This Side of Home

Watson, Renée

An acclaimed and insightful coming-of-age YA debut about two African-American sisters, friends, and what it means to embrace change.

Identical twins Nikki and Maya have been on the same page for everything--friends, school, boys and wanting to attend a historically African-American college. But as their neighborhood goes from rough-and-tumble to up-and-coming, suddenly filled with pretty coffee shops and boutiques, Nikki is thrilled while Maya feels like their home is slipping away. Suddenly, the sisters who had always shared everything must confront their different feelings on class, race, and their evolving neighborhood as they try to figure out whether growing up must mean growing apart.

In her timely YA debut, Renee Watson brings to life the issues teens face every day as they try to reconcile their personal expectations and traditions with those of their culture and community.