Delia loves Double Dutch. And she's good at it.Reallygood. So good that her team has a chance to win the World Double Dutch Championships this year -- Delia is sure of it. What she is less sure of is her chance of passing the school's state exam, because Delia has been using her success at Double Dutch to mask a secret that could jeopardize her place on the team, and also her future.Delia's not the only one with a secret. Her potential boyfriend, Randy, has one too -- his dad has been missing for weeks, and Randy hasn't told anyone for fear he'll be put in a foster home. But he is running out of money and getting scared.The one thing that isn't a secret is that their classmates, the Tolliver twins, are out to cause trouble. With their skull caps, angry demeanors, and hints of violence emanating from even the way they stalk down the school halls, they seem to enjoy intimidating the other kids. But will they cross the line from intimidation to violence?With consummate skill and an uncanny ability to capture how real kids think, act, and feel,Tears of a Tigerauthor Sharon M. Draper weaves these three stories tighter and tighter, creating a novel that tingles with suspense and emotion. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Secrets, not all of them credible, abound among the eighth-grade protagonists of this disappointing novel. Delia has managed to hide her inability to read from her parents and teachers, but she doubts she can pass the proficiency test that will enable her to graduate to ninth grade and continue competing in Double Dutch jump rope. Randy, whose mother walked out several years ago, hasn't told anyone that his father, a long-distance truck driver, has been missing for weeks. And when twin tornadoes hit the school, it becomes apparent that the Tolliver twins, who dress entirely in black and terrorize their classmates, are actually sensitive fellows behind their intimidating faades. Overflowing with rambling conversations and extraneous details, Draper's (Forged by Fire) narrative is often awkward ("The huge gym was filled with crisply ironed T-shirts, frantic practice jumps in the halls and parking lot, and the electric excitement of competition and challenge"). Jump-by-jump descriptions of the Double Dutch championships may rescue this tale for diehard jump-rope fans. Others can skip it. Ages 11-up. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 6-9-Delia loves Double Dutch jump roping; she's good enough at it to participate in the world championships being held in her home city of Cincinnati. But Delia has an embarrassing secret that may jeopardize her place on the team: she can't read. She copes in school by relying on her memory, renting videos, doing projects that don't require writing, and behaving well enough not to be noticed. Her friend Randy has a secret, too. His father has been gone for weeks. Has he deserted his son just like Randy's mother deserted them? When the fearsome Tolliver twins, Tabu and Titan, arrive in the eighth grade, the threat of violence puts everyone on edge. The three interwoven stories heat up like the weather, and culminate in a happy, upbeat ending that is a bit too neat: the Tollivers become heroes, Randy's father is found in a hospital, and Delia admits she needs help. Draper tackles tough problems and explores adolescent concerns. While bordering on melodramatic overload and at times preachy, the novel does suggest positive options. What the author does best is create vibrant, engaging characters with unique voices. While these eighth graders may be as tough as their problems, they also are much more complex: sensitive, funny, enthusiastic, and real. Draper adeptly paints a convincing portrayal of how young people think, act, feel, and interact with one another.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. Eighth-grader Delia may be a star on a Cincinnati Double Dutch team, but she can't read. Thanks to friends, her excellent memory, and unwritten, extra-credit projects, she's managed to conceal her secret. Her sweet, thoughtful classmate Randy also has a secret--his father has disappeared, and Randy has been on his own for weeks. Twin students suspected of plotting against the school pose another worry. With so much going on in this novel, there are plenty of unanswered questions, and several dramatic contrivances wrap things up. But the exciting rope-jumping action is constant, and each story line explores a different side of fear. Draper raises provocative questions about mass hysteria and prejudice, especially in the students' reactions to the angry twins. And she sharply articulates how anxiety seeps in and overpowers "like smoke." Teens will like the high-spirited, authentic dialogue (including lots of "your mama" jokes), the honest look at tough issues, and the team workout scenes that show how sports can transform young lives. --Gillian Engberg From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.