Becoming Beatriz

Name: Becoming Beatriz
Brand: Recorded Books
Availability: InStock
Author: Tami Charles
ISBN: 9781980054597

Author: Tami Charles

Narrator: Tami Charles

Unabridged: 6 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 09/17/2019

Categories: Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes, Hispanic & Latino, Performing Arts

Synopsis

Beatriz dreams of a life spent dancing--until tragedy on the day of her quinceanera changes everything. Up until her fifteenth birthday, the most important thing in the world to Beatriz Mendez was her dream of becoming a professional dancer and getting herself and her family far from the gang life that defined their days--that and meeting her dance idol Debbie Allen on the set of her favorite TV show, Fame. But after the latest battle in a constant turf war leaves her gang leader brother, Junito, dead and her mother grieving, Beatriz has a new set of priorities. How is she supposed to feel the rhythm when her gang needs running, when her mami can't brush her own teeth, and when the last thing she can remember of her old self is dancing with her brother, followed by running and gunshots? When the class brainiac reminds Beatriz of her love of the dance floor, her banished dreams sneak back in. Now the only question is: will the gang let her go? Set in New Jersey in 1984, Beatriz's story is a timeless one of a teenager's navigation of romance, gang culture, and her own family's difficult past. A companion novel to the much-lauded Like Vanessa.

About Tami Charles

Tami Charles is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the picture book All Because You Matter (illustrated by Bryan Collier) and the novels Muted, Like Vanessa, and Becoming Beatriz. In her teens and early twenties, Tami enjoyed a taste of fame as a member of an all-girl R&B trio. They performed for Boyz II Men, BET, and Showtime at the Apollo, and had a one-hit wonder on the radio. After college, Tami worked as an educator for thirteen years before pursuing her childhood dream of becoming an author. For more information on Tami, visit tamiwrites.com

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lea (drumsofautumn) on July 31, 2020

Becoming Beatriz is a YA Historical Fiction that drew me in because of the themes of dance and grief, which are both aspects that I really enjoy reading about. And while this novel ended up offering so much more than that, it was all sadly dampened by an instance of the bury-your-gays trope.......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on March 05, 2021

What a fun and educational book! I'm in love with this alphabet book that provides gorgeous close-up photos of all kinds of creatures' eyes, along with facts to accompany every one. Another reviewer complained about too much information for kids in this picture book but if you're reading it to tiny......more

Goodreads review by Yna from Books and Boybands on September 17, 2019

"Sometimes all it takes is a spark, a memory, to crash into us, remind us of the what-ifs unleash what simmers beneath the deep, awaken the ghost, and give dreams a second chance." Buy This Book : Amazon * Book Depository 📚 Series: No. 📚 Genre: YA "Historical" Fiction 📚 POV: First. 📚......more

Goodreads review by Katie on November 11, 2019

3.5 stars I really loved the author's middle grade novel, Like Vanessa, so when I saw she had another book out, I jumped on the opportunity to read it. I might not have enjoyed Becoming Beatriz quite as much as the other book, but it still was pretty good read. An added bonus was some of the characte......more

Goodreads review by Danielle on March 01, 2021

The illustrations of this book are great, but unfortunately the book as a whole was a bit lacking. There was a lot of information, which was great but there's a bit of a disconnect with the age group that would be reading an alphabet book and the types of animals that were featured. Many were unfami......more