-a-le-shus--derived from stank, slang for stinker; 1) the art of being stank; 2) one who behaves in a manner so overboard, so bigger-than-life outrageous, so self-deluded, well, it could only be considered stankalicious.
And stankalicious, the newest word in my book of Kayla-isms, describes my best friend, Rosalie, to a tee" (p. 1).

"The "doom my future" part is that she wants me to try out for the Lady Lions dance team--the It girls of our new school. She wants me to prove how they won't let ordinary girls like me on the team. So my goal is to fail, thus supporting her theory while turning me into a huge "Who Not to Be Like" poster.
Rosalie was all "ooo" and "ahhh" and "power to the people," and I'm like, "hmm, you have a lot of nerve, sister-girl. A. Lot. Of. Nerve."
I didn't say it out loud, though.
I should have, but I didn't" (p. 3).

"So it was official:
My boy-breasts were about to become political prisoners in a high-stakes game of Popularity Death Match.
Breasts so small shouldn't be so much trouble" (p. 12).

"IF you're concerned with how others are seeing you, don't be. It'll make you crazy. Your confidence, your power, will come from looking inside and trusting yourself" (p. 91).

"My head buzzed with voices. Rosalie's voice and what she wanted. JoJo and what I thought she wanted. Miss Lavender and her comments about my look and what she wanted. Even my Mom's voice. I could hear them all buzzing in my head, telling me what was best for me, telling me how to be Kayla" (p. 108).


Tasty Rating: !!!!

[msfox_librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some YA books are still great reads for adults, others are only meant for YA readers. This one is great for middle grade to early high school but was a little too under developed for me to fully enjoy.

[Allen Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kayla Dean the feminism and journalist. Kayla and her best friend Rosalie that's also a feminism. Rosalie want Kayla to try out for the dance team to see if they pick girls for the looks and what they wear or for pure skill. You can find out by reading this book.

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacked sincerity and story was chaotic and underdeveloped. It felt like the author threw the first words that came to her mind on the page and left it at that. If you like chaos, this book is for you

[Charell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book for middle school readers. Will keep in mind for future gifts.

[Amber]

Cute. I might recommend this to a 13-15yo.

[Somerville High · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get a free BPL ecard from https://www.bpl.org/ecard/ and access at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/sh...

[Dimitri Davenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Book the Kayla chronicles are about a young feminist and extremely intelligent young lady which leads to the wildest of young years and the most difficult of coming of age stories.Her main goal in the book is too demolish and abolish the dancing group the leaping lions which eventual becomes one of her passionating.Moving back into her own life she finds herself in the middle of every social pariah that could ever exist in her school.

I Found the book to be extremely repeatable and i found it to be very urban and modern enough for me to read it as if i t was a piece of literature written by one of my peers.I Often wanted to be in the book because i loved everything about tit desire the absence of a homosexual character which i would have loved personally the idea of it being a good book is a reality it fits the teenage lifestyle well beyond its time with the absence of modern tech within the books content it has the sort of tone and theme where it could be slid in if you wanted to this wouldn't be a problem at all because its so susceptible to any kind of reader you can look at it like a black version of the more obvious mean girls.It took a really unlikely turn ND took the already mean girl and she goes innocent unlike the mean girls unofficial counterpart which leaves this in the dust because ts a all American classic.

I would Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed that movie.I may ramble when it comes to the similarities of the two but i really do see such a big difference.I love the more likely and more attractive then life diction and detail the author puts into a spotlight.Which may be more then appropriate the more then well lit senselessness that people will see when it gets close to the end of the book along with the lovely addition to the book which s its colorful vocabulary that was made strictly by the character into a modern sense of Ebonics.It lovely and i loved reading it props to the aurhtor because thats a really great book and she's a really good writer.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I sat down to write my review of The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston, I thought it would be a simple process. I had read it and loved it. Since it wasn't a review book I wasn't tied down by FTC regulations regarding endorsements. It would just be an enthusiastic post about a book with a positive message for teen girls featuring an African American main character and her extended, stable family all of whom live if Florida.

Then I read the review at Black Eyed Susan's which made me pause and rethink my reaction to the book. Susan came to the book with more knowledge of black feminist history and felt that the book missed the mark by what it didn't include. I am not an expert in black feminism nor am I even conversant in the subject. I'm not saying I have to read The Kayla Chronicles, even though Kayla and her friends do quote a lot of famous people (much like some of my friends took to quoting Shakespeare for a couple years in high school). Instead, I'm asking, what am I missing in my ignorance and can I even gauge how well the book will do with its intended audience (I'm assuming teen girls of color).

The answer is, I don't know. I can tell you that I as a late thirties white woman loved the positive messages in the book and found Kayla to be a believable and likeable teen character. She reminded me of many of my teen friends who were also juggling activism and cheer leading. Were I still a teen, I'm sure I'd love the book. But even as a teen, I wouldn't exactly be the target audience, although I'd have two circles in common with that target on a Venn diagram.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous, funny story about a young feminist/journalist-in-training who learns something I wish more adults could figure out--that there's more than one way to be a "strong," aware woman, and that categories like feminist and cheerleader, for example, don't have to be mutually exclusive. Each chapter has a "headline" and is chock-full of "Kaylaisms," that warrant a lexicography in the back, a la Georgia Nicholson. Hits on quite a few coming-of-age touchpoints: true friendship, being/recognizing/speaking up for yourself, finding a place in your family, having some kind of love interest, and manages to resolve them all without being sugarcoated or too perfectly wrapped up.

I'm not sure who I would recommend this book to, however. It's supposedly aimed at 9-13 year olds, ish, but I feel like "feminism" is still a scary, if not completely foreign, concept to most middle schoolers. That aspect may find a better audience with the 12-15 crowd, but there is also a first crush subplot that may be too immature for that group. All the same, I was glad to see feminism in YA, period, with even a good, open-minded spin!

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't care if this fills a niche--that's no reason to rate it well. Good writing is good writing and kids of all interests deserve the best we can give them. And this doesn't give them a well written, well plotted story.
This could've been great. But it tries to pile too much together in one story. There's so much going on here--Kayla's struggles between her feminist friend and her newfound love of the dance team, her grief over her loss of her grandmother and her struggle to rebond with her long absent family, and her self-image issues. The "Kaylaisms" are annoying and try too hard to be "with it"--instead they're lame.

P.S. for the prudes: This book includes an accidental rest room encounter with a boy that uses the word "penis" repeatedly. Nothing major--in fact I find the whole thing pretty gratuitous--but faint hearted school librarians who reeled at "The Higher Power of Lucky" may find their buns unraveling over this little episode.....

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books I'm glad exists, but I wish was better. Winston is one of those rare authors who writes about African-American characters who aren't in gangs, prison, pregnant, etc. In this one, she tackles what it means to be a strong girl: does it mean hating everything feminine? or does it mean doing things like wearing cute shoes and joining the school dance troupe while speaking up for yourself and empowering other girls? Awesome in so many ways, but then all the unbelievableness starts: do teens really talk this way? do family problems really resolve themselves this easily? does the hottest guy in school really fall for the awkward girl who can barely form a complete sentence in his presence? Oh well. I'll still booktalk it.

[Teen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winston is one of those rare authors who writes about African-American characters who aren't in gangs, prison, pregnant, etc. In this one, she tackles what it means to be a strong girl: does it mean hating everything feminine? or does it mean doing things like wearing cute shoes and joining the school dance troupe while speaking up for yourself and empowering other girls? Awesome in so many ways, but then all the unbelievableness starts: do teens really talk this way? do family problems really resolve themselves this easily? does the hottest guy in school really fall for the awkward girl who can barely form a complete sentence in his presence? Oh well. I'll still booktalk it.
LJ@DTH

[Deanna Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realistic fiction, finding one self (identity), friendship, family, high school, dance.

I enjoyed this YA novel. Each chapter began with a famous quote and there were many quotes throughout. Kayla and friends share quotes with each other, even texting them to each other. Kayla also makes up her own words which is interesting--Kayalisms. Some of the book is written in narrative text and other parts are in email messages, text messages or journal like fashion.

This book is probably more high school because of some of the mature topics but some mature middle school girls would enjoy.

[Sarah Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An explicitly feminist middle grade novel with a protagonist of color? I am in love. Kayla is a fantastic heroine, coming to terms with who she wants to be and who all of the people in her life want her to be. I appreciated the complexity with which Winston approached feminism and the way Kayla was able to ask difficult questions, finding answers and more questions. A lot of really complicated ideas are included here, and characters that might have been flat villains are actually given a lot of subtle layers. Love it, will definitely be seeking out more of Sherri Winston's writing.

[hal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book about two summers ago and I really enjoyed this book. It is original and Kayla is such a lovable, awesome, character. I like how she finally stood up to Rosalie at the end and I enjoyed watching Kayla mature and find herself. This is not exactly a "coming of age" book, but it is definitely about Kayla finding her true self (I'm sorry if that sounds really cliche, but it's the truth) and about her growing up, emotionally and physically. Bottom line: I recommend this book and I hope that if you take my advice, you enjoy this book as much as I did.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The refreshing part of this book is that the main character is a young African-American girl, but she isn't struggling with the stereotypical problems authors tend to assign to teenage characters of color. Instead she is dealing with problems of gender and identity that GDS students are more likely to identify with. Kayla's struggle with wanting to be a strong woman, but also be accepted by her peers is one that will resonate well with all teenagers.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

how do you justify being a feminist and being on the school's dance team? That's what Kayla Dean has to figure out while juggling her first kiss, almost losing her best friend and learning to be part of a family again.

I loved the "Kayla-isms" and the way the story was written. Between the dialog and the plot each of the characters were very believable and honest.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 starts not because it is really that great but because it is a rare book. A book about an African American teenage girl that is NOT all about drugs, or getting pregnant. Kayla is a smart, funny, feminist and budding journalist who makes the hottest dance team in Florida. Is she still a feminist? Can popular dance girls still be cool, and intelligent? Turns out yes!

[George]

Aspiring journalist and freshman feminist Kayla is goaded into overcoming her shyness to write an exposé of the “girly” bias of a popular dance team, only to make the team and discover there are many kinds of girls, and many ways to be an aware, sassy woman and wear cute shoes.

This middle grade/teen book works for fans of Carolyn Mackler; or the Georgia Nicholson books.

[Stephany · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Kayla Dean's best friend Rosalie encourages her to join a dance called the Lady Lions to prove that the dance team discriminates against certain girls, Kayla has to decide whether she wants to be like the girls on the dance team or like her best friend, who is a devoted feminist.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kayla is a sophomore searching for her voice. She has an overbearing best friend and a family she can't connect with because they've been off traveling over the years. Terrific coming of age story. Very authentic voice.

[Brianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exuberantly feminist in the best kind of way. This book is so fresh, so honest - I love Kayla's character voice. She is a dynamo of girlhood, and although her struggles are unique to her situation and personal identity there was something beautifully universal about her story. I LOVE KAYLA!!!

[Lorraine Stinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book about a HS girl who joins a dance team to show their unfair anti feminist practices, but she ends up liking it somewhat. Funny, some language but since i's in HS, I don't know about the MS list, also, basically no boy appeal.