To Her Own Beat

A heartfelt middle-grade novel-in-verse about a young dancer finding her voice, challenging beauty standards, and learning to love the body she’s in. “Heartbreakingly honest and tender-hearted, To Her Own Beat is a call to all the good girls who've ever been afraid to talk back. Sumati's voice pours out of the page, and it was a joy to see her learn to take up the space she deserves. Brinda Shah is an author to watch.” —Andrea Beatriz Arango, Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It AllThirteen-year-old Sumati Soni knows how to be a good kid. She holds her tongue when relatives comment on her body. Stays quiet when a classmate throws hurtful words her way. Ignores those who make her Bharatanatyam dance class feel like torture. She knows she should always show respect—after all, her name means “good thoughts” in Sanskrit—and she tries to express herself through poetry and dance without offending anyone. But as she prepares to perform a solo in dance class and at her sister’s wedding, the pressure builds. Even the people she hoped would be on her side, including her best friend and her mother, don’t seem to have her back. Now Sumati must learn to speak up and confront the generational beauty standards that have shaped how she sees herself—or continue to be weighed down by it all.