INTO WHITE
LaToya Williams lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. She’s so low on the social ladder that even the other black kids disrespect her. Only her older brother, Alex, believes in her. At least, until a higher power answers her only prayer–to be “anything but black.” And voila! She wakes up with blond hair, blue eyes, and lily white skin. And then the real fun begins …
LaToya Williams lives in Birmingham, Alabama, and attends a mostly white high school. She’s so low on the social ladder that even the other black kids disrespect her. Only her older brother, Alex, believes in her. At least, until a higher power answers her only prayer–to be “anything but black.” And voila! She wakes up with blond hair, blue eyes, and lily white skin. And then the real fun begins …
- Feiwel & Friends
- Hardcover
- September 2016
- 288 Pages
- 9781250070210
Buy the Book
$17.99
About Randi Pink
Randi Pink grew up in the South and attended a mostly white high school. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, and works for a local public radio station. Into White is her fiction debut.
Discussion Questions
1. At the beginning of the book, Toya’s interaction with another student fuels her wish to change. What is it about this interaction with Deante that pushes Toya to a breaking point? What do you imagine her life in high school has been like up to this time?
2. Toya appears white to everyone except her parents and her brother. Why do you think the author decided this?
3. After her transformation Toya and Alex visit an upscale department store where a salesperson questions why they are hanging out together. How realistic do you believe this is? Has anything like this ever happened to you or a friend?
4. Toya’s parents believe that by living in a mostly white neighborhood and sending Toya and Alex to a mostly white high school, they are giving their kids better opportunities than they had. Do you agree with their decisions? Why or why not? What aspects of Toya’s relationship with her parents mirror your own dynamic with one or both of your parents?
5. The girls who accept Toya once she becomes “Kat” are popular and socially influential at school. Why wouldn’t these girls have befriended Toya before her transformation? Is it only about appearance for these girls?
6. Alex is keeping a secret from Toya about his future. Why doesn’t he confide in her?
7. Toya has had a crush on Josh for a long time before her transformation. Why did she like him and how do her feelings change as she gets to know him?
8. . There is one more person who sees through “Kat” and recognizes Toya: Deante. Why do you believe the author made this choice? Why has Deante kept some things hidden from Toya and the rest of the school?
9. Describe Toya’s feelings after Deante takes her to the sorority event on campus. Why is this event so key in the story?
10. What do you see happening in Toya’s life after the book ends? Will she change? Will her family dynamic change? What do you predict she will do after high school?
11. Does Into White help start conversations about race? Why or why not?