Hollywood Pride
In the fall of 1973, fifteen-year-old Caroline Black leaves Laurel Academy for Girls and transfers to her local public school, Hollywood High. At first, Caroline is overwhelmed. The students come from all over the world. Some kids live in wealthy homes, others on the streets, and everywhere in between. In Caroline's first few weeks, she brings her homework to the library, where a knife fight breaks out. She volunteers to tutor and is assigned the leader of a gang. She witnesses a gay student bullied by a pack of boys.
Growing up bookish in a film industry family, feeling like an outsider, Caroline rebels against the toxic Hollywood culture of influential men who see teen girls as easy prey. At her new school, she finds a group of friends and begins to realize that she belongs. But with so many students dealt such a rough hand, peaceful coexistence isn't easy at Hollywood High. When her LGBTQ+ friends are targeted, she has no idea what to do. Still, she feels compelled to take a risk and step up. Then she finds herself threatened by a sexual predator, and discovers hidden strengths she never imagined.
Originally published as Hollywood High: Achieve the Honorable, this historical YA novel, set in the 1970s, has been rewritten to address the targeting of the LGBTQ+ communities, systemic racism in education, and the impact of bullying. Hollywood Pride is a coming-of-age story about self-discovery, standing up for others, the power of friendship, and the true meaning of allyship.
Author: Amy Kaufman Burk
Publisher: Amy Kaufman Burk
Published: 03/03/2025
Pages: 372
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.09lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.77d
ISBN: 9798218371678
Audience: Young Adult
About the Author
Burk, Amy Kaufman: - Amy Kaufman Burk grew up in the Hollywood Hills surrounded by creativity. Her father wrote screenplays, and her home was filled with directors, actors, authors, and thousands of books. Amy graduated from Hollywood High School, then studied psychology at Yale College, graduating cum laude with distinction in her major. She earned a master's degree in Health and Medical Sciences from UC Berkeley and a Doctorate in Mental Health from UC San Francisco. After practicing psychotherapy for over twenty years, she began writing. Hollywood Pride is based on Amy's experience in tenth grade, when she transferred from a college prep academy to the local public high school. At her new school, she found over forty languages spoken among the students, no single racial heritage a majority, and an economic spectrum ranging from kids living on the streets to the wealthy homes in the Hollywood Hills. Hollywood High's diverse community shaped Amy's outlook on all aspects of her life going forward. She lives in North Carolina.