I absolutely adored this book. Tew's foray into Middle Grade is NOT to be missed. The voice is spot on, the characters are compelling, and the message is (though I hate this phrase in relation to MG) important! All the stars! All the crowns!

Spent this weekend devouring KAYA MORGAN'S CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT and oh, my goodness. Cute, funny, wonderfully geeky, and beautifully heartfelt, Kaya's voice is gonna stick with me for a long time. And the Ren Faire atmosphere? Unmatched. Read this!!

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it!

Kaya's father was the lead archer for the Rennaisance Fair before his death, and it was always Kaya's special place. Now, as a middle schooler, she has a chance to do apprentice camp, and finally have a chance of fulfilling her dreams of being the queen of the fair, which she and her father always dreamed of. But, will Kaya get that chance?

The Freedom Fire series is wonderful. Disney/Hyperion has really done a great job of elevating Black voices and providing books that will allow Black kids to see themselves, and non-BIPOC kids to see the struggles their classmates and friends face. Kaya's struggles to be seen as the queen, and the willingness of the fair director to use Kaya's grief and skin color in an effort to make the faie seem more diverse while typecasting his BIPOC interns rings true. And the triumph is well earned and justified.

This book deserves a place in schools, community libraries, and book fairs.