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The Secret Rambling's of Harriet Hughes #1
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen
Harriet Hughes is not your typical 12 year old girl. She does not like pink and she is not what you would call breathtakingly beautiful. Harriet considers herself decidedly average; her sister Abigail on the other hand is very pretty and good at everything. Join Harriet as she makes her way through middle school. In diary of a dancing drama queen Harriet has to face the embarrassment of a dance class after her mother enrols her and her sister at Madam Zangara’s School of Dance. She is not exactly the best dancer in the world and when the most popular girl in school, Melanie joins the dance class, it marks the start of a fun filled adventure that includes a birthday party, a talent show and a school dance. Will she get asked to the dance by her biggest crush, Oliver Russel? Harriet writes about family, friends, school and boys in a fresh, young voice and the sketches in her diary (secret ramblings) add a touch of whimsy. This funny book is sure to be a hit with 8-12 year old girls.
- GenresMiddle Grade
101 pages, ebook
First published August 13, 2013
256 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Louise Lintvelt
14 books216 followersI am from South Africa and I live in a city called Pretoria. I am a Chemical Engineer by day and a children’s book writer by night. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful two year old daughter called Allegra. I love writing stories for my daughter, who is a constant inspiration.
When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep tight, What a Wonderful Flight.
When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep tight, What a Wonderful Flight.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 22, 2013
Diary of A Dancing Drama Queen is the first book in The Secret Ramblings of Harries Hughes series.
Harriet Hughes is not one of those typical girls who loves shopping, the color pink and whatnot. She is the exact opposite of her eight-year-old sister Abigail, who looks good and is good at everything. They live with her parents in a small town.
Her mother later on enrolls her and her sister at the School of Dance. Initially, Harriet dreads at the thought of it. She thinks that the idea of being in a dance school is embarrassing and tries to find ways to escape dance classes. This book is about a girl who is a drama queen who soon finds that dance school is actually not that bad and looks forward to each day.
In the beginning, I kind of have a love and hate relationship with the story. Harriet complains a lot. I was annoyed that she was really insecure about herself. It felt like she was a little too whiny. However, I actually find her complaints entertaining. The way she rants about her life was quite hilarious for me.
I quite liked the characters in this story. I thought her parents were really interesting, especially her mum! She is a typical housewife who owns a cute Volkswagen Beetle aka the ladybug. We are later introduced to Oliver Russel who is the popular guy in school. Harriet develops a crush on him but finds it tough to talk to him without acting all weird. She gets nervous and I'm sure everyone can relate to that. But I did not really like Melanie Harris. At first. My first impression of her was that she was one of those mean girls, but my perception of her changed as I continued reading the story. I found it really amazing how our perception of a character can just change in a blink of an eye.
I thought the plot was really good. It had a great flow. The more I read it, the more excited I would get. I immediately jumped into the sequel once I finished this book. The story left me hanging and wanting for more.
My only problem with the book was the ending. I felt like it ended abruptly. But in a way, it is great because it sets as a nice transition for a sequel.
Overall, I found it to be an entertaining and interesting book and I think it will be a great book for middle graders because it was a really quick read. I recommend picking up the sequel as well when you do pick this up.
Originally posted in Met In Eleven
Harriet Hughes is not one of those typical girls who loves shopping, the color pink and whatnot. She is the exact opposite of her eight-year-old sister Abigail, who looks good and is good at everything. They live with her parents in a small town.
Her mother later on enrolls her and her sister at the School of Dance. Initially, Harriet dreads at the thought of it. She thinks that the idea of being in a dance school is embarrassing and tries to find ways to escape dance classes. This book is about a girl who is a drama queen who soon finds that dance school is actually not that bad and looks forward to each day.
In the beginning, I kind of have a love and hate relationship with the story. Harriet complains a lot. I was annoyed that she was really insecure about herself. It felt like she was a little too whiny. However, I actually find her complaints entertaining. The way she rants about her life was quite hilarious for me.
I quite liked the characters in this story. I thought her parents were really interesting, especially her mum! She is a typical housewife who owns a cute Volkswagen Beetle aka the ladybug. We are later introduced to Oliver Russel who is the popular guy in school. Harriet develops a crush on him but finds it tough to talk to him without acting all weird. She gets nervous and I'm sure everyone can relate to that. But I did not really like Melanie Harris. At first. My first impression of her was that she was one of those mean girls, but my perception of her changed as I continued reading the story. I found it really amazing how our perception of a character can just change in a blink of an eye.
I thought the plot was really good. It had a great flow. The more I read it, the more excited I would get. I immediately jumped into the sequel once I finished this book. The story left me hanging and wanting for more.
My only problem with the book was the ending. I felt like it ended abruptly. But in a way, it is great because it sets as a nice transition for a sequel.
Overall, I found it to be an entertaining and interesting book and I think it will be a great book for middle graders because it was a really quick read. I recommend picking up the sequel as well when you do pick this up.
Originally posted in Met In Eleven
November 21, 2013
This is a really funny and cute book for 8-12 year old girls. It is written in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid but from a 12 year old girl’s perspective. The main character, Harriet, is very likeable. She is a little dramatic when things embarrass her and she writes all about it in her diary. She has a quirky, slightly sarcastic sense of humor that had me laughing several times while reading the story and I loved the little hand drawn pictures that appear throughout the book. There are great friendships, wonderful family relationships, and of course boy drama, along with some character growth. I love that Harriet figures out that her initial thoughts about people and activities are sometimes wrong and that being open to trying new things can change your life.
Quote from Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen:
I could not help but think how glad I was that mom had made me take a dance class. Dancing had been the start of wonderful things and if mom had not made me go, I would never have overcome my fears…..Mom is right—-life is way more fun if you let go of your inhibitions and just have fun.
Book 2, in this fun and cute series is Diary of a Pop Sensation.
*Original post on Gin's Book Notes (http://ginsbooknotes.com)*
Quote from Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen:
I could not help but think how glad I was that mom had made me take a dance class. Dancing had been the start of wonderful things and if mom had not made me go, I would never have overcome my fears…..Mom is right—-life is way more fun if you let go of your inhibitions and just have fun.
Book 2, in this fun and cute series is Diary of a Pop Sensation.
*Original post on Gin's Book Notes (http://ginsbooknotes.com)*
November 20, 2013
This book made me laugh out loud many times. Harriet's attitude and explanations of her life and the people around her are amazingly full of drama and quirkiness. I loved her character. She is strong and opinionated but also realizes when she should give in to others to do the right thing. The book was only about 60 pages or so (PDF format) and includes sketches from ' Harriet' that are just as entertaining as the story itself. I felt that any young girls would love to read this book.
Harriet has a great relationship with her family and friends and even makes new friends through the story, ones that are not expected. I have to admit I was waiting for these girls to turn on one another but to my surprise it never happened. It was a lovely and easy read!
Harriet has a great relationship with her family and friends and even makes new friends through the story, ones that are not expected. I have to admit I was waiting for these girls to turn on one another but to my surprise it never happened. It was a lovely and easy read!
November 22, 2013
Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. I read it every free chance I had and finished it in less than a day. I did not want to put it down.
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun little read that I think a lot of fourth through sixth grade girls can relate to. Harriet is like most young girls. She thinks she is not pretty, not coordinated, and the loser of her grade. Harriet does have friends and ends up being friends with someone she thought would never be her friend.
Harriet’s mother and father are great. They are normal parents despite what Harriet thinks. The dance classes were fun to read about. I enjoyed Harriet’s drawings throughout her diary. Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen ended in a cliffhanger and I definitely want to read the next book in this series.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend it to the younger crowd.
Will I read it again: I will probably reread it again when it is time for my daughter to read it.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/11/bl...
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun little read that I think a lot of fourth through sixth grade girls can relate to. Harriet is like most young girls. She thinks she is not pretty, not coordinated, and the loser of her grade. Harriet does have friends and ends up being friends with someone she thought would never be her friend.
Harriet’s mother and father are great. They are normal parents despite what Harriet thinks. The dance classes were fun to read about. I enjoyed Harriet’s drawings throughout her diary. Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen ended in a cliffhanger and I definitely want to read the next book in this series.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend it to the younger crowd.
Will I read it again: I will probably reread it again when it is time for my daughter to read it.
(I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)
http://everyfreechance.com/2013/11/bl...
October 5, 2018
This book reflects on the trials and tribulations of Harriet Hughes, a twelve-year-old sixth grader. Harriet is convinced that she does not fit in because of her awkward appearance, her “uncool” parents, and her social unpopularity in school. She is embarrassed because her mother has enrolled her in dance class and has a crush on Oliver, a popular sixth-grader.
As the story unfolds, Harriet learns that her mother was right to urge her to step out of her comfort zone. She will make friends with one of the most popular girls at school and become adept at dancing. When Harriet gets in trouble at school or gets bird poop on her head, ironically these incidents prove to boost her popularity.
Harriet’s diary reflects the feelings of many preteens and teens. Pencil drawings enhance the text. The dialogue is funny and authentic, even though the language sometimes flips back and forth between British and American. There are a few places in the plot that are a bit far-fetched, but it generally moves in the right direction. I think that this first book in the series will hold the most appeal for girls in third through sixth grade.
As the story unfolds, Harriet learns that her mother was right to urge her to step out of her comfort zone. She will make friends with one of the most popular girls at school and become adept at dancing. When Harriet gets in trouble at school or gets bird poop on her head, ironically these incidents prove to boost her popularity.
Harriet’s diary reflects the feelings of many preteens and teens. Pencil drawings enhance the text. The dialogue is funny and authentic, even though the language sometimes flips back and forth between British and American. There are a few places in the plot that are a bit far-fetched, but it generally moves in the right direction. I think that this first book in the series will hold the most appeal for girls in third through sixth grade.
May 20, 2017
A Totally Fun Read
Harriet Hughes represents every klutzy 6th-grade girl. She goes through all the fears they face. She is a totally realistic, believable character. The plot is fast paced with lots of twists and humor built in. From the moment I started it, I was hooked, reading it from start to finish. I just couldn't put it down. I recommend it to all young girls and young-thinking adults. I can't wait to read book two.
Harriet Hughes represents every klutzy 6th-grade girl. She goes through all the fears they face. She is a totally realistic, believable character. The plot is fast paced with lots of twists and humor built in. From the moment I started it, I was hooked, reading it from start to finish. I just couldn't put it down. I recommend it to all young girls and young-thinking adults. I can't wait to read book two.
December 7, 2013
(This review can be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).
I loved the blurb for this book. It sounded like a really interesting book. However, the dialogue and world building lets it down.
I think the blurb does an excellent job of telling what the story is about, so I won't reiterate.
I think the tweens will like this cover. It's very appealing with the bright colors, and I like the way it's made to look like a journal as well.
The world building started out being believable, but then it just got a bit ridiculous. Harriet goes to a birthday party of a rich classmate Melanie. Melanie is holding a talent competition at her house. When Melanie's friends can't do the routine with her, Harriet and her friends decide to do the talent show with Melanie. Soon after, Melanie and the girls decide they want to be in a band, so they tell Melanie's parents. Melanie's parents think it's a good idea, so Melanie's dad gets on the phone to famous songwriter to write the girls a song. That's the part I don't find very believable. I just simply don't think it's that easy. Also, the girls wear hotpants at a 9 year old's birthday party where they are performing their songs. Personally, I wouldn't let my little girl wear those kind of clothes, nor would I allow girls dressed like that at my child's birthday party. There's also a problem with the dialogue which I'll get to later.
The pacing was a bit slow throughout this book. It wasn't painfully slow, but it was slow nonetheless. I kept hoping it'd pick up, but it just never did. However, it may still appeal to the age group it was written for.
The plot was predictable, but this story was meant for tweens. The plot just deals with normal girl things such as popularity in school, crushes, embarrassment, friends, etc. There's no big plot twist, but with a book aimed at tweens, it doesn't need one.
I did like the characters and thought they were written very well. Harriet was definitely my favorite character. I wish cringing and laughing with her throughout this book. At first, I wasn't too keen on Melanie, but she started to grow on me, and I ended up liking her. Alexa and Olivia are also very likable, and I love what good friends they are to Harriet. Oliver is also a sweet boy although he does act like most 12 year old boys act when it comes to girls.
I think American children will possibly struggle with the dialogue. There are a lot of words and phrases that aren't used in the United States. That's another thing, Harriet is British, but has lived in the United States for 7 years. However, she sounds more British than American. Being as her whole school life has been in America, surely she'd use more American phrases and not really use British ones. Also, even the actual Americans in the story used British wording and phrases from time to time. It was confusing because it was like the story was taking place somewhere in the United Kingdom and not the United States. Luckily, I spent six years of my life living in England or else I wouldn't have known what some of the words and phrases meant. Besides those problems, the dialogue does suit a tween book for the most part.
Overall, Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen needs some work on the world building and dialogue. American children may struggle to understand this book. The one redeeming quality of this book is the characters.
I'd possibly recommend this book to British children aged between 10 and 13 who are looking for a book which has characters they can relate to.
(I received this title in ebook format from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review. Out of respect for the tour host and author, I waited until after the tour was over before posting my review).
I loved the blurb for this book. It sounded like a really interesting book. However, the dialogue and world building lets it down.
I think the blurb does an excellent job of telling what the story is about, so I won't reiterate.
I think the tweens will like this cover. It's very appealing with the bright colors, and I like the way it's made to look like a journal as well.
The world building started out being believable, but then it just got a bit ridiculous. Harriet goes to a birthday party of a rich classmate Melanie. Melanie is holding a talent competition at her house. When Melanie's friends can't do the routine with her, Harriet and her friends decide to do the talent show with Melanie. Soon after, Melanie and the girls decide they want to be in a band, so they tell Melanie's parents. Melanie's parents think it's a good idea, so Melanie's dad gets on the phone to famous songwriter to write the girls a song. That's the part I don't find very believable. I just simply don't think it's that easy. Also, the girls wear hotpants at a 9 year old's birthday party where they are performing their songs. Personally, I wouldn't let my little girl wear those kind of clothes, nor would I allow girls dressed like that at my child's birthday party. There's also a problem with the dialogue which I'll get to later.
The pacing was a bit slow throughout this book. It wasn't painfully slow, but it was slow nonetheless. I kept hoping it'd pick up, but it just never did. However, it may still appeal to the age group it was written for.
The plot was predictable, but this story was meant for tweens. The plot just deals with normal girl things such as popularity in school, crushes, embarrassment, friends, etc. There's no big plot twist, but with a book aimed at tweens, it doesn't need one.
I did like the characters and thought they were written very well. Harriet was definitely my favorite character. I wish cringing and laughing with her throughout this book. At first, I wasn't too keen on Melanie, but she started to grow on me, and I ended up liking her. Alexa and Olivia are also very likable, and I love what good friends they are to Harriet. Oliver is also a sweet boy although he does act like most 12 year old boys act when it comes to girls.
I think American children will possibly struggle with the dialogue. There are a lot of words and phrases that aren't used in the United States. That's another thing, Harriet is British, but has lived in the United States for 7 years. However, she sounds more British than American. Being as her whole school life has been in America, surely she'd use more American phrases and not really use British ones. Also, even the actual Americans in the story used British wording and phrases from time to time. It was confusing because it was like the story was taking place somewhere in the United Kingdom and not the United States. Luckily, I spent six years of my life living in England or else I wouldn't have known what some of the words and phrases meant. Besides those problems, the dialogue does suit a tween book for the most part.
Overall, Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen needs some work on the world building and dialogue. American children may struggle to understand this book. The one redeeming quality of this book is the characters.
I'd possibly recommend this book to British children aged between 10 and 13 who are looking for a book which has characters they can relate to.
(I received this title in ebook format from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review. Out of respect for the tour host and author, I waited until after the tour was over before posting my review).
September 28, 2013
As if middle school wasn’t hard enough! Now Harriet’s mom has the audacity to sign Harriet up for dancing lessons. Dancing lessons! As the self-proclaimed “clumsiest 12-year-old-girl on the planet”, Harriet is sure of two things – she is not a dancer, and she will not, definitely not, ever be caught dead in a tutu.
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun adventure told through the eyes of Harriet Hughes as she negotiates all the twists and turns of sixth grade and dance class. Harriet may be a little bit of a drama queen, but as a reader, I instantly fell in love with her and cruised gleefully through her story.
Author Louise Lintvelt has crafted a wonderful and compelling protagonist in Harriet, and I think the middle-grade reading crowd will relate well to her voice and all her minor trials and tribulations. In the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Lintvelt sprinkles the book with bolded exclamations and fun drawings that add an extra layer of engagement.
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun and safe read for younger readers. Harriet struggles with boy crushes, makes a new friend, and learns some important lessons along the way, such as – it doesn’t matter if you look a little foolish as long as you have a blast!
I am hooked on Harriet and am itching to pick up the second book in the Harriet Hughes series.
(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads by the author for review.)
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun adventure told through the eyes of Harriet Hughes as she negotiates all the twists and turns of sixth grade and dance class. Harriet may be a little bit of a drama queen, but as a reader, I instantly fell in love with her and cruised gleefully through her story.
Author Louise Lintvelt has crafted a wonderful and compelling protagonist in Harriet, and I think the middle-grade reading crowd will relate well to her voice and all her minor trials and tribulations. In the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Lintvelt sprinkles the book with bolded exclamations and fun drawings that add an extra layer of engagement.
Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen is a fun and safe read for younger readers. Harriet struggles with boy crushes, makes a new friend, and learns some important lessons along the way, such as – it doesn’t matter if you look a little foolish as long as you have a blast!
I am hooked on Harriet and am itching to pick up the second book in the Harriet Hughes series.
(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads by the author for review.)
September 11, 2013
I enjoyed this story, I did. But as a critic, I did think it needed a little work, hence the 3 stars.
The characters are likeable, especially the mom and her ever-humiliating beetle car. I do think the main characters could use a bit more embellishment, to make them really stand out as interesting and different characters, and not just average kids.
The trials that Harriet goes through, I think every girl can relate to. Embarrassment, her first crush, wanting to be popular, etc., and I do think girls will enjoy reading this for that reason. The drawings are cute too.
The ending (without giving it away) sets up for a sequel nicely, even though I thought it was a little abrupt. But it is definitely an ending which will make kids want to go out and buy the next one, to see what happens to Harriet.
With a little more consistency and work, this would be a great little book for kids. As it is now, it’s still fun to read, and I think kids will enjoy it but I can see where there may be ways to make it even better.
The characters are likeable, especially the mom and her ever-humiliating beetle car. I do think the main characters could use a bit more embellishment, to make them really stand out as interesting and different characters, and not just average kids.
The trials that Harriet goes through, I think every girl can relate to. Embarrassment, her first crush, wanting to be popular, etc., and I do think girls will enjoy reading this for that reason. The drawings are cute too.
The ending (without giving it away) sets up for a sequel nicely, even though I thought it was a little abrupt. But it is definitely an ending which will make kids want to go out and buy the next one, to see what happens to Harriet.
With a little more consistency and work, this would be a great little book for kids. As it is now, it’s still fun to read, and I think kids will enjoy it but I can see where there may be ways to make it even better.
July 10, 2015
A great young girls ebook!
I liked how the author had Harriet's mom be such an encourager
in her daughter's life when she most needed helps ! I enjoyed it!
I feel that any girls between sixth grade and upwards would enjoy such a great ebook as this. So, for this reason I feel the ebook is a five star rated ebook. I received this book for free and so I have have finished giving it an honest review. Great job Louise! By Angela
I liked how the author had Harriet's mom be such an encourager
in her daughter's life when she most needed helps ! I enjoyed it!
I feel that any girls between sixth grade and upwards would enjoy such a great ebook as this. So, for this reason I feel the ebook is a five star rated ebook. I received this book for free and so I have have finished giving it an honest review. Great job Louise! By Angela
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews