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Sparkle
After twelve-year-old aspiring superstar, Sparkle Moore, is diagnosed with alopecia, she must navigate family, friends, and her own self-esteem with the added challenge of losing her hair. Perfect for fans of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! and From the Desk of Zoe Washington .
Sparkle Moore is destined to be a star. Her mother is determined to turn her and her younger sister, Nova, into social media influencers and budding superstars. And after her dad has lost work as a sitcom actor, Sparkle wants to do whatever she can to help her family financially, too.
But at the onset of middle school, Sparkle begins losing her hair—first her lashes, then her eyebrows, and then small circular bald spots appear in various sections on her head. It’s hard enough having to go to school and hide her diagnosis from her friends—all while they’re trying out for big roles in the school play—but Sparkle quickly has to deal with weird medications, itchy wigs, and lost opportunities her mom has wrangled, including a big shampoo commercial.
Despite everything she might do to hide what’s happening, and all her work keeping her friends together, when Sparkle’s secrets start coming to the surface—Sparkle has to come to terms with the changes in her life and show her classmates and her family what she can do with or without hair.
Sparkle Moore is destined to be a star. Her mother is determined to turn her and her younger sister, Nova, into social media influencers and budding superstars. And after her dad has lost work as a sitcom actor, Sparkle wants to do whatever she can to help her family financially, too.
But at the onset of middle school, Sparkle begins losing her hair—first her lashes, then her eyebrows, and then small circular bald spots appear in various sections on her head. It’s hard enough having to go to school and hide her diagnosis from her friends—all while they’re trying out for big roles in the school play—but Sparkle quickly has to deal with weird medications, itchy wigs, and lost opportunities her mom has wrangled, including a big shampoo commercial.
Despite everything she might do to hide what’s happening, and all her work keeping her friends together, when Sparkle’s secrets start coming to the surface—Sparkle has to come to terms with the changes in her life and show her classmates and her family what she can do with or without hair.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 24, 2023
About the author
Lakita Wilson
15 books71 followersLakita Wilson is the author of several novels and nonfiction projects for children and young adults, including What is Black Lives Matter? and Who is Colin Kaepernick? part of the New York Times bestselling Who HQ Now series, the middle grade novel Be Real, Macy Weaver, and the young adult novel Last Chance Dance.
A 2017 recipient of SCBWI's Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Lakita lives in Prince George's County, Maryland.. She can be found online at lakitawilson.com
A 2017 recipient of SCBWI's Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Lakita lives in Prince George's County, Maryland.. She can be found online at lakitawilson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 7, 2024
Beautiful story!
February 7, 2024
A heartfelt middle grade novel that focuses on the challenges one young Black girl experiences getting diagnosed with an extreme form of alopecia and the ways that affects her self-confidence, how her friends and classmates treat her and the way it forces her to confront her own ideas of traditional beauty standards. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
February 23, 2024
We can all learn something from Sparkle, an 11 year with alopecia. This was such a touching read.
December 21, 2023
I appreciate the representation. However, I just couldn’t connect with the writing and the characters.
June 14, 2024
I liked it
May 26, 2024
I loved this book! It was very heartwarming and had a sweet message🩷 I wish that it was longer though because I finished it in 2 days! Would definitely recommend!
December 29, 2023
My biggest problem with Sparkle was that it features a morally contentious premise - a child arguably being groomed for the limelight when there is a lot of ambiguity regarding the merits of that lifestyle for a child - that it refuses to actively engage with.
Let’s start with the mother as many of the issues stem from the poor execution of her character. She was a terrible mother, in my opinion, and the narrative does not take her to task enough for it.
It's fine that she's a bad mother; books need conflict, after all. Being a bad ‘anything’ can be fluid if you work at it. We have all been bad partners, bad friends, bad leaders, etc at one point or another. It does not have to be a permanent indictment unless you let it be.
My hackles were up from page 1. It is immediately clear that Sparkle's mother is living vicariously through her children. She had a stutter that she felt barred her from reaching her full acting potential. She uses her children to achieve those dreams in their stead.
Despite Sparkle maintaining that her mother would let them quit if they weren't enjoying it, Sparkle is too emotionally enmeshed with their mother to actually do so. Her younger sister, Nova, is putting out disinterested vibes the moment you meet her yet I'm expected to believe her mother - who actually knows her and isn't peering in on her life like some kind of literary peeping tom - has never picked up on that attitude? And can a woman who is so unreasonably invested in her children becoming famous objectively assess the situation in the first place to see that her child doesn't want to do it any more? Would Sparkle be able to recognize for herself that she no longer wants to perform when she takes all of her emotional cues from her mother?
Sparkle’s mother is actively less involved with the younger sister until the moment Sparkle is unable to nab a major shampoo commercial due to her hair loss. Sparkle’s hair loss is to the point that she feels she needs to wear a wig. It is common sense, a shampoo company is not going to want a girl wearing a wig to represent them. Even so her mother forces Sparkle through the motions anyways and she is summarily rejected - as anyone who wasn't obsessed with stardom would have guessed.
When this happens her mother literally snaps on Sparkle for pointing out that their plan obviously wouldn't work by saying and I quote:
“Well, what were we supposed to do? Show up here with all those bald spots?”
She throws a deep insecurity into her 12 year olds face because she cares more about not getting an audition than her child's mental well being. She rushes to apologize but this is how Sparkle is described right after:
“But, it was too late. Mother’s words slashed through Sparkle’s heart like a lighting bolt.
Sparkle blinked fast, desperately trying not to cry.
Of course, she knew this wig would never work on a shampoo shoot. But her mom acted like she would make sure things worked out anyway. How could she turn around and say those mean, hurtful things?”
Her mother then starts to cry forcing Sparkle to swallow her totally valid emotions to comfort her instead. And Nova ends up doing the commercial because Sparkle badly wants to fix the situation. Nova protests because she has actual integrity unlike her mother, but her mother effectively forces her into it.
“But Nova was already shaking her head. “After the way they treated you, Sparkle? No way!”
The scowl on Nova’s face worried Sparkle, so she moved closer to her sister.
“If somebody else has to get the opportunity, I would rather it be you.” Sparkle swallowed hard. “Maybe this Sudsy shoot wasn't my big break after all. Maybe it's your turn to step into the spotlight….”
Suddenly Mother grabbed Nova’s hand and marched back into the studio.”
What happened to the whole ‘if you don't want to do it then I won't make you’? Nova specifically expressed she was 100% against taking the commercial out of solidarity. Her mother does not even ask her. She just takes her inside. She doesn't double check with Sparkle either.
The above quotes are literally the entire conversation before Nova auditions for - and gets - the Sudsy commercial. Sparkle is deeply saddened by this turn of events and her mother never has a check-in with her about it. She is utterly blinded by her own excitement.
Afterwards her entire focus is on Nova. She even starts neglecting Sparkle's social media, not bothering to post anything for weeks.
It's not just me and my adult brain thinking about how messed up their mother is. In-text here is a conversation Nova and Sparkle have about it on page 232.:
“Sometimes I don’t like when Mother makes a big deal out of stuff like this, Nova’s text said.
Playing her mature, big sister role, Sparkle texted back But it IS a big deal. Brands don’t ask kids to be in commercials every day. Especially not bald kids, Sparkle thought bitterly.
Yeah, but she doesn’t whoop and cheer like this when I bring home a perfect attendance certificate. She just tapes it to the refrigerator and forgets about it, Nova’s next text said.
Sparkle raised a hairless eyebrow at her sister. Then she bent her neck to text, That’s because you get them every year, so it’s not exactly rare. Most people go their whole entire lives without shooting a commercial, and you’re doing one at ten.
Sparkle took out an imaginary sword and held back the green-eyed monster from creeping in.
That’s not the point I’m trying to make. You don’t think it’s rude that she’s dancing around in the front seat, calling one daughter special, when her other daughter is sitting right there, too? Nova texted.”
So at least one of her kids absolutely has picked up on the fixation their mother has and how nothing else in their lives matters. She doesn’t respect any accomplishment that is not related to the game plan she has outlined.
Not to mention the fact that letting your child be a child star is ethically dubious and that many pictures of children online are stolen and posted on the dark web for pedophiles all the time. With the rapid advancement of AI technology and the uptick in deep fake pornography it is quickly becoming ethically dubious to even post a photo of your kid eating a slice of pizza on Facebook.
Yet, their mother has specially curated themed social media accounts for each of her daughters that she would regularly post to. In one of the first pages she’s delighted by the amount of likes that Sparkle’s page gets. But, a simple Google search will give you evidence of how nauseating that potentially is, as when you check out the metrics for children’s pages like the one Sparkle has, the majority are typically men from ages 18 to 35 years old. Sure, she’s getting likes but consider the quality of those likes. Is it really worth it when you have literal predators following her possibly scheming to make contact? When you poll people on her page for shoot ideas aren’t you really just serving her up on a silver platter?
It is perfectly normal for a kid to want to be famous. It is perfectly normal for a kid to want to post online or even to post online. It is perfectly normal for a kid to have goals that they are actively working towards while still young. An adult should know better about the risks and act accordingly in their child’s best interest. I personally don't think any child should be thinking about having a serious career and booking jobs even if they do want to be in the biz in the future. I don’t think any child should have a curated social media page.
The book does its readership a massive disservice because it is not modeling a healthy relationship with the Internet or even mentioning any of the drawbacks. It's not just about whether or not you want to be a superstar like Sparkle does, it's about whether or not it's morally correct for a child to be famous and how that can negatively impact their life. This book pretends that the only hangup is whether or not you lose desire for the pursuit. I don’t want a lecture. I don’t need a long list of why the Internet is scary. I am begging for a throwaway line about a downside at the very least.
Inevitably Nova crumbles under pressure and blows up on their mother, refusing to fly to film the commercial. To her credit, their mother lets Nova quit immediately after Nova says she doesn’t need a job because she’s a kid. However, all of the problems that I talked about like the mother playing favorites and not valuing her kids outside of their achievements on the stage or in film are washed away.
She never acknowledges she has been giving Nova preferential treatment. In fact when Nova brings it up in their argument, she pivots to Sparkle for reassurance once again defaulting to using her as inappropriate emotional support. She does not apologize for her behavior. She never resolves to do better or seek therapy or take a break entirely from stage mom-ing. She does not have a heart to heart with Sparkle about Sparkle’s need to please her. The only thing she does at this moment is let Nova stop working. She does not understand at all the pain she has been inflicting on her children. As such she doesn’t so much as stop being a bad mother, as take a break from being one.
Throughout the book Sparkle develops a body image issue due to losing her hair. Her mother does not in any way help to counteract this. She makes it clear she doesn’t view Sparkle as beautiful any more, not explicitly, but in all of her actions. Like I mentioned before, she completely stops caring about Sparkle’s page once Sparkle is no longer pretty enough for social media. She pressures her into wearing a cheap pink wig to school rather than focusing on building up her confidence about her new reality. If Sparkle wanted to wear a wig, fine. It’s her body and she should feel good about herself going through a hard time. The idea does not originate with Sparkle though, her mother is the one who is gung-ho. She spends money they don’t have to buy this wig because she can’t bear to simply gas up her own daughter.
That’s another reason this book left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Being famous means being hyper aware of your body and looks all of the time. There are a million stories from child stars who reached the kind of acclaim Sparkle’s mother wants for her where they lament the childhood that was lost and the innocence that was exploited. Who in good conscience could rationalize putting their own 12 year old through that? They will be critical enough of their bodies on their own without adding a bunch of unfeeling strangers to the mix. Sparkle’s mother actively encourages a toxic attachment to the validation of others by wrapping their entire lives in pursuing this line of work.
There also are so many child stars that fizzle out for one reason or another. Sparkle’s sense of self is tied up entirely in her belief she is a star in the making. What will she do if she, like the millions of other kids out there, fails? What will that do to her self esteem when her mother has made failure not an option?
The concept of child stars and kids on social media is too rife with complications to present it in such a simplistic fashion. I was disappointed by how avoidant Wilson was being about the complexity of the situation that she chose to pick up.
If this was a casual read with no deeper emotional conflict that would be one thing. I’d never bother with this kind of detailed deconstruction of a book that was just about a kid being a social media star and their parents never appeared in the book at all since that book would obviously be pure wish fulfillment. For a book like Sparkle that is actively seeking to explore the difficulties of alopecia, I expect it to fully embrace the tangled web it has weaved, not just brush over it.
I didn’t talk about him, but Sparkle straight up has a dad too. He just doesn’t matter much because he is so far removed from what is going on in his own home. I hated him for being so oblivious. He had big sitcom Dad energy where he blithely left all the heavy lifting to the mother while he swanned off to do whatever. I also hated him because he kept sitting around waiting to get callbacks when it was clear his acting days were done and the family was struggling financially. You’re a grown man who has a family. We all have dreams we need to give up to live. Get a real job already.
Only read Sparkle if you literally do not care about the safety of children on the web or can turn your brain off.
Let’s start with the mother as many of the issues stem from the poor execution of her character. She was a terrible mother, in my opinion, and the narrative does not take her to task enough for it.
It's fine that she's a bad mother; books need conflict, after all. Being a bad ‘anything’ can be fluid if you work at it. We have all been bad partners, bad friends, bad leaders, etc at one point or another. It does not have to be a permanent indictment unless you let it be.
My hackles were up from page 1. It is immediately clear that Sparkle's mother is living vicariously through her children. She had a stutter that she felt barred her from reaching her full acting potential. She uses her children to achieve those dreams in their stead.
Despite Sparkle maintaining that her mother would let them quit if they weren't enjoying it, Sparkle is too emotionally enmeshed with their mother to actually do so. Her younger sister, Nova, is putting out disinterested vibes the moment you meet her yet I'm expected to believe her mother - who actually knows her and isn't peering in on her life like some kind of literary peeping tom - has never picked up on that attitude? And can a woman who is so unreasonably invested in her children becoming famous objectively assess the situation in the first place to see that her child doesn't want to do it any more? Would Sparkle be able to recognize for herself that she no longer wants to perform when she takes all of her emotional cues from her mother?
Sparkle’s mother is actively less involved with the younger sister until the moment Sparkle is unable to nab a major shampoo commercial due to her hair loss. Sparkle’s hair loss is to the point that she feels she needs to wear a wig. It is common sense, a shampoo company is not going to want a girl wearing a wig to represent them. Even so her mother forces Sparkle through the motions anyways and she is summarily rejected - as anyone who wasn't obsessed with stardom would have guessed.
When this happens her mother literally snaps on Sparkle for pointing out that their plan obviously wouldn't work by saying and I quote:
“Well, what were we supposed to do? Show up here with all those bald spots?”
She throws a deep insecurity into her 12 year olds face because she cares more about not getting an audition than her child's mental well being. She rushes to apologize but this is how Sparkle is described right after:
“But, it was too late. Mother’s words slashed through Sparkle’s heart like a lighting bolt.
Sparkle blinked fast, desperately trying not to cry.
Of course, she knew this wig would never work on a shampoo shoot. But her mom acted like she would make sure things worked out anyway. How could she turn around and say those mean, hurtful things?”
Her mother then starts to cry forcing Sparkle to swallow her totally valid emotions to comfort her instead. And Nova ends up doing the commercial because Sparkle badly wants to fix the situation. Nova protests because she has actual integrity unlike her mother, but her mother effectively forces her into it.
“But Nova was already shaking her head. “After the way they treated you, Sparkle? No way!”
The scowl on Nova’s face worried Sparkle, so she moved closer to her sister.
“If somebody else has to get the opportunity, I would rather it be you.” Sparkle swallowed hard. “Maybe this Sudsy shoot wasn't my big break after all. Maybe it's your turn to step into the spotlight….”
Suddenly Mother grabbed Nova’s hand and marched back into the studio.”
What happened to the whole ‘if you don't want to do it then I won't make you’? Nova specifically expressed she was 100% against taking the commercial out of solidarity. Her mother does not even ask her. She just takes her inside. She doesn't double check with Sparkle either.
The above quotes are literally the entire conversation before Nova auditions for - and gets - the Sudsy commercial. Sparkle is deeply saddened by this turn of events and her mother never has a check-in with her about it. She is utterly blinded by her own excitement.
Afterwards her entire focus is on Nova. She even starts neglecting Sparkle's social media, not bothering to post anything for weeks.
It's not just me and my adult brain thinking about how messed up their mother is. In-text here is a conversation Nova and Sparkle have about it on page 232.:
“Sometimes I don’t like when Mother makes a big deal out of stuff like this, Nova’s text said.
Playing her mature, big sister role, Sparkle texted back But it IS a big deal. Brands don’t ask kids to be in commercials every day. Especially not bald kids, Sparkle thought bitterly.
Yeah, but she doesn’t whoop and cheer like this when I bring home a perfect attendance certificate. She just tapes it to the refrigerator and forgets about it, Nova’s next text said.
Sparkle raised a hairless eyebrow at her sister. Then she bent her neck to text, That’s because you get them every year, so it’s not exactly rare. Most people go their whole entire lives without shooting a commercial, and you’re doing one at ten.
Sparkle took out an imaginary sword and held back the green-eyed monster from creeping in.
That’s not the point I’m trying to make. You don’t think it’s rude that she’s dancing around in the front seat, calling one daughter special, when her other daughter is sitting right there, too? Nova texted.”
So at least one of her kids absolutely has picked up on the fixation their mother has and how nothing else in their lives matters. She doesn’t respect any accomplishment that is not related to the game plan she has outlined.
Not to mention the fact that letting your child be a child star is ethically dubious and that many pictures of children online are stolen and posted on the dark web for pedophiles all the time. With the rapid advancement of AI technology and the uptick in deep fake pornography it is quickly becoming ethically dubious to even post a photo of your kid eating a slice of pizza on Facebook.
Yet, their mother has specially curated themed social media accounts for each of her daughters that she would regularly post to. In one of the first pages she’s delighted by the amount of likes that Sparkle’s page gets. But, a simple Google search will give you evidence of how nauseating that potentially is, as when you check out the metrics for children’s pages like the one Sparkle has, the majority are typically men from ages 18 to 35 years old. Sure, she’s getting likes but consider the quality of those likes. Is it really worth it when you have literal predators following her possibly scheming to make contact? When you poll people on her page for shoot ideas aren’t you really just serving her up on a silver platter?
It is perfectly normal for a kid to want to be famous. It is perfectly normal for a kid to want to post online or even to post online. It is perfectly normal for a kid to have goals that they are actively working towards while still young. An adult should know better about the risks and act accordingly in their child’s best interest. I personally don't think any child should be thinking about having a serious career and booking jobs even if they do want to be in the biz in the future. I don’t think any child should have a curated social media page.
The book does its readership a massive disservice because it is not modeling a healthy relationship with the Internet or even mentioning any of the drawbacks. It's not just about whether or not you want to be a superstar like Sparkle does, it's about whether or not it's morally correct for a child to be famous and how that can negatively impact their life. This book pretends that the only hangup is whether or not you lose desire for the pursuit. I don’t want a lecture. I don’t need a long list of why the Internet is scary. I am begging for a throwaway line about a downside at the very least.
Inevitably Nova crumbles under pressure and blows up on their mother, refusing to fly to film the commercial. To her credit, their mother lets Nova quit immediately after Nova says she doesn’t need a job because she’s a kid. However, all of the problems that I talked about like the mother playing favorites and not valuing her kids outside of their achievements on the stage or in film are washed away.
She never acknowledges she has been giving Nova preferential treatment. In fact when Nova brings it up in their argument, she pivots to Sparkle for reassurance once again defaulting to using her as inappropriate emotional support. She does not apologize for her behavior. She never resolves to do better or seek therapy or take a break entirely from stage mom-ing. She does not have a heart to heart with Sparkle about Sparkle’s need to please her. The only thing she does at this moment is let Nova stop working. She does not understand at all the pain she has been inflicting on her children. As such she doesn’t so much as stop being a bad mother, as take a break from being one.
Throughout the book Sparkle develops a body image issue due to losing her hair. Her mother does not in any way help to counteract this. She makes it clear she doesn’t view Sparkle as beautiful any more, not explicitly, but in all of her actions. Like I mentioned before, she completely stops caring about Sparkle’s page once Sparkle is no longer pretty enough for social media. She pressures her into wearing a cheap pink wig to school rather than focusing on building up her confidence about her new reality. If Sparkle wanted to wear a wig, fine. It’s her body and she should feel good about herself going through a hard time. The idea does not originate with Sparkle though, her mother is the one who is gung-ho. She spends money they don’t have to buy this wig because she can’t bear to simply gas up her own daughter.
That’s another reason this book left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Being famous means being hyper aware of your body and looks all of the time. There are a million stories from child stars who reached the kind of acclaim Sparkle’s mother wants for her where they lament the childhood that was lost and the innocence that was exploited. Who in good conscience could rationalize putting their own 12 year old through that? They will be critical enough of their bodies on their own without adding a bunch of unfeeling strangers to the mix. Sparkle’s mother actively encourages a toxic attachment to the validation of others by wrapping their entire lives in pursuing this line of work.
There also are so many child stars that fizzle out for one reason or another. Sparkle’s sense of self is tied up entirely in her belief she is a star in the making. What will she do if she, like the millions of other kids out there, fails? What will that do to her self esteem when her mother has made failure not an option?
The concept of child stars and kids on social media is too rife with complications to present it in such a simplistic fashion. I was disappointed by how avoidant Wilson was being about the complexity of the situation that she chose to pick up.
If this was a casual read with no deeper emotional conflict that would be one thing. I’d never bother with this kind of detailed deconstruction of a book that was just about a kid being a social media star and their parents never appeared in the book at all since that book would obviously be pure wish fulfillment. For a book like Sparkle that is actively seeking to explore the difficulties of alopecia, I expect it to fully embrace the tangled web it has weaved, not just brush over it.
I didn’t talk about him, but Sparkle straight up has a dad too. He just doesn’t matter much because he is so far removed from what is going on in his own home. I hated him for being so oblivious. He had big sitcom Dad energy where he blithely left all the heavy lifting to the mother while he swanned off to do whatever. I also hated him because he kept sitting around waiting to get callbacks when it was clear his acting days were done and the family was struggling financially. You’re a grown man who has a family. We all have dreams we need to give up to live. Get a real job already.
Only read Sparkle if you literally do not care about the safety of children on the web or can turn your brain off.
September 10, 2023
How many books do you have on your bookshelves about kids with alopecia? Zero? Me neither. So I was excited about this story for that reason.
But the coolest thing about this book is that it’s not just about a topic that isn’t already covered by the other books on our library shelves; the story itself is also fabulous and the message is exceptional.
I love this book. It is brave, it is honest, and it is powerful. Five beautiful stars!
(Oh, and let’s talk about the moment with Ms. June and how absolutely satisfying it was to see a bully get put in her place. I cheered. Full. On. Clapped!)
- - - - -
"We will all show up for you."
“Maybe friendships weren’t about being perfect. Maybe they were all about trying your best and learning along the way.”
“Mother had always taught her that a class act kept things cute, even when a person deserved a bit of ugliness.”
But the coolest thing about this book is that it’s not just about a topic that isn’t already covered by the other books on our library shelves; the story itself is also fabulous and the message is exceptional.
I love this book. It is brave, it is honest, and it is powerful. Five beautiful stars!
(Oh, and let’s talk about the moment with Ms. June and how absolutely satisfying it was to see a bully get put in her place. I cheered. Full. On. Clapped!)
- - - - -
"We will all show up for you."
“Maybe friendships weren’t about being perfect. Maybe they were all about trying your best and learning along the way.”
“Mother had always taught her that a class act kept things cute, even when a person deserved a bit of ugliness.”
November 20, 2023
4.5 stars
This one really ended up pulling on my heart. I loved the sisters and I think the friend group felt very real. I felt for Sparkle, and I thought it had great rep for not only her but her mom. No one should drive eight hours on Thanksgiving though.
This one really ended up pulling on my heart. I loved the sisters and I think the friend group felt very real. I felt for Sparkle, and I thought it had great rep for not only her but her mom. No one should drive eight hours on Thanksgiving though.
June 28, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Sparkle and her sister Nova live in Maryland with their father, who was a sit com start for ten years, and their mother, who works hard to manage their social media accounts. Sparkle has just had a successful photo shoot with a toothpaste company, and feels like this might be her big break. She also goes to a performing arts school where she is a drama major. The school's spring production is a big deal, and she and her friends Rae and Taryn try out. Sparkle is embarassed when the director, who is retiring at the end of the school year, picks her, as a 6th grader, to be the understudy for the lead. The lead, Amelia, isn't pleased that a 6th grader has gotten this perk out of turn, and Sparkle keeps the news quiet. She's also struggling with something else that she is keeping from her friends; Sparkle's hair has been falling out more than usual, and when her mother takes her to the doctor, he diagnoses alopecia in the "active hair loss" phase. Sparkle is mortified, and not happy that all the doctor has her do for a month is keep a hair journal. She tries to keep up with the play, and even tries to keep up her social media accounts, but the hair loss becomes profound. For a while, she wears a pink wig to school, and has her mother pencil in her eyebrows but an incident uncovers her baldness. Her friends are angry that she kept this secret from them, and it's devastating to have people know. She finally decides to cut off her remaining hair, and joins the National Alopecia Areata Foundation support group, where she gets the confidence to go to school without wearing her wig. There's enough outcry from others in the play that she steps down from her roles, which is hard, especially since her younger sister Nova is doing so well with the social media accounts and sponsorships. This is a good thing, because the father's residuals are not what they once were, and the family needs money. Will Sparkle be able to go forward with her acting career, and will the familiy find a way forward to support themselves while remaining true to their dramatic callings?
Strengths: I am always surprised when the 6th graders make posters at the beginning of each year about their "dream jobs". Half want to be social media stars, and the other half want to play professional sports. I wanted to be a dentist, until I realized my math skills weren't good enough. That just shows the generational differences. Sparkle not only has a plan, but she has help from her mother, and has a focus on her appearance and is determined to be an influencer and actor. I'm impressed that companies are offering her partnerships; I've been blogging for almost 20 years and haven't managed that! The performing arts school is interesting, and there is all of the attendant middle school drama. This is on trend with friends feeling hurt when other friends don't share their unhappiness with them; another generational difference I don't quite understand! Pair this with Ortega's Frizzy or Winston's Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution for other views on hair styles and hair care.
Weaknesses: Sometimes the characters sounded so much older than middle school, but maybe that's just students in performing arts schools. At one point, Amelia complains that she can't "work on my craft and teach"; I can't say I've ever heard any of my students talking about working on their craft!
What I really think: Having a family with famous people, and the desire to be famous, reminded me a bit of Kendrick's Squad Goals or Chase's Keeping it Real. Friend's 2018 This is How We Roll or Haddix's 2002 Because of Anya both include characters with alopecia, so there is certainly room for more books on this topic. This also reminded me a bit of Greenwald's The Real Us or Howse's Zitface in how it treated a big physical change for the main character. This could make a really interesting choice for lit circle discussions.
Sparkle and her sister Nova live in Maryland with their father, who was a sit com start for ten years, and their mother, who works hard to manage their social media accounts. Sparkle has just had a successful photo shoot with a toothpaste company, and feels like this might be her big break. She also goes to a performing arts school where she is a drama major. The school's spring production is a big deal, and she and her friends Rae and Taryn try out. Sparkle is embarassed when the director, who is retiring at the end of the school year, picks her, as a 6th grader, to be the understudy for the lead. The lead, Amelia, isn't pleased that a 6th grader has gotten this perk out of turn, and Sparkle keeps the news quiet. She's also struggling with something else that she is keeping from her friends; Sparkle's hair has been falling out more than usual, and when her mother takes her to the doctor, he diagnoses alopecia in the "active hair loss" phase. Sparkle is mortified, and not happy that all the doctor has her do for a month is keep a hair journal. She tries to keep up with the play, and even tries to keep up her social media accounts, but the hair loss becomes profound. For a while, she wears a pink wig to school, and has her mother pencil in her eyebrows but an incident uncovers her baldness. Her friends are angry that she kept this secret from them, and it's devastating to have people know. She finally decides to cut off her remaining hair, and joins the National Alopecia Areata Foundation support group, where she gets the confidence to go to school without wearing her wig. There's enough outcry from others in the play that she steps down from her roles, which is hard, especially since her younger sister Nova is doing so well with the social media accounts and sponsorships. This is a good thing, because the father's residuals are not what they once were, and the family needs money. Will Sparkle be able to go forward with her acting career, and will the familiy find a way forward to support themselves while remaining true to their dramatic callings?
Strengths: I am always surprised when the 6th graders make posters at the beginning of each year about their "dream jobs". Half want to be social media stars, and the other half want to play professional sports. I wanted to be a dentist, until I realized my math skills weren't good enough. That just shows the generational differences. Sparkle not only has a plan, but she has help from her mother, and has a focus on her appearance and is determined to be an influencer and actor. I'm impressed that companies are offering her partnerships; I've been blogging for almost 20 years and haven't managed that! The performing arts school is interesting, and there is all of the attendant middle school drama. This is on trend with friends feeling hurt when other friends don't share their unhappiness with them; another generational difference I don't quite understand! Pair this with Ortega's Frizzy or Winston's Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution for other views on hair styles and hair care.
Weaknesses: Sometimes the characters sounded so much older than middle school, but maybe that's just students in performing arts schools. At one point, Amelia complains that she can't "work on my craft and teach"; I can't say I've ever heard any of my students talking about working on their craft!
What I really think: Having a family with famous people, and the desire to be famous, reminded me a bit of Kendrick's Squad Goals or Chase's Keeping it Real. Friend's 2018 This is How We Roll or Haddix's 2002 Because of Anya both include characters with alopecia, so there is certainly room for more books on this topic. This also reminded me a bit of Greenwald's The Real Us or Howse's Zitface in how it treated a big physical change for the main character. This could make a really interesting choice for lit circle discussions.
July 3, 2024
I'm a children's librarian and I've had alopecia since I was very young, so when my coworker showed me this book I knew I had to read it! I'm very glad it will be around at our library for any child who might have received an alopecia diagnosis. I'm very lucky in that I was diagnosed a lot younger than the protagonist in this novel, who has to deal with a drastic change in appearance that sets her apart from her peers right at the start of middle school - a tough time for anyone, only made tougher by those kinds of differences. Fortunately by that age I had already gotten used to being bald, but a lot of the experiences in this book ring very true to my experience, especially the times in which other children assume that Sparkle has cancer when she shows up bald. I'm taking away one star, as I did kind of wish that Sparkle wasn't an Instagram influencer. Having one of her struggles be that she was supposed to book a shampoo commercial that fell through wasn't as relatable to me and wouldn't be, I think, a realistic circumstance for most children in the same boat. There are plenty of more universal, less far fetched experiences I think this author could've drawn from (for instance, I was a cheerleader at that age, and being unable to wear my wig in the same uniform way the rest of my peers could was alienating for me.) I did love the fact that Sparkle was a performer, and putting herself in the spotlight at a school play made a lot of sense for this type of physical disease. However, as someone with a partner who makes costumes, I was stuck wondering the whole time where the costuming department of the play was and why they didn't just talk to her about how she wanted to incorporate this into her performance. Overall, though, I found many of Sparkle's characteristics to be very realistic, and I'm so glad a book like this exists for any young people who might be getting diagnosed with alopecia. It can sometimes feel like you're the only one in the world with that experience, so a published novel to serve as a reminder that you're not is inspiring and helpful. This novel directly addresses questions a lot of people have about alopecia and a lot of common feelings people can get when diagnosed, such as feeling as though they are ugly or unwanted. It also, truthfully and painfully, shows how other people can be in reaction to seeing something as simple as someone with a bald head. The judgement from peers, the whispers of speculation, and the outright bullying are extremely common and realistic to this experience. Something I've always said about my own alopecia (as someone who got it from a young age and didn't struggle as much with the feelings of losing a part of yourself or feeling ugly in a way a lot of people with alopecia do) is that I would've been absolutely fine if everyone else didn't care so much about it. I hope that this will serve as a reminder to middle graders with alopecia that they're not alone, and maybe raise some awareness to kids who don't, so that they might not go around spreading rumors that the bald kid has cancer. Seriously, guys, it's 2024. People can be bald sometimes. Thank you for reading this longwinded review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
4.5 star
Sparkle follows a 12-year-old named Sparkle as she tries to gain sponsorships for her social media pages while attending an arts school and preparing for that year's school play. After losing some of her hair, she discovers she has a condition called alopecia universalis, and it's causing her to lose all her hair.
I like the themes of self-love and adaptation to change presented throughout this story. It doesn't present it as an easy change, for Sparkle or those around her, and shows both her good days and bad. It doesn't shy away from poor self esteem, but it also doesn't try to ignore what is affecting Sparkle's every-day life.
Sparkle's mother is not the best person in my opinion, and I would have liked to see more of a character arc and growth out of her, or at least intentionally showing her flaws as a parent. At times, it seems like she is living vicariously through her children, and her obsession with Sparkle and her sister having beautiful hair definitely contributed to Sparkle's lack of confidence after her diagnosis.
I did, however, enjoy the friendship arcs presented throughout the story. It shows friends coming together in the face of difficulty, the importance of clear and open communication, that people can change over time, and that new friends can always be found no matter the circumstance.
I am excited to start reading some of Wilson's other books!
Sparkle follows a 12-year-old named Sparkle as she tries to gain sponsorships for her social media pages while attending an arts school and preparing for that year's school play. After losing some of her hair, she discovers she has a condition called alopecia universalis, and it's causing her to lose all her hair.
I like the themes of self-love and adaptation to change presented throughout this story. It doesn't present it as an easy change, for Sparkle or those around her, and shows both her good days and bad. It doesn't shy away from poor self esteem, but it also doesn't try to ignore what is affecting Sparkle's every-day life.
Sparkle's mother is not the best person in my opinion, and I would have liked to see more of a character arc and growth out of her, or at least intentionally showing her flaws as a parent. At times, it seems like she is living vicariously through her children, and her obsession with Sparkle and her sister having beautiful hair definitely contributed to Sparkle's lack of confidence after her diagnosis.
I did, however, enjoy the friendship arcs presented throughout the story. It shows friends coming together in the face of difficulty, the importance of clear and open communication, that people can change over time, and that new friends can always be found no matter the circumstance.
I am excited to start reading some of Wilson's other books!
July 1, 2024
Inspiring MG read with relatable and compelling characters. Would recommend to MG readers and families.
The plot is fun (drama production, friendship troubles, influencer subplot) but also rooted in a serious condition that doesn’t get a lot of representation and readers will gain an education and understanding. I loved the portrayal of friendships, sisterhood, and self-acceptance.
Spoilers ahead:
I’ve read some reviews expressing frustration with the parents - some of that is warranted, but some of the critiques are too harsh. The mother character does seem to be living vicariously through her children and prioritizing one over the other and has a moment where she says something regrettably nasty to Sparkle, but she apologizes and overall in the narrative realizes her mistakes. And the father is a bit of a removed figure early on, but he does get involved in the end - taking on a role at the school, and making sure the girls know that parents should worry about money troubles, not kids, which is an important lesson on both sides (I know plenty of adults that need to hear that).
Overall, even though maybe things get wrapped up a little too nicely on a bow rather quickly at the end, I thought it was sweet and appropriate for middle grade. Though, I did notice an inconsistency with Sparkle’s age - she’s usually referred to as being 12 and in one scene she calls herself 11. But I would still recommend.
The plot is fun (drama production, friendship troubles, influencer subplot) but also rooted in a serious condition that doesn’t get a lot of representation and readers will gain an education and understanding. I loved the portrayal of friendships, sisterhood, and self-acceptance.
Spoilers ahead:
I’ve read some reviews expressing frustration with the parents - some of that is warranted, but some of the critiques are too harsh. The mother character does seem to be living vicariously through her children and prioritizing one over the other and has a moment where she says something regrettably nasty to Sparkle, but she apologizes and overall in the narrative realizes her mistakes. And the father is a bit of a removed figure early on, but he does get involved in the end - taking on a role at the school, and making sure the girls know that parents should worry about money troubles, not kids, which is an important lesson on both sides (I know plenty of adults that need to hear that).
Overall, even though maybe things get wrapped up a little too nicely on a bow rather quickly at the end, I thought it was sweet and appropriate for middle grade. Though, I did notice an inconsistency with Sparkle’s age - she’s usually referred to as being 12 and in one scene she calls herself 11. But I would still recommend.
April 4, 2024
Middle school appropriate. It was neat to read about a kid social media influencer and how she dealt with getting alopecia. Sparkle has amazing supportive parents, sister, and friends so the kindness and love in the book was really heartwarming - especially from the sister. I would love to read another story about a girl with alopecia who has a more typical middle school experience without the influencer and acting school component. While that was definitely fun, it would be neat to read about a more typical kid’s struggles dealing with alopecia too. I will also say that I liked the inclusion of so many side issues like the parents’ money concerns, the friendship drama, the jealous kid, and the mean star in the play. Many issues in the story resolved neatly in a wish fulfillment sort of way, which is makes for satisfying endings. I appreciate that the author avoided a super easy trope I thought she was headed for in regards to the play and the understudy role. I do however wish that Sparkle’s father had shown more interest in Sparkle’s theater production throughout.
September 18, 2024
3.5, This book reminded me what a librarian friend once said about hating characters in books—that instead of rejecting something outright, it’s an excellent opportunity to examine and reflect on your reactions to those characters and through that, to know yourself better. The adults in this book are so selfish, incompetent, and seemingly incapable of being soft places for children to land. Most of the middle schoolers are horrible jerks, too (including one of the protagonist’s best friends), with few to no consequences. All of this enrages me. The focus on being a social media influencer will be a draw to young readers (though I personally struggle with this plot point), and the main character’s struggles with newly diagnosed alopecia are informative. I also loved the sister relationship as it developed throughout the story.
February 13, 2024
This was an incredibly sweet and touching book. Sparkle's mother has always said that hair is her crowning glory, which means that her self image and self confidence go dramatically through the ringer - as you might expect - when she unexpectedly starts losing her hair at the start of her sixth grade year.
I am so glad this book exists, because I so rarely see depictions of alopecia. I enjoyed the premise of the story very much, although I understand why a protagonist of a child star might bother others.
Sparkle's younger sister Nova is an absolute favorite of mine, and I really appreciated just how much she stuck up for herself and her sister.
I am so glad this book exists, because I so rarely see depictions of alopecia. I enjoyed the premise of the story very much, although I understand why a protagonist of a child star might bother others.
Sparkle's younger sister Nova is an absolute favorite of mine, and I really appreciated just how much she stuck up for herself and her sister.
March 24, 2024
Things fell together a little too much at the end of this book which took away from my overall rating. Up to that point, I was all in on Sparkle's story. While it will be great for people who actually have alopecia, it is also relatable for anyone who is trying to fit in, which is everyone at middle school. I really appreciate the fact that her parents, Mother in particular, are not horrible stage parents pushing Sparkle into something she doesn't want to do. The closeness of the family is the strongest part of the book, IMO. The bullying from the lead actress feels a bit too much, as does the meanness of the boy who is constantly picking on Sparkle.
December 31, 2023
I loved this book so much.The message it presents is so powerful and inspiring to me.You don’t read too many books about kids who stared in hair commercials or have alopecia so it really stood out to me.( The part where Nova talked back to Mother about not going to New York because everybody made Sparkle feel like she wasn’t beautiful is so good. Also when Amelia had her mic on and was making fun of Sparkle and everybody hears her and gets kicked out the play is also one of my favourite things in the book.) I would definitely recommend to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2023
This middle grade book about a 12 year old who wants to be a performing arts star does a good job tackling the topic of alopecia too. The author does a great job of taking us along on the roller coaster of emotions Sparkle goes through as she gets her alopecia diagnosis. I think this is the first time I’ve seen alopecia addressed in a middle grade book. My only complaint is that the name Sparkle makes me think of a childhood pet rather than a child.
March 5, 2024
Sparkle comes from a show-biz family and her mother is especially proud of Sparkle’s beautiful hair. When her hair starts to fall out, she loses a chance to be a spokesperson for a shampoo company. When Sparkle learns she has alopecia, she has to navigate middle school, the school play, and friendships wearing a wig or baring her bald head. With the support of her family, her drama coach, her alopecia support group, and her best friends, she learns how to sparkle – with or without hair!
April 9, 2024
This book was so well written and hard to put down! It was all about Sparkle, a girl with serious acting skills who dreams of becoming famous. Then she starts losing hair and has to rediscover who she is with alopecia. Don't pasta we're so moving I cried. I liked that most of the characters were multifaceted and went through some transformation throughout the book. I would strongly recommend to any girl who reads middle grade.
July 1, 2024
I enjoyed this depiction of a young social media influencer whose present and future life is affected by a diagnosis of alopecia. It was realistic, and a story to which many middle-schoolers could relate. Regardless of whether they have Alopecia, in middle school, many students find something that they feel makes them different and that they are nervous to share with their peers. This book addresses that situation and comes out on the other side beautifully.
November 12, 2023
As Sparkle starts middle school she realizes her hair is falling out and is diagnosed with alopecia. The condition impacts her self-confidence, her relationships with her friends and classmates, and her dream of becoming a star actress. This book has a great message and the topic of alopecia is one I haven't seen explored in middle grade literature.
November 19, 2023
A sweet story on a topic u don’t see being tackled much in literature. The main character’s dialogue felt a little stilted at times, and the relationships were sometimes cloyingly cliche. But overall, a decent middle grade read.
November 19, 2023
Powerful book about a powerful topic. I’m glad Sparkle found support and had an understanding friend.
February 5, 2024
The kids call their mom "Mother"? gross
May 5, 2024
Fantastic representation along with a great story.
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May 10, 2024A heartfelt middle grade novel about loving yourself just as you are.
June 7, 2024
I really liked the complex characters for a middle grade book, especially the changing friendships, and the flawed Mom. Maybe a little pat in places, but OK for the age group.
July 12, 2024
Just a cutie 6th grade book about alopecia!
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