Shakira Monroe
Kimmie Santiago
Shante Henderson
Audrey Street Girlz — About the Book
What happens when everybody starts noticing you?
Twelve-year-old Shakira Monroe thought seventh grade would be about classes, cheerleading, hanging out with friends, and figuring out who she wanted to become.
She was only partly right.
Set in Wichita, Kansas, in 1981, Audrey Street Girlz: 7th Grade — The Year They Noticed Me follows Shakira and her two best friends, Shante Henderson and Kimmie Santiago, through one unforgettable school year.
There are cheerleading tryouts, football games, school dances, mall trips, three-way phone calls, first crushes, family changes, mean girls, big wins, hard moments, and a friendship that becomes much more than friendship.
It becomes sisterhood.
Shakira is smart, curious, kind, and confident—but seventh grade teaches her something important:
Being noticed can feel good.
It can also change everything.
What’s Inside Audrey Street Girlz?
- 💜 Real friendship
- 📣 Varsity cheerleading
- 🚌 School bus drama
- 🛍️ Towne East Mall adventures
- 📻 Power 104
- 🎡 Joyland memories
- 🛼 Skating rink fun
- ☎️ Three-way calls until somebody falls asleep
- 💌 Anonymous crush notes
- 🏃🏾♀️ Track dreams
- 🏡 Black family and community
- ✨ Growing confidence
- 😳 Plenty of middle-school drama
Varsity Girlz
Saturday at the Mall
First Day Energy
This isn’t just a story about growing up. It’s about growing up Black, finding your people, protecting your peace, and learning that your story deserves to take up space.
Welcome to Audrey Street
Three-Way Call All Night
SHANTE
The Bold One
"Shante has a presence you notice before she ever says a word. Confident, outspoken, and fiercely loyal, she isn't afraid to say exactly what she's thinking. She loves music, fashion, and her girls—and when something doesn't feel right, Shante is usually the first one willing to say it."
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Meet the Audrey Street Girlz
Three girls. One street. A friendship that would grow up right along with them.
Wichita, Kansas • 7th Grade • 1987
SHAKIRA
The Heart
"Shakira brings warmth to the trio. She's thoughtful, observant, and the kind of friend who notices when something is wrong even when nobody says it. She loves having fun with her girls, but underneath that smile is a young woman already learning how deeply friendship, family, and growing up can shape you."
Some things you just feel.
KIMMIE
The Spark
"Kimmie brings the energy. Funny, playful, curious, and always ready for the next adventure, she can turn an ordinary afternoon into a memory. She's still figuring out who she wants to become, but she knows one thing for sure—she wants her girls beside her while she does it."
Come on, y'all. Let's go!
Welcome to Audrey Street
WICHITA, KANSAS • THE 1980S
Before the world got bigger, Audrey Street was everything.
Audrey Street was more than a row of houses.
It was bikes dropped in front yards, screen doors slamming, music floating through open windows, somebody's mama calling kids home before the streetlights came on, and neighbors who knew exactly who you belonged to.
It was where friendships started. Where secrets were kept. Where lessons were learned before the girls even knew they were lessons.
For Shante, Shakira, and Kimmie, this little stretch of Wichita wasn't just home. It was their whole world.
📻 The Music
🛼 Sidewalks
🏀 The Block
🚗 The Street
☎️ The Phone
📺 Living Room
Everybody knew everybody on Audrey Street.
And everybody knew the Girlz.
THE AUDREY STREET GIRLZ FUN ZONE!
Games. Secrets. Music. Memories. And a little Audrey Street mischief.
Pick something and PLAY!
THE AUDREY STREET SCOOP • NEWS FROM THE NINETIES • STAY CONNECTED •
The Official Newsletter
THE AUDREY STREET SCOOP
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THE AUDREY STREET SCOOP
The Official Audrey Street Girlz Newsletter
ISSUE NO. 1
AUGUST 21, 2026
WICHITA, KANSAS • EST. 1981 💜
💌 HEY, GIRL!
It’s finally here! Today is August 21, 2026, and after months of secrets, three-way calls involving far too much giggling, and more 80s nostalgia than a mall full of neon leg warmers, the presale for Audrey Street Girlz: 7th Grade — The Year They Noticed Me is officially OPEN!
If you haven’t heard the scoop, this story takes us all the way back to Wichita, Kansas, in 1981. It’s the year Shakira Monroe, Shante Henderson, and Kimmie Santiago start 7th grade—the year things get real, the year friendship becomes sisterhood, and the year the world starts noticing them for all the right (and sometimes wrong) reasons.
Grab your copy for just $14.99 during our special launch window and be the first to walk down Audrey Street with us.
Coming to a shop near you soon!
👑 GIRLZ TALK
We asked Shakira, Shante, and Kimmie: What’s the one thing you can’t live without this school year?
Shante: My denim jacket with the personalized patches. If you don't have flared jeans and a jacket that says who you are, are you even in 7th grade?
Kimmie: Lip gloss and my skating rink pass. Joyland is cool, but the rink is where the real magic happens.
Shakira: My journal. There’s a lot going on this year, and if I don't write it down, my head might actually explode.
📼 REWIND TO 1981
This month, we’re obsessing over the vibes of Wichita back in the day. Remember when Towne East Mall was the center of the universe? When Power 104 played the soundtrack to our lives? 1981 was a mood—oversized sweaters, cassette tapes, and the beginning of a decade that changed everything. We’re bringing that energy back with every page of the book.
👀 BETWEEN THE PAGES
Get a sneak peek at one of our favorite moments in Book One: the three-way call incident. Someone had a crush, someone had a secret, and someone accidentally forgot the other person was still on the line. Let’s just say 7th grade is a whole lot of 'oops' and even more 'oh my gosh!'
⭐
⭐ THE AUGUST GIRLZ CHALLENGE
This month, we want you to practice the 'Shakira Method': Write down three things you love about yourself every single morning for a week. Confidence is a muscle, girl—you gotta flex it!
💜 FROM AUDREY STREET
We are so excited to share this world with you. Audrey Street isn’t just a place in a book—it’s a feeling. It’s that sense of belonging, that laughter that makes your stomach hurt, and those moments where you realize you are exactly where you're supposed to be. Thank you for joining the club.
P.S. FROM THE GIRLZ...
Shakira: Did anyone see what Shante wore today? Total boss vibes.
Shante: You know it. If you're gonna be noticed, make sure you look good doing it!
Kimmie: I’m just waiting for the first school dance. Wichita isn’t ready for us!