Black Girls Don't Cry

When a Black teen decides to run for prom queen at her predominantly white high school, the competition takes a deadly turn when the fight for the crown becomes a matter of life or death. A gripping YA thriller for readers of Jumata Emill's The Black Queen and Tiffany D. Jackson's The Weight of Blood.

"A fast-paced and captivating read. The social struggles experienced by Ida and her friends are all too real, albeit with a backdrop worthy of a 1990s horror movie." -- School Library Journal

Ida and JJ could have been the ultimate power couple of Banneker High. As the VP and president of their Black Student Union, the two seemed destined to be yearbook legends. But that was before JJ learned Ida was equally attracted to girls. JJ is already deep in a new relationship, which infuriates Ida--almost as much as when a sexist "hot list' starts circulating the school. It's bad enough anyone rated the girls on their looks, but the list has only white students. Seriously?

There has never been any racial diversity among the prom queen candidates at Banneker, so the BSU decides to make their own statement on beauty and run a candidate. Now Ida and JJ's new girlfriend are both competing for the title. Ida wants to make a point more than win the crown, but having smart, savvy Amayah as her campaign manager might just help her do both. She's already winning Ida's heart.

Competition is fierce. Suddenly the prom queen candidates start getting picked off one by one...dropping out and dropping dead. Forget winning a tiara. Who will live to see prom?

Alex Travis worked in autism research for three years and is currently pursuing a PhD in School Psychology at the University of Maryland. As a Black woman, she hopes to add to the growing canon of great YA work about Black teenagers. She lives in Virginia.