Dive Into Hallway Diaries: How To Be Down/Double ACT/The Summer She Learned To Dance Designed And Illustrated By Felicia Pride Compiled As Brochure
Not bad. It did have a great moral message, How to Be Down
Originally reviewed
I started reading How To Be Down with many reservations in mind.
After reading Gettin' Hooked by Nyaomi Scott I was a little nervous not about the story plot if I was I wouldn't be writing this blog post.
I was nervous about the author's use of dialogue, Wondering if Felicia Pride captured the vernacular of the kids, and if she did was it used in the right context.
Well, I'm happy to say, "Yes she did", Reading the dialogue of this story made me feel like I was interacting with the kids from my school.
Nothing was forced, everything was smooth which made How To Be Down a fun, yet predictable, read,
Double ACT
Originally reviewed
Mia Chambers is a character I can definitely identify with.
Like with How To Be Down I was worried that everthing in this story wouldn't flow, And like the last story I'm happy to report that both the story and dialogue was good even if the plot was a bit predictable.
I enjoyed reading Mia's story, And I don't think I'll be worrying about the last sory in this book,
The Summer She Learned to Dance How to Be Down
Originally reviewed
The Summer She Learned How To Dance is my favorite story of all three in the Hallway Diaries book.
It's a very touching story that sends the message of learning to love yourself for who you are and not letting anyone bring you down.
Karen Valentin is an awesome job with the characters, She didn't just write from Giselle's and Juanita's POVs but from Kevin's Giselle's dad own too, Which made for an even better story.
I would love to read a follow up to this story maybe one withpages hint, hint, Mrs. Williams favorite Summerread. Three girls. Three high schools. Three gottaread stories. How To Be Down by Felicia Pride
When Nina Parker decides to straighten her Afro, lose her valleygirl accent
and get a total makeover for her new school in the hood, the cutest guy notices"yes!" But so does the meanest girl, Vivica, queen bee of her crew, who wants Jeffrey for herself.
Double Act by Debbie Rigaud
In the hood, Mia Chambers is 'the smart girl, ' but at her prestigious new prep school she hardly stands out.
So Mia does what it takes only to be accused of selling out by her old friends!
The Summer She Learned To Dance by Karen Valentin
At first, Giselle Johnson hates spending the summer with her cousin from the Dominican Republic.
But she soon starts loving the island and even learns to dance to her own rhythm, That is, until her cousin attracts Giselle's high school crush, . . " this was the best one i read so far being n highschool is a changle too kep yo a game up high for these girls.
. . lol How To Be Done
Nina Parker has to adapt from moving from the suburbs of Rain haven, New Jersey to the urban streets of Baltimore City.
At a barbeque thrown by her father she gets acquainted with relatives she hasnt meet and introduced to Lamont and his daughter Vivica who will be in the college prep program with Nina.
Vivica might be put together but shes really not that friendly, Nina is what people use to call an “Oreo” She has dark skin but she talks white, lived in a privileged neighborhood, and went to apercent white, private, school shes kinda like a female Carlton Banks.
She lets her know that Maple wood isnt like her old school, Its BLACK! And she needs to be on point and accuses her of thinking shes white aka better.
At the bus stop on the first day of school, she meets Vivicas home girl Sheena who janks her clothes and natural.
Then a fine brotha walks over named Jeffrey and he and Nina bond over a Haitian greeting, Vivica does everything she can to cblock, but Jeffrey's attention stays on Nina, . Vivica and Sheena continue to rag on Nina during the bus ride about not having rode a bus.
We also see that Vivika doesnt want Sheena to know she applied to be in college prep program.
In English, the teacher announces shes started a poetry club, Nina is excited because she has a composition book filled with poetry, She meets another member of Sheenas crew “Nessa”a serious hip hop head, Nessa and Vivika are excited about joining the poetry club, Nessa even does an impromptu rap at the lunch table, Nina tells her about her attempts at writing and Nessa asks to see some of her poetry, But Vivika doesnt seem to want to sit with her Later she even blasts her for not knowing if shes black or white after class.
On the bus ride home, she sees Jeffery who asks her about her first day and she says horribly.
Then they start talking about not fitting in, He tells her a tip he says you might have to try to fit in a little but dont change who you are because you might find out that the ones you try to change for arent really your friends.
Plus he thinks shes pretty cool,
The next day in class, Vivika and Nina exchange poetry for an assignment, and Vivikas is a personal piece about her mother, Vivika asks if Nina ever had any black friends and she tells her about her friend Jill whose biracial.
Nessa critiques Jills notebook and says its good but her writing lacks emotion, There will only be eight members of the poetry team that represents the club in competitions, Anyone else is free to join, There will be tryouts coming up Inspired by Vivikas poem she writes one dedicated to her mother, .
The first round of the judging for the poetry contest, Nessa and Sheena give Nina a clothes makeover.
Vivika does one about “Karma” Nessa does the one she did at lunch and Nina does hers about her mother but only gets a lukewarm response.
Nessa says she didnt feel her in it, The others thought it was soft and boring, Vivika smiles at her grade, Nina gets the highest grade in the class, Later, Nina finds out Vivika really didnt do so well at all and that her father wants Nina to tutor her.
On the bus, Jefferey asks Nina out to an openmic poetry event, Sheena and Nessa say theyll give Nina a makeover for her date, When Nina goes to tutor Vivika, she confesses she failed on purpose, She says shed rather be accepted with her girls, She then apologizes and says shes been going through some things with her mother, Shes been out of her life and is trying to come back and shes not ready for that.
She also says shes not mad at her for trying to date Jefferey, She says shell give her some tips for toning down her inner white girl but then sees Ninas notebook and while she laughs at it she says some of it is true.
So, by the time she leaves shes had some lessons on how to be a rideordie chick, She tells her that Jeffery is into balin and thug life,
On the date, Nina tries to talk and act “black” and it turns off Jefferey who Vivika also told Nina wanted a thug.
Jill tells her to apologize to him, Vivika even has list going around on “How to be Black”, She starts to avoid being around Sheena and Nessa, One day, Nina runs into Vivikas mother coming to see her only shes at the poetry competition, Surprise! Surprise! Shes white and has green eyes, Then she goes to the poetry event and delivers a keep it real diss poem to Vivika, Vivika runs out upset but the crowd loves it, . Jefferey is there but he isnt smiling, Ninas mom and dad are disappointed and tell her that wasnt her place and she needs to remember who she is.
The next day, She writes a letter of apology to Jeffrey, Then she apologizes to Vivika, Vivika says that she never got to know her mother because her mothers family didnt want anything to do with her as in her family disowned her mother Black kids dont think shes black enough.
Black girls think shes to light umm So turns out she was jealous that Nina was so confident about who she was.
She was the one that didnt know how to be black because she didnt know how to be herself.
She starts a list “How to be Myself” Both Vivika and Ninas poems blow up at the next poetry event.
Double Act
Mia Chambers is competing in a double dutch competition with her friend whose turning Stacey and her competitor Kendra.
Its the last day of their freshman year, Theyve named their squad Rope A Dope inspired by a documentary of Muhamed Ali, Mia wins. Stacey is hoping theyll get into the City High double dutch championship, However, one of Mias advisors teachers tell her shes advancing her to a junior next year, Her teacher meets with Mias parents and they agree with Mia that she doesnt need to skip a grade, but they tell her theyre going to enroll her at a more advanced SCHOOL St.
Claires Academy.
On the last day of school, Stacey comes up to her at school and tells her that Mrs.
L the guidance teacher would make the perfect choice to recommend them for Rope A Dope to be in the championship.
One of the teachers they pass in the hall drops the bomb and Stacey just walks away, Stacey does get the recommendation for the application tho and announces it and Mias leaving at the next meeting.
Mia tho says she wont be leaving the team, Kendra calls out Mia and asks if shes sure she still wants to be on the team because shell have a lot more in common with her new white classmates.
Mia just walks away.
On her first day, Mia goes to the wrong class and is shown the way to the right one by a girl named Allie who paints.
Rather she makes sketches of the location, She meets Jennifer who sees her as the schools girl from the hood, When she gets home she calls Stacey and finds out she missed RAD practice and Mia feels out of place even though Stacey says she tried to get them to meet later.
Stacey says shell try to get the rest to agree to meet late twice a month and Mia thinks wow it didnt take them long to get over me.
The girl on the buss name is Bonnita She says she wants to be the first doctor in her family and shes been dealing with stereotypes too.
Mia, Ally, and Bonitta become fast friends, Ally says shes auditioning for the winter event Merry Go Round musical, Mia will audition to do the music and Bonnita as part of the cast, They all get the parts they go out for, Mia meets Lucas a cleancut guy with good manners from on the way to the music room to practice.
He plays the guitar. By the end of practice, its clear that Mia is crushing on Lucas and the feeling on his end is mutual.
Lucas and Mia bond some more and Lucas tells her he can relate to what its like not to fit in.
Lucas gets Mias number.
Mia gets a bad grade in history but the teacher assigns a special project, But Stacey calls with good news that RAD has been invited to compete in the state championship, But the night of the competition is the same date as the winter musical, The teacher warns Mia that if her grades continue to drop shell be dropped from the winter musical.
Sh. The next day Ally drops the bomb that its going around school that Bonnita didnt come to school because shes the kid of one of the staff Mr.
Rick I think hes the janitor or maintenance man, Mia tells Bonita she cant focus on what people think of her and from where shes sitting shes an amazing person!” Then she realizes she should stop focusing on everyone else and put her grades first.
Mia tells Stacey that she already made a commitment for the winter festival, Thats why she concentrated so hard on giving them a tight routine, Stacey said Kendra was right and hangs up the phone in her face,
So her parents and Lucas start helping her with school and she starts to improve within a week.
Mia gives all the extra pieces she took on to Lynn another student who did a complex classical piece as an audition.
Mia aces her speech on Martin Luther King is now is back on track of her academics, At the festival, Bonitta is the star of the show, Because Mia scales back her numbers shes able to make it to the double dutch competition, But by the time she gets there, it's too late to jump with the team, Stacey is still touched that she came, Mia introduces them to her friends, Mias squad is tied for first place, Mis already has something picked in case of a tie, Lucas plays for them on his guitar,
The Summer She Learned to Dance
Gisselle is told by her father that its time she get to know more about her mothers side so her cousin Juanita Maria De Lacuz Martinez will be coming to visit from the Dominican Republic.
Shes not sure how to feel about The only thing she knows about her cousin from when they were little is that she could only speak Spanish and she hopes that changed.
At school, she finds out that some guy she isnt crazy about is having a party and her friends Alycee and Dahlia.
Then she finds out the boy she likes Alex is also having an exclusiveth birthday party invitation only.
But what she doesnt know is Alex likes girls that are sure of themselves, The verdict is out if he likes her in that way, She does stand out to him because she reminds him of his siser who is also insecure, So hes nice to her to boost her ego,
When they pick Juanita up, immediately there are some turn offs, Juanita's outfit looks like it's from the Salvation Army, She starts talking in Spanish and Giselle doesnt understand it, Plus she talks it too fast and shes LOUD! Then shes overly clingy and hangs all over Giselle affectionate Juanita is awestruck with the house which is a mansion and all the rooms so different from the shack she and her mother and two sisters live in.
Juanita gives Gisselle endless tacky gifts from her relatives in the Dominican Republic gifts that sound like theyre out of the dollar store.
At dinner theres awkwardness. Juanita keeps trying to engage her in conversation, but Giselle cant get past her bad table manners she chews and talks with her mouth open.
Then Juanita isnt used to the food its too bland, Shes used to heavily spiced food or that Giselle doesnt help clean up after dinner but Brian does.
Or even that a nanny raised Giselle, That night, Juanita cant sleep so Brian makes Gisselle share her room with her, She has weird habits like covering mirrors for bad luck, They agree to go shopping the next day, Juanita tries to give Giselle a Spanish lesson but she cuts it short, wonders how shell ever introduce this girl to her friends, She thinks maybe she could turn her into someone more socially acceptable, To make it worse, she SNORES!
The next morning, Giselle tries to give Juanita a lesson in etiquette.
The do some shopping, Juanita is in awe of how much Giselle and Katie throw money around and wants no parts of it.
Thres a gorgeous dress that Juanita loves, but says its not her style, For all the dresses she tries she shakes them off, Then she refuses to try on any more, Giselles dad makes her take her cousin along with her and her friends to the beach, At the beach, Giselles friends tease her but Juanita goes to surf with some boys, One of them is Alex who after she leaves he wishes he could have gotten her number, Shes like him isnt afraid to be silly and goofy and let loose,
Giselle tries to get her cousin to change her hair and dress for a family dinner party but Juanita lets her know that shes ok with who she is and how she dresses.
Juanita is surprised that Nina doesnt hug her but, Nana isnt that kind of grandmother, Shes always making snarky comments about Giselles weight, Surprisingly all the relatives love Juanitas curls and say Giselle should get hers that way, All the relatives notice the resemblance of Juanita to Jackie Giselles mother, Giselle for the first time finds the courage to speak up against Nana and Juanita for her part tries to remember the etiquette Giselle showed her.
Brian, Giselle, and Juanita spend an impromptu day in NY, Juanita shows Giselle how to live in the moment and dance in the middle of the park, Then they visit some relatives on her mothers side who fawn over Giselle, Giselle learns a lot about her family and the Dominican Republic, Afterward, Brian shows them were Jackies old apartment was, The next day Juanita goes back to her natural color and returns to her curls, Juanita is with Katie and enjoys her manicure, Juanita lets them buy her a new outfit and she decides to try the streaks Giselle suggested, She also lets Katie buy her the first dress she saw that she turned down, Giselle is conflicted when she sees Juanita, Shes the one that encouraged her to embrace herself but now she looks just like she used to.
All of a sudden she isnt feeling her new look,
Alex recognizes Juanita at his party, It takes him a minute because she looks different than the girl he meet on the beach, Dahlia and Alycee realize Alex likes her, Giselle isnt with them. She decides to go up to him and wish him happy birthday, No one knows she likes him, At first, Alex is dancing with Giselle but Juanita is the better dancer and so he drifts over to dance with her.
Looking at them she gets upset and jealous and runs outside and starts crying, When they find her Giselle says shes going home because of a headache, Juanita says shell go with her, but her cousin tells her just to stay,
Juanita and Alex share a kiss at the party by the ocean, Juanita The next morning, Brian asks Juanita if something happened at the party to upset Giselle, He heard her crying all night, Juanita drops the bomb that she kissed Alex, Giselle tells her they have a word like that slut and she starts to dump on her cousin.
But Juanita recognizes it for what it is jealousy, But then they start to fight, Juanita starts to pack her clothes but Brian stops her, She just tells him she wants to go, He tries to talk to Giselle but shes upset too, Juanita leaves. Giselle have a father daghter talk and she shows her insecurities about being darkskinned and being ugly and not ever having someone want her.
Her dad said its ok no one is one hundred percent of who they are, Then he tells her its time to figure out if shes the kind of person that wants to fight for her relationships or run.
So, they go find Juanita Giselle starts to try new looks and new clothes, As it ends shes still not sure who shes determined to figure it out,
My Thoughts:
In the first story, I was so so very confused, Vivika is very insecure about being accepted because she has light skin, When I was coming up, it was ALL about being lightskinned! Lightskinned with long hair, Thats all you saw in music videos, Lightskinned was IN! Not just for females but for men, It certainly would not have been a putoff to black guys or black girls, If it was to females it's probably because of jealousy, Then sometimes books tend to use characters' mommy or daddy issues to justify the character's bad behavior and I hate that because it's just not a reason for you to be a jerk to other people because your mother or father ghosted on you and decided to come back.
As for all their poems, they were decent, Oh yeah and no I know has ever said "Bring the hotness, " and I have heard a lot of slang but, .
In the second story, I didnt even get why they thought Mia was white, I got why they thought Nina was white because she went to a majority white school and I have cousins a male and a female who went to white, private, schools and they act the same way.
Even get teased in my family the same way without the mean edge tho, But nothing about Mia even hinted at her being white until she went to Saint Claires, She listened to True Mc, Well, to be fair thats really all we got to know about her personal taste other than she liked doubledutch which any color female might like and piano again she even played an Alicia Keys song So either it was something left out we didnt know about her or this wasnt a good fit for a story in this book.
The last story was kinda cute, I liked seeing how after a while Giselle would try to bend to Juanita and vice versa, Reminded me of something and now I know what it is Will and Carltons relationship on the Fresh Prince of BelAire now I know why it felt so familiar.
But overall, all these books centered on something that Im glad Im glad was never much an issue with me.
Im not lightskinned. Im not darkskinned. Those are the two that have the most issues with their skin color, Im a light brown so light brown females like myself you dont really hear about a lot of conflict unless its just in general for being a woman of color.
I struggled with wanting to read this book because I thought these three stories would be long but they went quickly and were easy to get through.
Rating:
.