Lakita Wilson

Lakita Wilson writes fiction and nonfiction for children and teenagers about friendship and growing up. Last Chance Dance is her 2023 romantic comedy from Viking Books for Young Readers. After Leila's boyfriend ends their four-year relationship shortly before graduation, a school tradition asks seniors to name unrequited crushes and learn whether anyone chose them in return. Leila receives several matches, including classmate Tre, and starts reconsidering her assumptions about others and the identity she built around her former relationship. Wilson's books also include Be Real, Macy Weaver, Sparkle, Pretty Girl County, and a Who HQ Now volume about Black Lives Matter. She earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Last Chance Dance turns a playful dating premise into a story about heartbreak, self-knowledge, and life after high school.