What do You think about Double Dutch (2004)?
Wonderful read for youth, parents, and teachers!Double Dutch addresses several issues that prevail in the school and home environments of our children: friendships, bullying, social isolation, the effects of natural disasters/phenomena, extracurricular activities, parental involvement, and learning disabilities. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as the characters remind me of kids I knew as a middle-school student. Delia's "secret" is also not very far-fetched as other reviewers have suggested; I have witnessed similar scenarios during my years in grade school and among some of my young relatives. Double Dutch inclines readers (children, parents, coaches, teachers, etc.) to increase or adjust their observations of others as students and other stakeholders in their educational and personal journeys work together towards success. I strongly recommend this book, especially to anyone involved in education!
—Lisa
I really liked this book because you never knew what was going to happen next. The tone of this book was very suspenseful. Many things happened throughout the story that I would have never expected to happen. I enjoy reading books like this because I get really caught up in the story. It's almost like an adventure. Another reason why I liked this book was because I learned many things from this book about friendship. I learned that you should not keep secrets because only bad things will result from that. Friends are people that you should trust and they will be there for you no matter what the situation is. Synopsis:This story is about three eighth grade girls who are preparing for the International Double Dutch Championship jump rope competition that is going to be held in their hometown, Cincinnati. Delia is the main character of the story and she loves Double Dutch. She is the best jumper on her team and has a shot at the championship. But, Delia has a secret she has kept from everyone, including her parents. She does not know how to read. In order to compete, she must pass the state proficiency tests. This could ruin her chance to be able to participate in the competition. Delia's best friend, Yolanda, who is also on the Double Dutch team, does not even know about Delia's secret for a while. Yolanda is known for telling very tall tales and silly lies. No one can believe a word she says. In other words, Yolanda is the comic relief in the story. Delia isn't the only person with a secret. Her potential boyfriend, Randy, has a father who is a truck driver. Randy's father has been missing for weeks. Randy is very close to his Dad and he cannot understand why he can't reach him. Randy assists the Double Dutch coach and helps with practices. Randy is running out of money to pay the rent and electricity. He doesn't even have enough money to buy food. He is afraid to tell anyone because he doesn't want to be put into a foster home. Delia and Randy's secrets collide on what should be the happiest day of Delia's life, and the collision threatens to ruin their friendship. I gave this book a four out of five star rating. I really liked this book because it had a strong plot with many twists and turns throughout the story. I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. This book also taught many lessons about friendship and secrets. Even though the story had many twists and turns, it was easy to follow and I could picture what was going on in the story as I was reading it.
—Suzanna Passafiume
Double Dutch was a good book. One of the things I liked best about it was the aspect of double dutch. It took me back to my childhood for sure because that is all myself and my girlfriends played during the summer and after school when the weather was nice. It brought back pleasant memories for me and I love when a book does that. Similar to me, the main character's name begins with a D, Delia. She plays competitive jump rope but has a secret that no one knows about. This is my other issue - how is that she is in junior high and nobody knows what her secret is??? How could she have even gotten that far in school and no one knows?? Can you guess it? I won't say what it is but that is one question that I did ask myself while reading.I really want to not include any spoilers in this review but sorry - it's about to happen. Delia can't read! There is a test she has to take (standardized, YAY) and this is where the problem for her is. Still, I want to know how it is that she got this far without being able to read. Even her mother didn't know she couldn't read. After Delia tells her mother about not being able to read, her mother says she will get her help. There is also a bit of tween love in the book as there is a young kid named Randy who is fond and Delia and has a secret, too. But I won't add another spoiler.Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I liked that it brought back some personal memories. If you grew up playing double dutch, jumping single rope, or even playing Chinese rope (my fave), then you will at least have that connection while reading this book. Enjoy it! As a last note - this book just speaks to how children still get left behind in school. The cycle has got to stop!
—Darnisha Monson
