The Art of Getting Stared At

This compelling chapter book introduces Sloane, a sharp 16-year-old with a passion for film, who suddenly discovers bald spots on her head. Diagnosed with alopecia areata, an unpredictable autoimmune disease causing hair loss, Sloane is plunged into a secret battle against her changing appearance and her own judgmental nature. As she works on a crucial film scholarship video with a complicated classmate, Isaac, Sloane grapples with intense anxiety, shame, and the fear of exposure. The story beautifully explores themes of self-acceptance, empathy, and resilience, as Sloane learns to challenge her perceptions of beauty and worth, both for herself and others. It's a powerful narrative for teenagers navigating identity and visible differences.

Sixteen-year-old Sloane is given the biggest opportunity of her life--a chance for a film school scholarship--but she only has less than two weeks to produce a video. She also has to work with Isaac Alexander, an irresponsible charmer with whom she shares an uneasy history. Then comes a horrifying discovery: Sloane finds a bald spot on her head. The pink patch, no bigger than a quarter, shouldn't be there. Neither should the bald spots that follow. Horror gives way to devastation when Sloane is diagnosed with alopecia areata. The autoimmune disease has no cause, no cure and no definitive outcome. The spots might grow over tomorrow or they might be there for life. She could become completely bald. No one knows. Determined to produce her video and keep her condition secret, Sloane finds herself turning into the kind of person she has always mocked: someone obsessed with their looks. She's also forced to confront a painful truth: she is as judgmental as anyone else ... but she saves the harshest judgments for herself.