"You Should See Me in a Crown", because we all shine bright! (Week 1: SEL YA Selection)

“I never needed this race, or a hashtag, or the king to be a queen. I was born royalty. All I had to do was pick up my crown." --Leah Johnson

        While exploring the theme of Social Emotional Learning in YA novels I came across this “obscene” piece of literature that is really quite innocent, You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. Yes, the main character is a queer teen; yes, the book does include a couple lines of vocabulary that are frowned upon as indecent by society. However, when we dive deeper into the story; readers explore themes that are common in young adult literature: teen angst, social pressure, and issues with self-esteem. This novel is the embodiment of the geek to prom queen trope with a twist. 

Liz Lightly is a high school senior navigating the intricacies of fitting into an upper-class, Midwestern town as an economically challenged, black youth. Liz struggles with insecurity, anxiety, and a sense of awkwardness. When the scholarship to Pennington College falls through, Liz’s dreams of escaping Campbell, Indiana to eventually become a doctor are in peril. However, inspired by her brother, Liz and her friends devise a plan to turn this social outcast into the Prom Queen in the hopes of winning the scholarship the title provides. Throughout the novel, Liz faces anxiety, challenges with friends, and societal pressures all while dealing with the loss of her mother and the very real possibility that her brother may fall victim to the same fate. This novel challenges readers to be true to themselves and don their own crowns. 

In the Classroom

The themes of this novel make it a great book for high school students to delve into. There are a variety of conflicts to explore in this story: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. self, man vs. society; teachers could facilitate a variety of discussions or group assignments for students to find evidence of these conflicts. Students could write a scene in this story from the perspective of a supporting character; this would be an excellent extension. A fun idea would be to watch The Princess Diaries after reading the novel and encourage students to prepare a synthesis or comparative essay. Since the novel discusses a technique Liz uses to ground herself when she is feeling anxious, I would be remiss if I did not mention that this would be an excellent starting point for discussing methods students can use to deal with stress, anxiety, and other emotions.