Stepping Up

Kiara isn’t in Washington Heights anymore. She’s at Phillips Academy Andover—the prestigious school of her dreams. But her bulky financial aid laptop in a room full of Macs, her classmates’ endless chatter about overseas vacations, and everyone’s in-your-face North Face jackets has her feeling like she’ll never fit in.Then she discovers the all-star step team, S.L.A.M. Kiara will gladly endure the long practices, sore muscles, and chafed palms to keep stepping and finally find her place on campus. That is, until tragedy strikes and those closest to her are hurt, and she realizes exactly what it means to be a student of Andover.Because at a school where wealthy white classmates can get away with almost anything and students like her are made to feel lucky to even be at the academy to begin with, is belonging really want she wants? Now Kiara must decide what to do with her voice, and whether or not she’s brave enough to step up—for herself and her friends.