To Her Own Beat

A heartfelt middle-grade novel-in-verse about a young dancer finding her voice, challenging beauty standards, and learning to love the body she’s in.

“Heartbreakingly honest and tender-hearted, To Her Own Beat is a call to all the good girls who've ever been afraid to talk back. Sumati's voice pours out of the page, and it was a joy to see her learn to take up the space she deserves. Brinda Shah is an author to watch.” —Andrea Beatriz Arango, Newbery Honor-winning author of Iveliz Explains It All

Thirteen-year-old Sumati Soni knows how to be a good kid.

She holds her tongue when relatives comment on her body. Stays quiet when a classmate throws hurtful words her way. Ignores those who make her Bharatanatyam dance class feel like torture.

She knows she should always show respect—after all, her name means “good thoughts” in Sanskrit—and she tries to express herself through poetry and dance without offending anyone. But as she prepares to perform a solo in dance class and at her sister’s wedding, the pressure builds. Even the people she hoped would be on her side, including her best friend and her mother, don’t seem to have her back.

Now Sumati must learn to speak up and confront the generational beauty standards that have shaped how she sees herself—or continue to be weighed down by it all.

• A JOYFUL, BODY-INCLUSIVE HEROINE: Sumati confronts fatphobia and hurtful expectations while growing into her confidence, claiming her space, and learning that her body is not something she needs to apologize for.
• ART AS A SOURCE OF STRENGTH: Poetry gives Sumati a place to say what she cannot speak aloud, while Bharatanatyam allows her to express herself through movement. Young writers, dancers, and other creative readers will recognize the power of art to offer both refuge and release.
• A NUANCED PORTRAIT OF FAMILY & CULTURE: Drawing on personal experience, author Brinda Shah explores how generational and cultural expectations can shape a child’s self-image and leaves room for characters to grow and change, becoming more supportive of kids of all body types.
• AN ACCESSIBLE NOVEL IN VERSE: Immediate, emotionally resonant poems make Sumati’s story especially inviting for reluctant readers, poetry lovers, and fans of acclaimed verse novels such as   Starfish, Other Words for Home, and Inside Out and Back Again.
• FOR READERS FINDING THEIR OWN VOICE: A compelling choice for ages 10–14, as well as teachers, librarians, dancers, poets, and anyone drawn to stories about big emotions, Indian culture, self-acceptance, and standing up for yourself.