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Double Dutch
A young girl who loves Double Dutch is caught in the crossfire of the secrets she, her best friend, and the school bullies are keeping in this emotional middle grade novel.
Delia loves Double Dutch more than just about anything, and she’s really good at it—so good she and her teammates have a shot at winning the World Double Dutch Championships. Delia would die if she couldn’t jump—but she’s hiding something could keep her off the team next year.
Delia’s friend Randy has a secret too, one that has him lonely and scared. And while Delia and Randy struggle to hide parts of themselves, their school is abuzz with rumors about what malicious mischief the terrible Tolliver twins—who just may have a hidden agenda of their own—are planning.
Delia and Randy’s secrets collide on what should be the happiest day of Delia’s life, and the collision threatens to destroy their friendship. Why can’t life be as easy for Delia as Double Dutch?
Delia loves Double Dutch more than just about anything, and she’s really good at it—so good she and her teammates have a shot at winning the World Double Dutch Championships. Delia would die if she couldn’t jump—but she’s hiding something could keep her off the team next year.
Delia’s friend Randy has a secret too, one that has him lonely and scared. And while Delia and Randy struggle to hide parts of themselves, their school is abuzz with rumors about what malicious mischief the terrible Tolliver twins—who just may have a hidden agenda of their own—are planning.
Delia and Randy’s secrets collide on what should be the happiest day of Delia’s life, and the collision threatens to destroy their friendship. Why can’t life be as easy for Delia as Double Dutch?
183 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2002
86 people are currently reading
1164 people want to read
About the author
Sharon M. Draper
52 books3,875 followersSharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
June 14, 2020
This middle grades fiction set in Cincinnati, Ohio is a unique example of what can go wrong when an author can't connect with her protagonist, and what can go right when two side characters emerge from the background and take over the show.
How does something like this happen? Did the writer think she understood her main character, Delia Douglas, or did she wrestle with her, as she wrote this? In my opinion, Delia is unformed at the start of the novel, and, while she does become more developed as the story progresses, I felt as though I still didn't know her well at all, by the story's end. Her Voice is unclear, too. I never really understood what she sounded like, or how she would respond to a fresh situation.
But, then, here comes Yolanda “Yo Yo” Pepper and Randy Youngblood, two “B” characters with life forces so powerful, they both shouldered their way to the places they belong: up front and center. Mark that “B” for Belonged, y'all, 'cause they belonged in this story, and they quickly became two of my favorite characters from middle grade fiction of all time.
Despite a failure to launch with Delia, the fast-paced rhythm of this book centered around competitive jump roping captured the hearts of both my 9 and 12-year-old daughters, and their mother, too. Ms. Draper knows how to hold the ropes of complex plot lines and she knows when to move them faster, and she knows when to slow them down.
We loved this book, and if the main protagonist's Voice hadn't failed us here, this would have easily been a five star read for all of us.
Delia listened to the cars as they whizzed by. The movement of the cars on the street, the clouds scudding across the sky, and even the beating of her heart made her think of the sounds and rhythms of the ropes when she jumped. She smiled and headed back into the house, carrying the rhythms with her.
How does something like this happen? Did the writer think she understood her main character, Delia Douglas, or did she wrestle with her, as she wrote this? In my opinion, Delia is unformed at the start of the novel, and, while she does become more developed as the story progresses, I felt as though I still didn't know her well at all, by the story's end. Her Voice is unclear, too. I never really understood what she sounded like, or how she would respond to a fresh situation.
But, then, here comes Yolanda “Yo Yo” Pepper and Randy Youngblood, two “B” characters with life forces so powerful, they both shouldered their way to the places they belong: up front and center. Mark that “B” for Belonged, y'all, 'cause they belonged in this story, and they quickly became two of my favorite characters from middle grade fiction of all time.
Despite a failure to launch with Delia, the fast-paced rhythm of this book centered around competitive jump roping captured the hearts of both my 9 and 12-year-old daughters, and their mother, too. Ms. Draper knows how to hold the ropes of complex plot lines and she knows when to move them faster, and she knows when to slow them down.
We loved this book, and if the main protagonist's Voice hadn't failed us here, this would have easily been a five star read for all of us.
Delia listened to the cars as they whizzed by. The movement of the cars on the street, the clouds scudding across the sky, and even the beating of her heart made her think of the sounds and rhythms of the ropes when she jumped. She smiled and headed back into the house, carrying the rhythms with her.
December 10, 2019
Excellent book about the sport of Double-Dutch jumping, but it goes deeper than that. It’s also about the harm that can result when even the best of friends keep important life secrets from each other.
July 28, 2015
Another wholesome book that is probably a 5 star book for girls age 11-15, 3 stars for H.S. girls, and likely a 2 star book for boys. It's a clever little story about 8th graders, each of whom has an important secret he/she keeps to himself/herself out of fear of embarrassment and not fitting in with the theme of don't judge someone unless you really know them.
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April 1, 2009The book I read is called Double Dutch by Sharon M. Draper. For my opinion I really liked this book. This book is about a girl name Delia she loves Double Dutch and she is really good at it. She is so good that her team has a chance to win in the World Double Dutch Championship. Delia is worried about passing the schools state exam because Delia has been in Double Dutch for a lot of time to make a secret that could affect her place on the team.
Delia has a best friend name Randy he also has a secret. Randy’s dad has been missing for weeks and Randy hasn’t told anyone, so he is getting scared and running out of money.
At their school there are some twins who name is Tolliver they are always causing problems and they are always angry…
Delia and Randy will have a Double Dutch competition so they have to practice. They stay after school to practice. When it was the day of the competition everyone was super excited. When the competition finished they told them that they had got a 1st and 2nd place trophy.
At the end Randy got the news that his dad truck was abandoned in Texas and that he was attack. Also that they took all his identification, his cell phone, his money and his truck and left him for dead after beating him in the head with a hammer. But that he was almost dead, Randy thought that he will be okay. So he drove to were his dad was and while he was at the rode he thought if his dad will recognize him… When Randy got to were his dad was, the doctor told him that it was a really difference that he came that his dad can probably go home in a few days.
I would recommend this book, because I think it is a very good book to read. When I first saw the cover of the book I didn’t wanted to read it because it seemed like if it was boring. When I started reading I did liked the book and it make me want to keep reading. What I like most of this book was that the author described everything really good. I recommend this book for readers ages 12 to 16. What I learn about this book is that people should not hide their problems from the people close to them because they can do nothing but help.
Delia has a best friend name Randy he also has a secret. Randy’s dad has been missing for weeks and Randy hasn’t told anyone, so he is getting scared and running out of money.
At their school there are some twins who name is Tolliver they are always causing problems and they are always angry…
Delia and Randy will have a Double Dutch competition so they have to practice. They stay after school to practice. When it was the day of the competition everyone was super excited. When the competition finished they told them that they had got a 1st and 2nd place trophy.
At the end Randy got the news that his dad truck was abandoned in Texas and that he was attack. Also that they took all his identification, his cell phone, his money and his truck and left him for dead after beating him in the head with a hammer. But that he was almost dead, Randy thought that he will be okay. So he drove to were his dad was and while he was at the rode he thought if his dad will recognize him… When Randy got to were his dad was, the doctor told him that it was a really difference that he came that his dad can probably go home in a few days.
I would recommend this book, because I think it is a very good book to read. When I first saw the cover of the book I didn’t wanted to read it because it seemed like if it was boring. When I started reading I did liked the book and it make me want to keep reading. What I like most of this book was that the author described everything really good. I recommend this book for readers ages 12 to 16. What I learn about this book is that people should not hide their problems from the people close to them because they can do nothing but help.
November 23, 2012
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.
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.
October 11, 2014
This was a pretty good book about a girl named Delia and a boy named Randy, as well as some of their classmates. They are all a group of close eighth grade friends who usually discuss pretty normal, everyday teenage problems. But on the inside, many of them are hiding secrets, especially Randy and Delia. There are two twin boys, Tabu and Titan Tolliver, who act menacing and mean at their school. They make lots of empty threats, scaring many of the students and even a few teachers. No one knows if their threats are really empty like they seem, or if they could actually be real. But no one suspects the twins may be hiding some secrets of their own. Delia and her friends jump rope in the Double Dutch tournament, and Randy is a helper who supports them in it. Double Dutch gives them freedom to express emotions, and their instructor, Bomani, is always there for them. This story is about secrets and fear, as well as friendship and trust. I really liked this book because it was easy to sympathize wih characters and feel like they are friends. I also loved the twists in the plot.
June 1, 2024
4.5
Good book.
Good book.
January 3, 2026
3.5 Stars ⭐️
As a disclaimer, I read middle grade and YA books and rate them in comparison to other books in those categories, respectively. I liked Double Dutch and would read it with my middle schoolers. Themes of friendship, challenging family dynamics, fear, academic struggles and natural disasters are present in this story.
Things I enjoyed:
- One of the protagonists seemed to have a learning disability. As someone who’s worked in special education, I like books that offer other students some insight into what reading challenges can look like.
- I appreciated that all the characters had trusted adults in their lives who genuinely cared about them.
- The story is based in Cincinnati which was a pleasant surprise for me.
- I was very happy with the outcome of the Tolliver Twin’s saga. While it can be easy to fear people who are different, I was disappointed in the teacher’s lack of interest in truly getting to know the twins and loved when the twins proved the naysayers wrong.
- The resolution didn’t actually resolve the big issues but still brought the story to a nice close.
- Delia was very perceptive about her teachers, as most children are and I felt that the writer portrayed this truth tastefully.
- The characters’ love of double dutch!
What was missing for me was a little more context and detail about Delia and Randy’s friendship. How long have they known each other? Delia and Yolanda have been friends since first grade, is the same true for Delia and Randy? I think the author did a good job of conveying each character’s immaturity and inexperience with romantic feelings but I still found myself wanting more development and I felt like my students would notice this. Additionally while both protagonists had secrets, I felt like the author did a better job of showing the consequences of Randy sharing his secret than Delia’s. Beyond Delia’s shame, which is a very valid feeling but was not fletched out enough, the consequences she feared were unclear. How did she think her mom would respond? What else scared her when she anticipated the conversation? Shame is a complex emotion so the author could have gone deeper here.
Other random thoughts:
- The repeated use of “dynamite” in the characters lexicon sent me to the copyright page to check the pub year of this book lol
- the adult in me could not grasp why Delia waited so long to tell an adult about her difficulties but the teacher in me understood that this is common practice for young people.
- As I read, I wished Yolanda’s character was more developed especially since she was friends with both Randy and Delia.
As a disclaimer, I read middle grade and YA books and rate them in comparison to other books in those categories, respectively. I liked Double Dutch and would read it with my middle schoolers. Themes of friendship, challenging family dynamics, fear, academic struggles and natural disasters are present in this story.
Things I enjoyed:
- One of the protagonists seemed to have a learning disability. As someone who’s worked in special education, I like books that offer other students some insight into what reading challenges can look like.
- I appreciated that all the characters had trusted adults in their lives who genuinely cared about them.
- The story is based in Cincinnati which was a pleasant surprise for me.
- I was very happy with the outcome of the Tolliver Twin’s saga. While it can be easy to fear people who are different, I was disappointed in the teacher’s lack of interest in truly getting to know the twins and loved when the twins proved the naysayers wrong.
- The resolution didn’t actually resolve the big issues but still brought the story to a nice close.
- Delia was very perceptive about her teachers, as most children are and I felt that the writer portrayed this truth tastefully.
- The characters’ love of double dutch!
What was missing for me was a little more context and detail about Delia and Randy’s friendship. How long have they known each other? Delia and Yolanda have been friends since first grade, is the same true for Delia and Randy? I think the author did a good job of conveying each character’s immaturity and inexperience with romantic feelings but I still found myself wanting more development and I felt like my students would notice this. Additionally while both protagonists had secrets, I felt like the author did a better job of showing the consequences of Randy sharing his secret than Delia’s. Beyond Delia’s shame, which is a very valid feeling but was not fletched out enough, the consequences she feared were unclear. How did she think her mom would respond? What else scared her when she anticipated the conversation? Shame is a complex emotion so the author could have gone deeper here.
Other random thoughts:
- The repeated use of “dynamite” in the characters lexicon sent me to the copyright page to check the pub year of this book lol
- the adult in me could not grasp why Delia waited so long to tell an adult about her difficulties but the teacher in me understood that this is common practice for young people.
- As I read, I wished Yolanda’s character was more developed especially since she was friends with both Randy and Delia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2018
Warning Spoiler Alert!
The book Double Dutch was written by Sharon M. Draper. This book was a realistic fiction. This book was about two twins, also a young girl and boy, who’s all had their secrets come out. This book was about not judging a book by its cover and trust.
In the beginning Delia, Yolanda, and 2 other girls were preparing for their greatest and hardest double dutch competition. Yolanda discovered Delias biggest secret: She can’t read. This situation causes many problems for Delia during her lifetime. There’s also another problem.. The Tolliver twins. The Tolliver twins have been bad news since day one, everyone’s scared of them… but no one has a true reason of why they are afraid of them, they haven’t done anything wrong… yet. During one school day when the Tolliver twins were just about to present their project there was a tornado that hit the school. But wait! Where was Yolanda? Turns out she was on her way to the restroom when the tornado hit. Where did the Tolliver twins go? They ran out once the storm hit, scared. After all of the students were evacuated from the school, they waited impatiently for their friend, Yolanda to come out safely with no problems. The Tolliver twins then walked out of the school with minor injuries with Yolanda in their arms. They had saved her! Later after she recovered the girls and Randy, a good friend of theirs, went to the tournament and won first place! Delia noticed a piece of paper on a light pole with Randy’s Dad’s face on it. She had no clue he was missing but Randy was alone and no one knew it. The paper was thought to be a mug shut because Delia couldn’t read so she didn’t know what it truly said. Randy later discovered the paper and confronted Delia about it. Turns out the paper was a Missing and Found paper. Randy’s father had been beat nearly to death and needed someone to pick him up from the hospital or confirm his name. Randy brough his dad home and Delia then was able to learn to read with her mothers help after she told her mother the news that she couldn’t during dinner after the tournament.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book was when one of the Tolliver twins saved Yolanda from the tornado wreckage. I liked this part a lot because of the fact that the Tolliver twins seemed to prove everyone wrong. They aren’t evil they are actually just like everyone else and have the same human instinct as all the other students. My least favorite part was when Delia found the missing paper of Randy’s dad and she thought she was helping out because of the fact that she thought it was a mugshot and Randy was so mad at Delia and wouldn’t talk to her anymore. It wasn’t her fault she only meant good. This book reminds me of the Disney movie, Jump In!
I really enjoyed this book because it definitely makes me feel very grateful for everything I have because there are so many people who don’t have the luck that I have. I have a loving family and I am able to read, and write. And I am able to have an education that many children aren’t provided. I would rate this book a 3.5/5 because I would have liked to see more information about Randy’s father and how he is doing, we only know he is back home but we don’t know anything more. Other than that I enjoyed it a lot.
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/...
The book Double Dutch was written by Sharon M. Draper. This book was a realistic fiction. This book was about two twins, also a young girl and boy, who’s all had their secrets come out. This book was about not judging a book by its cover and trust.
In the beginning Delia, Yolanda, and 2 other girls were preparing for their greatest and hardest double dutch competition. Yolanda discovered Delias biggest secret: She can’t read. This situation causes many problems for Delia during her lifetime. There’s also another problem.. The Tolliver twins. The Tolliver twins have been bad news since day one, everyone’s scared of them… but no one has a true reason of why they are afraid of them, they haven’t done anything wrong… yet. During one school day when the Tolliver twins were just about to present their project there was a tornado that hit the school. But wait! Where was Yolanda? Turns out she was on her way to the restroom when the tornado hit. Where did the Tolliver twins go? They ran out once the storm hit, scared. After all of the students were evacuated from the school, they waited impatiently for their friend, Yolanda to come out safely with no problems. The Tolliver twins then walked out of the school with minor injuries with Yolanda in their arms. They had saved her! Later after she recovered the girls and Randy, a good friend of theirs, went to the tournament and won first place! Delia noticed a piece of paper on a light pole with Randy’s Dad’s face on it. She had no clue he was missing but Randy was alone and no one knew it. The paper was thought to be a mug shut because Delia couldn’t read so she didn’t know what it truly said. Randy later discovered the paper and confronted Delia about it. Turns out the paper was a Missing and Found paper. Randy’s father had been beat nearly to death and needed someone to pick him up from the hospital or confirm his name. Randy brough his dad home and Delia then was able to learn to read with her mothers help after she told her mother the news that she couldn’t during dinner after the tournament.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book was when one of the Tolliver twins saved Yolanda from the tornado wreckage. I liked this part a lot because of the fact that the Tolliver twins seemed to prove everyone wrong. They aren’t evil they are actually just like everyone else and have the same human instinct as all the other students. My least favorite part was when Delia found the missing paper of Randy’s dad and she thought she was helping out because of the fact that she thought it was a mugshot and Randy was so mad at Delia and wouldn’t talk to her anymore. It wasn’t her fault she only meant good. This book reminds me of the Disney movie, Jump In!
I really enjoyed this book because it definitely makes me feel very grateful for everything I have because there are so many people who don’t have the luck that I have. I have a loving family and I am able to read, and write. And I am able to have an education that many children aren’t provided. I would rate this book a 3.5/5 because I would have liked to see more information about Randy’s father and how he is doing, we only know he is back home but we don’t know anything more. Other than that I enjoyed it a lot.
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2017/...
December 20, 2014
I decided to read this book becuase I read the blurb and it just got me.
What impressed me was how at one point in the story, it got electroni-cy. It was like a script and i can just imagine a conversation.
Thias book taught me to nt keep BIG things t myself and always tell it to an adult you can trust becuase if you dont, it will come back and hurt you. Dalia had dyslexia. She didnt want anyone to know, not even her mom or her closest of friends. Dalia is also in the Double dutch team, however she cannot compete if she doesnt pass an ELA test. Since she has trouble reading, it would be really hard for her to pass this test. When she finally came out, everything started to get better slowly. "I cant read, I've been faking it for years" A little later, she told her mom as well, they go to classes to learn how to read with people that have the same disability as her. After she learns she can take the test and pass, meaning she can compete with her double dutch team.
I learned that you shouldnt be afraid of what might happen becuase you're not alon. Many people have the same problems as well and if you let it all out, everything will flow with you. You shouldnt keep such things to yourself becuase adults CAN help you and you should let them help you and not be afraid.
What impressed me was how at one point in the story, it got electroni-cy. It was like a script and i can just imagine a conversation.
Thias book taught me to nt keep BIG things t myself and always tell it to an adult you can trust becuase if you dont, it will come back and hurt you. Dalia had dyslexia. She didnt want anyone to know, not even her mom or her closest of friends. Dalia is also in the Double dutch team, however she cannot compete if she doesnt pass an ELA test. Since she has trouble reading, it would be really hard for her to pass this test. When she finally came out, everything started to get better slowly. "I cant read, I've been faking it for years" A little later, she told her mom as well, they go to classes to learn how to read with people that have the same disability as her. After she learns she can take the test and pass, meaning she can compete with her double dutch team.
I learned that you shouldnt be afraid of what might happen becuase you're not alon. Many people have the same problems as well and if you let it all out, everything will flow with you. You shouldnt keep such things to yourself becuase adults CAN help you and you should let them help you and not be afraid.
July 18, 2015
I'm close to finish reading this book and I enjoy this book a lot because I like how unique the characters are. There are about 5 important characters in the book so you will figure out their personality and other stuff. This book is about a Delia who loves double dutch tries to compete at World Double Dutch Championship but thats not the only thing that's written in the book. Importantly she and one of her friend have big secret to hide from everyone and that might be more interesting than her doing double dutch for reader. The secret is so hard to hide. If I were her and have same secret, I have no idea how I can hide it and you will think so too. You can figure out the secret when you read this book!
February 21, 2009
As an eighth grader, Delia is totally immersed in the upcoming Double Dutch (jump roping) competition, and all seems to be going well until she finds that, if she doesn’t pass the upcoming achievement exams, she will be barred from competing. She would not only let herself down, but her teammates as well—and everyone would learn her secret—that she could not read. What Delia doesn’t know is that she’s not the only one with a secret. How did Delia fake her way through reading, at school and at home, for 8 years? Will the scary new kids really “cross the line from intimidation to violence?” What happened to Randy’s father? Will Delia get to compete in the upcoming championships?
October 20, 2012
As an author, I really like Sharon Draper. I love the characters she creates and the themes she writes about. I just didn't love Double Dutch. What is great about this novel are the multiple problems and plotlines and how they intertwine. What wasn't great is that the resolution of the problems was predictable. I also felt like the characters weren't as developed as they could have been. Overall, it was an entertaining read, but it was rather formulaic and didn't completely capture my attention.
July 26, 2017
Might make a good read-a-loud for 5-7th grades -Secrets held and using Double Dutch as the medium to tell the story of - not being able to read - and a dad disappearing on you for two 8th grader friends is good food for thought...Sharon M Draper has the magic touch with empathy and diversity for young readers.
January 12, 2018
SPOILER ALERT!!!
By: Maci Buffkin
The young adult novel Double Dutch, by Sharon M. Draper you learn that everyone has a secret, even in the eighth grade! All of the characters in this book have a secret. The story takes place in Cincinnati Ohio and is about friendships, and is also about a group of teenagers who are dealing with, going through hard times, or struggling with things in their lives that friends, family, and teachers have no idea about. These issues cause them to live in fear while experiencing the excitement of working up to (preparing for) a Double Dutch world championship.
The book Double Dutch begins with Delia, which is one of the main characters in the book. Delia is one of the most talented on the double dutch team at school. Delia loves double dutch, she practices everyday and works very hard at it to work up to the big double dutch tournament. Delia’s huge secret is that she cannot read. She has managed to get through school by watching videos instead of reading book and doing presentations out loud. Delia’s inability to read could cause everything she has worked so hard for to be over. Yolanda is one of Delia’s best friends. Yolanda soon figures that she cannot read, but Delia is not worried about Yolanda telling her secret because everyone knows that Yolanda tells the biggest tales’. Even Yolanda’s friends never know when she is telling the truth about something. This is Yolanda’s secret, she always tells lies. Randy is also one of Delia’s best friends also, they kinda like each other also but know one really ever talks about it. Randy’s mom has not been in his life for a while now. Randy lives with his father who is a long distance truck driver. Randy also has a secret. No one knows that Randy’s dad has been missing for weeks, and Randy works very hard to keep his house up and make sure everything stays up and running so that he will have somewhere to live until the money he has runs out, and he’s stuck, he has no idea what to do and he is so scared to tell anyone. The Tolliver twins also known as Tabu and Titan are two twin boys who everyone thinks are total bullies. It's only after twin tornados that everyone finds out the reason behind their behavior, everyone starts to see a nicer side of them. Their secret is that they are really not bad people they are just really shy and keep to themselves together. At the Double Dutch championship Delia sees a picture of Randy’s dad but she cannot read it and she is too scared to tell Randy about it. Randy eventually finds out about the picture and gets angry at Delia for not telling him. Because of this, both Delia and randy have to tell each other their secrets. That night after the championship, Delia decides to tell her mom her secret. Also Randy starts to tell people about his secret and he finally gets reunited with his dad, after finding out his dad had been robbed and beaten while on his truck route.
My favorite part of the book was when the twin tornados hit the friends’ school. This was my favorite part of the book because whenever the Tolliver twins helped Yolanda get out from inside the school everyone got to see that the Tolliver twins were not all bad after all. One thing i disliked about the book is they never told if Delia and Randy became a thing. I really enjoyed this book because it kept me wanting to read and find out what was going to happen next. This book relates to my life because I understand what it is like to have things about myself that I do not want my friends to know.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept my attention. I liked reading about characters that are close to my age who have real life problems. I give this book 5 stars. Even though all of the characters have different problems they all are brought together by Double Dutch, and most of all fact that they all have a secret. Delia cannot read, Randy is missing his father, Yolanda's tall tales trying to impress her friends, and the Tolliver twins who terrorize the school who are not that mean they just are shy and keep to themselves. All of the characters work hard to cover up their secret when telling the truth may not be as bad as it seems. I loved this book, it was a very good book to read.
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books...
By: Maci Buffkin
The young adult novel Double Dutch, by Sharon M. Draper you learn that everyone has a secret, even in the eighth grade! All of the characters in this book have a secret. The story takes place in Cincinnati Ohio and is about friendships, and is also about a group of teenagers who are dealing with, going through hard times, or struggling with things in their lives that friends, family, and teachers have no idea about. These issues cause them to live in fear while experiencing the excitement of working up to (preparing for) a Double Dutch world championship.
The book Double Dutch begins with Delia, which is one of the main characters in the book. Delia is one of the most talented on the double dutch team at school. Delia loves double dutch, she practices everyday and works very hard at it to work up to the big double dutch tournament. Delia’s huge secret is that she cannot read. She has managed to get through school by watching videos instead of reading book and doing presentations out loud. Delia’s inability to read could cause everything she has worked so hard for to be over. Yolanda is one of Delia’s best friends. Yolanda soon figures that she cannot read, but Delia is not worried about Yolanda telling her secret because everyone knows that Yolanda tells the biggest tales’. Even Yolanda’s friends never know when she is telling the truth about something. This is Yolanda’s secret, she always tells lies. Randy is also one of Delia’s best friends also, they kinda like each other also but know one really ever talks about it. Randy’s mom has not been in his life for a while now. Randy lives with his father who is a long distance truck driver. Randy also has a secret. No one knows that Randy’s dad has been missing for weeks, and Randy works very hard to keep his house up and make sure everything stays up and running so that he will have somewhere to live until the money he has runs out, and he’s stuck, he has no idea what to do and he is so scared to tell anyone. The Tolliver twins also known as Tabu and Titan are two twin boys who everyone thinks are total bullies. It's only after twin tornados that everyone finds out the reason behind their behavior, everyone starts to see a nicer side of them. Their secret is that they are really not bad people they are just really shy and keep to themselves together. At the Double Dutch championship Delia sees a picture of Randy’s dad but she cannot read it and she is too scared to tell Randy about it. Randy eventually finds out about the picture and gets angry at Delia for not telling him. Because of this, both Delia and randy have to tell each other their secrets. That night after the championship, Delia decides to tell her mom her secret. Also Randy starts to tell people about his secret and he finally gets reunited with his dad, after finding out his dad had been robbed and beaten while on his truck route.
My favorite part of the book was when the twin tornados hit the friends’ school. This was my favorite part of the book because whenever the Tolliver twins helped Yolanda get out from inside the school everyone got to see that the Tolliver twins were not all bad after all. One thing i disliked about the book is they never told if Delia and Randy became a thing. I really enjoyed this book because it kept me wanting to read and find out what was going to happen next. This book relates to my life because I understand what it is like to have things about myself that I do not want my friends to know.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept my attention. I liked reading about characters that are close to my age who have real life problems. I give this book 5 stars. Even though all of the characters have different problems they all are brought together by Double Dutch, and most of all fact that they all have a secret. Delia cannot read, Randy is missing his father, Yolanda's tall tales trying to impress her friends, and the Tolliver twins who terrorize the school who are not that mean they just are shy and keep to themselves. All of the characters work hard to cover up their secret when telling the truth may not be as bad as it seems. I loved this book, it was a very good book to read.
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books...
March 23, 2021
This is a story called Double Dutch by Sharon M. Draper. It's about how these girls go to this national jump contest, these girls all grow up together, and while at school there are these two boys that are constantly causing unwanted attention at school now, so the question is how will they overcome this? I got this book from the school library, just for a book to bring to school everyday and read, the main characters are constantly together and looking after each other, with a twist of events heading their way.
So this little pod of girls, Charlene, Yolanda, and Delia, and some other athletes are trying to make it to the championship jump contest, which they end up doing, on the other hand, Delia is someone that can't read, so therefore on a test she can only answer the multiple choice questions, Yolanda is loud, and creates attention, Charlene is just a regular kid, Randy is another casual kid, but his dad has abandoned him, and he has to take care of the house, food, cat food, electricity, but how does he get all this money, he just asks nice people, and they tend to give him something. While before the National jump contest a tornado hits the school, Delia, and Randy are okay, but Yolanda, and the Tabu brothers which are rude, tough men, end up rushing out of the classroom when the tornado hits the school, but to actually find Yolanda, who was going to the restroom when this all occurred, in the end Yolanda was saved by the boys who everyone underestimated for doing anything good in their future.
So at the end of double dutch some interesting things occur, so first of all, Delia, Charlene, and Yolanda made it to the World tournament jump contest, and end up winning, the dream that they have always wanted to occur in their lifetimes, also Randy’s father, had abandoned him, but know all the sudden his father is back, mean found he had been missing and this flyer that Randy received says he has been found and needs help by anybody that knows him, so Randy goes and sees his dad, where he is well, and alive, along with being able to come home soon. This I feel like is probably the favorite ending out of the book for me. In addition, Delia finally admitted to her mother that she cannot read, so she will be getting glasses that should do the job. The book ended in peace and some curiosity for me, on what will happen with Randy’s father finally coming back home, and if the glasses solved Delia’s problem of not being able to read.
Personally I have not read a lot of books in my career, but this book out of all the other fiction books that I have read is probably one of the best, because there's always something intriguing going on in the book, it’s hard to stop reading, also the book just really has flow, which makes it a lot easier for me, sense I am not that big of a reader. I would say that people who like action, and some conflict throughout the book would really like Double Dutch, it may bring out some emotion though, if that’s a problem for you. And if you like the book Double Dutch, I suggest to you a book called Bridge to Terabithia, it has these two kids that grew up together just like Double dutch and offers you some great action as well.
So this little pod of girls, Charlene, Yolanda, and Delia, and some other athletes are trying to make it to the championship jump contest, which they end up doing, on the other hand, Delia is someone that can't read, so therefore on a test she can only answer the multiple choice questions, Yolanda is loud, and creates attention, Charlene is just a regular kid, Randy is another casual kid, but his dad has abandoned him, and he has to take care of the house, food, cat food, electricity, but how does he get all this money, he just asks nice people, and they tend to give him something. While before the National jump contest a tornado hits the school, Delia, and Randy are okay, but Yolanda, and the Tabu brothers which are rude, tough men, end up rushing out of the classroom when the tornado hits the school, but to actually find Yolanda, who was going to the restroom when this all occurred, in the end Yolanda was saved by the boys who everyone underestimated for doing anything good in their future.
So at the end of double dutch some interesting things occur, so first of all, Delia, Charlene, and Yolanda made it to the World tournament jump contest, and end up winning, the dream that they have always wanted to occur in their lifetimes, also Randy’s father, had abandoned him, but know all the sudden his father is back, mean found he had been missing and this flyer that Randy received says he has been found and needs help by anybody that knows him, so Randy goes and sees his dad, where he is well, and alive, along with being able to come home soon. This I feel like is probably the favorite ending out of the book for me. In addition, Delia finally admitted to her mother that she cannot read, so she will be getting glasses that should do the job. The book ended in peace and some curiosity for me, on what will happen with Randy’s father finally coming back home, and if the glasses solved Delia’s problem of not being able to read.
Personally I have not read a lot of books in my career, but this book out of all the other fiction books that I have read is probably one of the best, because there's always something intriguing going on in the book, it’s hard to stop reading, also the book just really has flow, which makes it a lot easier for me, sense I am not that big of a reader. I would say that people who like action, and some conflict throughout the book would really like Double Dutch, it may bring out some emotion though, if that’s a problem for you. And if you like the book Double Dutch, I suggest to you a book called Bridge to Terabithia, it has these two kids that grew up together just like Double dutch and offers you some great action as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2019
Adult rating: 2 stars
Kid rating: 4 stars
Since Sharon Draper is a former high school teacher, I'm sure she draws her material from what she observed. Her books focus on the African-American experience. There's a lot of challenges going on in this book. Bullying. Divorce. Absent parents. Reading disability. Draper melds it all together seamlessly. Kids who like realistic fiction that echos their own experiences will be particularly drawn to a book like this. Kids who want uplifting, positive stories won't be interested in Draper's books.
The main characters are 8th graders Delia, Yolanda, and Randy. Delia has a learning disability and can't read. Yolanda lies about everything, but everyone knows it, and accepts it. Randy's dad is a truck driver and has been gone for over a month. Randy has been living on his own. Everyone is afraid of twins Tabu and Titan. They are bad enough that their mom makes them go on a talk show about problem kids. Delia and Yolanda are on the Double Dutch team. In Double Dutch performers do stunts between two jump ropes twirled simultaneously by their teammates.
Draper is spot on with many iconic experiences of school life. Trashy talk shows (more of a 90s, early 2000s thing). School resource officers. Metal detectors. Young teachers who are easily walked over. Unfortunately, there are some shortcomings. Parts of the dialogue and plot don't ring true, especially the over-exaggerated tornado. The destruction to the school is more like what you would expect from a bomb. Additionally, Tabu and Titan's characters aren't developed. Based on what is written, there isn't justification for the entire school being afraid of them. Parts of the book shine, especially the way the friends help one another deal with their problems, the inclusion of a non-mainstream competitive sport, and the happy ending. However, there is much room for improvement from a writing perspective. Because the book is getting dated (VCRs and pay phones), I wouldn't recommend this book as a new library purchase, but I would recommend to students if you currently have it in your library.
Kid rating: 4 stars
Since Sharon Draper is a former high school teacher, I'm sure she draws her material from what she observed. Her books focus on the African-American experience. There's a lot of challenges going on in this book. Bullying. Divorce. Absent parents. Reading disability. Draper melds it all together seamlessly. Kids who like realistic fiction that echos their own experiences will be particularly drawn to a book like this. Kids who want uplifting, positive stories won't be interested in Draper's books.
The main characters are 8th graders Delia, Yolanda, and Randy. Delia has a learning disability and can't read. Yolanda lies about everything, but everyone knows it, and accepts it. Randy's dad is a truck driver and has been gone for over a month. Randy has been living on his own. Everyone is afraid of twins Tabu and Titan. They are bad enough that their mom makes them go on a talk show about problem kids. Delia and Yolanda are on the Double Dutch team. In Double Dutch performers do stunts between two jump ropes twirled simultaneously by their teammates.
Draper is spot on with many iconic experiences of school life. Trashy talk shows (more of a 90s, early 2000s thing). School resource officers. Metal detectors. Young teachers who are easily walked over. Unfortunately, there are some shortcomings. Parts of the dialogue and plot don't ring true, especially the over-exaggerated tornado. The destruction to the school is more like what you would expect from a bomb. Additionally, Tabu and Titan's characters aren't developed. Based on what is written, there isn't justification for the entire school being afraid of them. Parts of the book shine, especially the way the friends help one another deal with their problems, the inclusion of a non-mainstream competitive sport, and the happy ending. However, there is much room for improvement from a writing perspective. Because the book is getting dated (VCRs and pay phones), I wouldn't recommend this book as a new library purchase, but I would recommend to students if you currently have it in your library.
January 12, 2018
WARNING….. SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!
The book “Double Dutch” by Sharon M. Draper is a realistic fiction book. This book was about never doubting yourself.
In the beginning of this book, you will find out that Delia can not read and nobody else knows. Her friend Randy also has a secret; his dad is a long distance truck driver and Randy is running out of money and going broke so through the book he struggles to find ways to get his needs. Randy, Delia, and a few other friends later participate in a double dutch team that will go on to compete in a national tournament, all of their problems could affect the competition. For instance, because Delia can't read, she could fail a major exam and get kicked out of the event. However, she manages to make it through to compete. When they finish the competition they get some good and bad news; good news was that they got an award. The bad news was that Randy’s dad had been in an incident and some people took his belongings and left him for dead. Luckily, they made it to his dad in time and everything was ok.
My favorite part of this book wasn’t really a specific part, i just really liked how the story built up so much hype and kept you constantly wondering what’s gonna happen next. I can personally make some connections with this book because i was once separated from my dad for a while when I was younger. For some reason, this book really reminds me of the movie real steal, i'm not sure why exactly but that's the image I get in my head.
I really like this book, it really finds a way to just grasp ahold of your attention. I would give this book an overall rating of 4.5 because it really kept me interested but i felt like maybe it could’ve gotten a little too confusing and just had too much characters with too much problems but if you're into drama, i highly recommend this book.
The book “Double Dutch” by Sharon M. Draper is a realistic fiction book. This book was about never doubting yourself.
In the beginning of this book, you will find out that Delia can not read and nobody else knows. Her friend Randy also has a secret; his dad is a long distance truck driver and Randy is running out of money and going broke so through the book he struggles to find ways to get his needs. Randy, Delia, and a few other friends later participate in a double dutch team that will go on to compete in a national tournament, all of their problems could affect the competition. For instance, because Delia can't read, she could fail a major exam and get kicked out of the event. However, she manages to make it through to compete. When they finish the competition they get some good and bad news; good news was that they got an award. The bad news was that Randy’s dad had been in an incident and some people took his belongings and left him for dead. Luckily, they made it to his dad in time and everything was ok.
My favorite part of this book wasn’t really a specific part, i just really liked how the story built up so much hype and kept you constantly wondering what’s gonna happen next. I can personally make some connections with this book because i was once separated from my dad for a while when I was younger. For some reason, this book really reminds me of the movie real steal, i'm not sure why exactly but that's the image I get in my head.
I really like this book, it really finds a way to just grasp ahold of your attention. I would give this book an overall rating of 4.5 because it really kept me interested but i felt like maybe it could’ve gotten a little too confusing and just had too much characters with too much problems but if you're into drama, i highly recommend this book.
June 30, 2017
I chose to read this because my eighth grade girls were assigned this novel as summer reading and I wanted to keep pace with them. The plot developed by Draper is very well crafted. Her characters are three dimensional and realistic, with real flaws and quirks. They are also among some of the most believable portrayals of young adults I have seen in recent memory. I especially liked the way she handled the twins in the narrative. The way she ended up taking the storyline was really unconventional. I almost wish they were point of view characters as well. Randy's secret was very well woven into the narrative, too- references made by other characters that hit that sore spot didn't feel forced. I think the main weakness of the narrative is the contrived way Randy and Delia's secrets are brought into conflict. I feel that part of the novel went by too quickly. The main beef I have with the novel is that Delia's problem was never given a name. We learn at the end she is getting treatment, but the word 'dyslexia' is never written in the text and we don't learn anything about the phenomena. While the novel does a wonderful job covering how it affects someone's life, I feel directly naming it even if only in the last chapter or in a footnote at the end would have been an important step.
November 29, 2017
I think that this book had its engaging moments, but overall it was slow and uneventful. This book deserved three stars because I found it hard to get into, and I couldn't relate to any of the characters. The story took place in Ohio. However, I did enjoy how this book made two unlikely people become friends. The author, Sharon Draper, shared two very different peoples perspectives on the world and then in the end, made these two collide and become friends. The story was sad at parts as well. Randy, one of the main characters, has been on his own without his parents for a while now; his mom left him years ago and his dad got robbed and beat up and is in an unknown location. The other main character, Delia, is having some of her own problems as well. She can't read, and has to be able to to pass her exams to be eligible for the Double Dutch competition. Overall, this book was slow with engaging and interesting moments. I would recommend it to anyone who likes jump roping, and a fast read.
June 6, 2023
I’ve challenged myself to read all six books on my students’ summer reading lists this year. Let’s see if our attempts to engage students, discuss relationships and social interactions, and diversify characters by race and ability are actually working!
—
I figured out Delia’s secret immediately, but I found Randy’s much more compelling. Yo Yo wasn’t interesting; her character’s story could have been taken much further. The Tolliver twins are an excellent exercise in indirect characterization and first impressions.
I definitely didn’t appreciate the digs at teachers (especially from an author whose books are assigned in schools so often). Some of the references seemed anachronistic (a pay phone—really?), and there were sections that had way too much telling instead of showing.
This was worth reading once, but I liked Out of My Mind significantly more than Double Dutch.
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I figured out Delia’s secret immediately, but I found Randy’s much more compelling. Yo Yo wasn’t interesting; her character’s story could have been taken much further. The Tolliver twins are an excellent exercise in indirect characterization and first impressions.
I definitely didn’t appreciate the digs at teachers (especially from an author whose books are assigned in schools so often). Some of the references seemed anachronistic (a pay phone—really?), and there were sections that had way too much telling instead of showing.
This was worth reading once, but I liked Out of My Mind significantly more than Double Dutch.
June 1, 2012
Delia and Randy have a secret. Delia can't read, and Randy's father has been missing for six weeks. I can relate. To adults, it seems silly for young teens to keep such secrets from other adults, but from the perspective of the teen, it's a different story. They're afraid of what others will think, so it's easier to say nothing. When I was in fifth grade I had a secret. I discovered it after my brother began struggling with the same problem: near-sightedness. To me, being unable to see was less humiliating than having to wear glasses. I decided to test whether I really was near-sighted after my brother had an eye exam. I took a seat across from the eye chart and tried to read it; but I found I couldn't read a single letter from the bottom row. Nonetheless I stood up and tried to act nonchalant. This didn't fool my parents or the eye doctor, and I have worn glasses ever since. Double Dutch is about the reluctance of two teenagers to admit a weakness, a reluctance, I imagine, shared by many of us.
Delia's inability to read causes problems for her at school, but she uses her ingenuity to keep her grades up. Whenever a class is assigned a novel, she watches the movie version and listens carefully to group discussions. She relies on non-essay assignments as well to boost her grades, and her teachers, as a result, don't suspect she has a problem. However, ingenuity will do nothing to help Delia pass the upcoming state tests. A poor performance on the tests means she can't continue double dutch. Only her closest friend, Yolanda, knows her secret, and Yolanda promises to help her out.
Randy has a much bigger problem. His father is a truck driver and occasionally must leave Randy alone for days at a time, but he hasn't shown up for six weeks. Randy worries that his father has abandoned him like his mother did. Or worse - that he's dead. Afraid that going to the authorities might get his father in trouble, Randy does his best to pretend that nothing is wrong. He uses the little money his father had stashed in the apartment to pay off bills and buy food for him and the cat. But as the electric company starts calling about a late bill, it becomes increasingly difficult for Randy. The novel takes place mostly from Delia's point of view, but a few chapters are from Randy's perspective, and his, I think, are the most effective. A twelve-year old boy shouldn't have to take care of himself, and there's also the cat to worry about. He naively hopes his father will be there in the morning when he wakes up or in the evening when he comes home from school, and it's crushing the way he begs food off his friends and is forced to feed the cat bits of hot dog while pretending nothing is wrong.
A third major plot point involves the Tolliver twins, Tabu and Titan. These are two big, mean-looking kids, and everyone is terrified of them, including the teachers, such as Miss Benson, who is in her first year on the job. To make things worse, they were featured on a show about terrible teenagers. The early parts of the novel are at times a little too preoccupied with the twins. More experienced readers will realize right away how this conflict will resolve. Draper handles this resolution very well, though, by avoiding any cliche and abrupt personality changes. Once the rest of the characters realize what us readers know all along, the Tollivers still remain as they always were.
It is in its depictions of double dutch that the novel shines. Double dutch is a popular sport where two girls (or boys) swing two ropes while a third (and sometimes a fourth) jump in the middle. There are several different ways to compete. One is to jump successfully as many times in a minute as you can. Another is freestyle, where the jumper(s) and turners perform spectacular tricks while keeping the ropes moving. In the novel, the World Double Dutch Championships are held in Ohio, which if this is true it is a testament to the sport's worldwide popularity. The students of the Cincinnati school district where Delia attends are particularly diligent. Children from the third grade to the eighth grade get together several times a week and fill up the gym for practice. It is this sport that holds the novel together and connects each of its characters.
This is the second novel by Sharon Draper that I have read, the other being Romiette and Julio, and it is the better of the two. An English teacher for twenty-five years, Draper is an African American author who now writes young adult literature. She writes in a simple style for easier reading. One might suspect her target audience is young teens who have trouble reading. She writes a lot of dialogue and action, with very little concrete details that might bore readers. The dialogue is energetic and clever, sometimes a little too energetic and clever, but I imagine young teens will find it amusing.
The novel, overall, is pretty good. Young teens or pre-teens will most likely enjoy it, and many might grow interested in the sport of double dutch. Adults will find it lacking in substance, however. Draper, especially in Double Dutch, seems reluctant to portray anybody as truly mean. Her meanest characters earn their distinction by appearing to be mean, but not by their actions. The teachers, the coach, the students, the parents: none have a mean bone in their body. When Miss Benson loses a few kids after a tornado strikes the school, the parents of the missing kids sympathize with her rather than grow angry. Even the tornado has the decency not to take any lives. It's all a little too sweet, a little too nice, a little too much of a fantasy. You'd be hard-pressed to find many readers today who will believe there's not a single problem child in the entire school.
Still, it's a nice fantasy.
Delia's inability to read causes problems for her at school, but she uses her ingenuity to keep her grades up. Whenever a class is assigned a novel, she watches the movie version and listens carefully to group discussions. She relies on non-essay assignments as well to boost her grades, and her teachers, as a result, don't suspect she has a problem. However, ingenuity will do nothing to help Delia pass the upcoming state tests. A poor performance on the tests means she can't continue double dutch. Only her closest friend, Yolanda, knows her secret, and Yolanda promises to help her out.
Randy has a much bigger problem. His father is a truck driver and occasionally must leave Randy alone for days at a time, but he hasn't shown up for six weeks. Randy worries that his father has abandoned him like his mother did. Or worse - that he's dead. Afraid that going to the authorities might get his father in trouble, Randy does his best to pretend that nothing is wrong. He uses the little money his father had stashed in the apartment to pay off bills and buy food for him and the cat. But as the electric company starts calling about a late bill, it becomes increasingly difficult for Randy. The novel takes place mostly from Delia's point of view, but a few chapters are from Randy's perspective, and his, I think, are the most effective. A twelve-year old boy shouldn't have to take care of himself, and there's also the cat to worry about. He naively hopes his father will be there in the morning when he wakes up or in the evening when he comes home from school, and it's crushing the way he begs food off his friends and is forced to feed the cat bits of hot dog while pretending nothing is wrong.
A third major plot point involves the Tolliver twins, Tabu and Titan. These are two big, mean-looking kids, and everyone is terrified of them, including the teachers, such as Miss Benson, who is in her first year on the job. To make things worse, they were featured on a show about terrible teenagers. The early parts of the novel are at times a little too preoccupied with the twins. More experienced readers will realize right away how this conflict will resolve. Draper handles this resolution very well, though, by avoiding any cliche and abrupt personality changes. Once the rest of the characters realize what us readers know all along, the Tollivers still remain as they always were.
It is in its depictions of double dutch that the novel shines. Double dutch is a popular sport where two girls (or boys) swing two ropes while a third (and sometimes a fourth) jump in the middle. There are several different ways to compete. One is to jump successfully as many times in a minute as you can. Another is freestyle, where the jumper(s) and turners perform spectacular tricks while keeping the ropes moving. In the novel, the World Double Dutch Championships are held in Ohio, which if this is true it is a testament to the sport's worldwide popularity. The students of the Cincinnati school district where Delia attends are particularly diligent. Children from the third grade to the eighth grade get together several times a week and fill up the gym for practice. It is this sport that holds the novel together and connects each of its characters.
This is the second novel by Sharon Draper that I have read, the other being Romiette and Julio, and it is the better of the two. An English teacher for twenty-five years, Draper is an African American author who now writes young adult literature. She writes in a simple style for easier reading. One might suspect her target audience is young teens who have trouble reading. She writes a lot of dialogue and action, with very little concrete details that might bore readers. The dialogue is energetic and clever, sometimes a little too energetic and clever, but I imagine young teens will find it amusing.
The novel, overall, is pretty good. Young teens or pre-teens will most likely enjoy it, and many might grow interested in the sport of double dutch. Adults will find it lacking in substance, however. Draper, especially in Double Dutch, seems reluctant to portray anybody as truly mean. Her meanest characters earn their distinction by appearing to be mean, but not by their actions. The teachers, the coach, the students, the parents: none have a mean bone in their body. When Miss Benson loses a few kids after a tornado strikes the school, the parents of the missing kids sympathize with her rather than grow angry. Even the tornado has the decency not to take any lives. It's all a little too sweet, a little too nice, a little too much of a fantasy. You'd be hard-pressed to find many readers today who will believe there's not a single problem child in the entire school.
Still, it's a nice fantasy.
October 17, 2017
Delia is an eighth grader who loves Double Dutch and her friends more than anything. She struggles in school because she can't read, but is successful at faking it through school. Her friend Randy is struggling to survive because his dad left on a trick driving job and hasn't come back for a couple months. Add in a set of twins that everyone is afraid of, the Double Dutch World Championship, and a tornado, and this book is full of drama and overcoming obstacles.
This book was a quick read once I really started having time to read it. Delia's relationships with her friends are strong through this book and help her to continue to be successful. This is a great read about not judging people based on what you see.
This book was a quick read once I really started having time to read it. Delia's relationships with her friends are strong through this book and help her to continue to be successful. This is a great read about not judging people based on what you see.
March 21, 2019
I’m actually very disappointed in this book. I wanted it to be so much better than it was. I picked it up for my kids at school because so many of them are really starting to get into the sport of jump rope. Although I did not expect the whole book to be about double Dutch I did expect it to take a central role in the book. It did not.
Instead the book was mostly about the things that kids are dealing with outside of the double Dutch competition. While the problems are really challenging and interesting, the story is not. I don’t mind third person writing but I find that the writing has to be well done and very intriguing. This was not the case for this book.
Sorry Mrs. Draper. I really wanted to like it but I didn’t.
Instead the book was mostly about the things that kids are dealing with outside of the double Dutch competition. While the problems are really challenging and interesting, the story is not. I don’t mind third person writing but I find that the writing has to be well done and very intriguing. This was not the case for this book.
Sorry Mrs. Draper. I really wanted to like it but I didn’t.
May 7, 2023
I enjoyed the book! It's a quick, wholesome read about a group of kids in a school setting that care for one another. Each character has their own issues, and it's interesting to see how they handle those problems. Just like double dutch, life cannot be performed successfully on your own. You need caring people around you to make it work.
The dialogue is funny, genuine and honest. Double Dutch is a glimpse into the lives of youngsters who are skilled and have obvious strengths. Some of those youngsters also hide weaknesses and problems that aren't obvious. While tackling serious situations, Double Dutch never gets too dark or depressing.
I recommend the book for young readers in a school setting. The story is entertaining and can be useful to generate discussions within the class.
The dialogue is funny, genuine and honest. Double Dutch is a glimpse into the lives of youngsters who are skilled and have obvious strengths. Some of those youngsters also hide weaknesses and problems that aren't obvious. While tackling serious situations, Double Dutch never gets too dark or depressing.
I recommend the book for young readers in a school setting. The story is entertaining and can be useful to generate discussions within the class.
June 5, 2020
Delia wanted to stay on the double dutch team at her school but she has a secret that she can't read so she might not be able to be on the team. Her best friend also has a secret that might take him to foster care and he doesn't want to go there. So then these new toliver twins show up and stalk the halls, they get everyone scared. Then there is a tornado and the twins turn out to be nice and help someone in the disaster. Finally, randy tells delia his secret that his dad is gone and has not come back for months, and delia tells that she can't read and they help each other keep what they want.
February 14, 2023
We were reading this book in my ELA inclusion class but the teacher stopped, so I just had to push on through. This book right here made me fall in love with reading in the 6th grade. Delia is a smooth double dutcher with her friends Yolanda and Charlene. They’re competing in the World Championships. A new requirement comes out saying they have to pass their state exam to jump. But Delia has a secret, she can’t read. A lot of trials and tribulations occur in this book. Everyone has their own personal issues that ends up getting solved. I LOVE this one. Highly recommend!
December 13, 2018
This novel set in Cincinnati, Ohio is another excellent young adult book from Sharon Draper. It was written in 2002 and reflects some dated jargon, but the story shares some insights into family life, illiteracy, and school dynamics. The title provides the context for the book - Double Dutch - a jump rope team preparing for national competition, but the content has more to do with relationships than it does with the sport.
November 26, 2022
This book was banned from my grade 6-8 classroom in 2019, and I read it to find out why. I still don't know a good reason to ban it.
The first 2/3 is some of my favorite work by Draper- some well-drawn and believable characters and realistic situations. At the 2/3 mark, though, it goes full cheese and kind of lost me.
You might like this book more if you are from Cincinnati. You also might like it more if you like jumping rope.
The first 2/3 is some of my favorite work by Draper- some well-drawn and believable characters and realistic situations. At the 2/3 mark, though, it goes full cheese and kind of lost me.
You might like this book more if you are from Cincinnati. You also might like it more if you like jumping rope.
July 5, 2025
I generally love Sharon Draper and have had this on my TBR since 2018, but finally picked it up because it's so old - was it time to cull it from the realistic fiction collection? The answer is yes. I liked it well enough to finish it, but its references to videotapes and call waiting and slang like "phat" definitely made it feel dated.
If I taught kids who did double dutch, I'd consider keeping it.
If I taught kids who did double dutch, I'd consider keeping it.
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