Book picks similar to
So Not The Drama by Paula Chase


chick-lit
young-adult
african-american
black-authors

It Chicks


Tia Williams - 2007
    Welcome to Louis B. Armstrong, New York City's most prestigious performing arts school, where the gifted, wanna-be starlets, and It Chicks are "all" on the rise. But when rehearsals give way to hot and heavy after-school sessions away from the barre and without the mic, the" real" drama begins. Meet the hottest cast in town: Tangie, the Dreamer. Skye the Drama Queen. Eden the Bombshell. Trey the Bad Boy. CJ the Thug with the Heart of Gold. Izzy the Wild Child. Regina the Silent Threat. And the Entourage: Marisol, Kamillah, Blackadocious, Vineet, and Lyle. They're all playing the fame game and will do whatever it takes to nail it.

Hotlanta


Denene Millner - 2008
    Gorgeous boys. Family secrets. Major drama. Welcome to Atlanta and the lives of the Duke twins, Sydney and Lauren. They don't call it Hotlanta for nothing!The Duke twins, Sydney and Lauren, live the life: They attend the fanciest school in Atlanta, they live in Buckhead, the most exclusive neighborhood, and they only date the hottest guys. And their secrets? Are the darkest of all. When their estranged father is released from prison and a murder is committed, their lives are plunged into a whirlwind of tabloid scrutiny, vicious gossip, and shocking revelation. Lauren, always such a party girl, and Sydney, bent on perfection by way of the Ivy League, can't trust anyone. Not their mother, not their rich stepfather. Maybe not even each other.

How to Salsa in a Sari


Dona Sarkar - 2007
    She just hates Issa. And for good reason: Issa finds out that her mother not only has been dating Cat's dad, but is going to marry him. That means they're moving into Cat's huge house. And not only is Issa's stepsister-to-be a total beyotch, she has no respect for Issa's Indian and African-American heritage. But Issa gets some tough advice: if she wants Cat Morena to welcome her traditions, Issa had better learn how to salsa in a sari.

Piecing Me Together


Renée Watson - 2017
    Her mother says she has to take every opportunity. She has. She accepted a scholarship to a mostly-white private school and even Saturday morning test prep opportunities. But some opportunities feel more demeaning than helpful. Like an invitation to join Women to Women, a mentorship program for “at-risk” girls. Except really, it’s for black girls. From “bad” neighborhoods.But Jade doesn’t need support. And just because her mentor is black doesn’t mean she understands Jade. And maybe there are some things Jade could show these successful women about the real world and finding ways to make a real difference.Friendships, race, privilege, identity—this compelling and thoughtful story explores the issues young women face.

Black Boy White School


Brian F. Walker - 2012
    But at Belton things are far from perfect. Everyone calls him “Tony,” assumes he’s from Brooklyn, expects him to play basketball, and yet acts shocked when he fights back.As Anthony tries to adapt to a world that will never fully accept him, he’s in for a rude awakening: Home is becoming a place where he no longer belongs.In debut author Brian F. Walker’s honest and dynamic novel about staying true to yourself, Anthony might find a way to survive at Belton, but what will it cost him?

16 Isn't Always Sweet


Cassandra Carter - 2008
    So when she hears about an open casting call for the hottest rapper's new video, she has the confidence to go for it. She and her best friend, Adrienne, try out with hundreds of hopefuls, but only Jordan makes it. Adrienne seems fine with it. But when Jordan starts getting some serious attention, Adrienne turns into a hater. And after Jordan has an innocent in-the-hall conversation with Adrienne's ex-boyfriend—they dated for one week, like four years ago!—Adrienne plots to ruin Jordan's life by spreading rumors, writing stuff on the bathroom walls and telling Jordan she'd be better off dead. Suddenly Jordan's popularity is fading. Forget sweet sixteen. She soon discovers that what she needs most is to find the strength to be herself.

Does My Head Look Big in This?


Randa Abdel-Fattah - 2007
    Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.Can she handle the taunts of "towel head," the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah's debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.

Withering Tights


Louise Rennison - 2010
    Boys, snogging and bad acting guaranteed!Picture the scene: Dother Hall performing arts college somewhere Up North, surrounded by rolling dales, bearded cheesemaking villagers (male and female) and wildlife of the squirrely-type. On the whole, it’s not quite the showbiz experience Tallulah was expecting… but once her mates turn up and they start their ‘FAME! I’m gonna liiiiive foreeeeeever, I’m gonna fill my tiiiiights’ summer course things are bound to perk up.Especially when the boys arrive. (When DO the boys arrive?)Six weeks of parent-free freedom. BOY freedom. Freedom of expression… cos it’s the THEATRE dahling, the theatre!!

Gettin' Hooked


Nyomi Scott - 2007
    Imani Lane has her heart set on Maurice, the hottest guy in town. But he isn't exactly asking. So she comes up with an idea to help herself--and everyone else, too. An online dating hookup site for local teens! Her friends and cousin can find their dream dates, and Imani can brilliantly engineer her own profile to match Maurice's. Problem is, the Web site is becoming too popular. Guys who are looking for hookups--say, with Imani's own impressionable cousin--now include some very sleazy types. So Imani has to get things unhooked and fast.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder


Julie Halpern - 2009
    A self-professed “mathelete,” she isn’t sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved his mohawk and started dating . . . the prom princess!) . . .Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way—the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?      If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?

Pride


Ibi Zoboi - 2018
    Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and arrogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.But with four wild sisters pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon, Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape, or lose it all.In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.

Hot Girl


Dream Jordan - 2008
    Not only is she tired of her raggedy, tomboy image, but she's also missing her best friend, Felicia, who's away for the summer. Lonely and not exactly getting along with her new foster mother, Lynn, Kate so badly wants to be out and about, twirling pretty, and partying---and maybe catching the attention of her longtime crush, Charles. Opportunity knocks one hot summer day when fly-girl Naleejah struts her stuff straight up to Kate and takes a seat. Full of smiles, Naleejah tells Kate that she remembers her from school, but Kate can't remember ever having such a fabulous chick trying to befriend her. Kate's suspicion turns to trust once Naleejah gives her a much-needed makeover. Now a brand-new Kate suddenly has the attention of her dream boy. But is Naleejah checking for him, too? Against Kate's better judgment, she ignores the warning signs, and continues to let Naleejah lead her down a treacherous path. Soon, what seems like a fun and exciting summer ends up being a harsh reality check. Now Kate must decide how to get back on the right track . . . or is it already too late?

Jackpot


Nic Stone - 2019
    Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she--with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan--can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite...or divide?Nic Stone, the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out, creates two unforgettable characters in one hard-hitting story about class, money--both too little and too much--and how you make your own luck in the world.

Money Hungry


Sharon G. Flake - 2001
    All thirteen-year-old Raspberry can think of is making money so that she and her mother never have to worry about living on the streets again.

After Tupac and D Foster


Jacqueline Woodson - 2008
    The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them.The girls are thirteen when D’s mom swoops in to reclaim D—and as magically as she appeared, she now disappears from their lives. Tupac is gone, too, after another shooting; this time fatal. As the narrator looks back, she sees lives suspended in time, and realizes that even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.A Discussion Guide to After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson