Author
Martha Southgate
2 books here
The Fall of Rome
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 780L
A quiet, unsentimental book about a kid learning to hold his full self—Italian, Black, talented, uncertain—without apology; the chess metaphors feel earned, not forced.
Another Way to Dance
Young adult · ages 12–18 · 820L · 1998
A smart, unsentimental novel about a Black teen dancer at an elite academy confronting racism, class friction, and artistic identity—relevant in 1996 and sharper now.