Hold Fast to Dreams

From Publishers Weekly Pinkney (Alvin Ailey; Seven Candles for Kwanzaa) takes the title of her first YA novel from a poem by Langston Hughes, who happens to be 12-year-old narrator Dee's favorite poet. No one else in Dee's new town of Wexford, Conn., however, seems to have heard him, a difference emblematic of the great gulf between Dee, the only black girl in school, and her lacrosse-mad classmates. She misses her home in Baltimore, her spot on the "Jumpin' Jive Five" double-dutch team and, most of all, her best friend, Lorelle. Pinkney captures the emotional strain that goes along with change through Dee's free-form narrative. Frequently witty, it does not mask the pain experienced by Dee and by her younger sister, Lindsay, who is having troubles of her own adjusting to a posh private school. The author also shares valuable insights into the pressures affecting Dee's parents and other upwardly mobile African Americans. Frank dialogue about how white kids and black kids view each other helps to burst apart stereotypes while affirming racial difference. Ages 10-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 4-6?When 12-year-old Deirdre's father gets a new job in New York City, the family relocates from Baltimore to suburban Connecticut. There are few blacks in Wexford and the white kids whisper and stare. Deirdre's younger sister, Lindsay, copes by trying to "act white" and believes that joining the lacrosse team is the ticket to acceptance. Deirdre, however, pursues her interest in photography and makes a friend. Meanwhile, Lindsay is cruelly teased at school and their father is harassed by a security guard at work; strengthened by family support, they refuse to accept further abuse and stand up to their tormentors. This is a positive portrait of strong relationships with characters that are likable, if a bit too ideal. Like a TV after-school special, the conflicts are resolved quickly and easily. Nevertheless, the story will sustain readers' interest, and persistence in the face of life's obstacles and maintaining self-esteem are valuable themes.?Jacqueline Rose, Lake Oswego Public Library, ORCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.