"This novel's protagonist 'is Jean ("Stevie") Stevenson, a spunky 11-year-old when the story begins; a high-school student when it concludes. The setting is Chicago, circa 1965-70....Raised by a strict, if well-meaning, mother and an affectionate, if vague, father, Stevie soon finds herself caught up in one of the many riddles of youth: to be cool or be square...Meanwhile, she is listening to Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and liberating herself from the confines of her upbringing and her fear of being "different."'" Booklist "Sinclair gives a realistic portrayal of personal awakening during a politically tumultuous time." Publ wkly.