Between the Lines

by Claudia Whitsitt

Between the Lines, narrated by Melanie Hooks, is a multiple award-winning book which tells the story of three girls who become friends during the racially-charged aftermath of the 1967 Detroit Riots. Hattie Percha is crushed when the riots start on her tenth birthday, and when she must move away from her treasured childhood home and friends, attending public school for the first time, she's afraid her life is over. Then, she meets Beverly Jo Nichols, her first black friend, and Crackers, a fearless tomboy. Despite opposition from Hattie's mother and a racist teacher, the unlikely friends join forces. As the self-proclaimed Dream Girls, they challenge bigotry and intolerance, willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto what's most precious to them all, their friendship.

1 pages, Audio CD

First published November 1, 1989

About the author

I’m the oldest of six children and the only girl. Northwest Detroit, at that time a thriving metropolis and desirable address, was my childhood home. I attended parochial schools and loved learning from the very start. A voracious reader, one of my fondest memories is keeping the hall light burning in hopes of stealing a few extra minutes of reading time each night. When my mom got wise to my tricks and closed my bedroom door, I snuck a flashlight from my dad’s toolbox, kept it hidden under my bed and replaced the batteries more than once. That single beam came in handy on many late nights with Nancy Drew.

Graduating from St. Mary of Redford high school in 1970, I attended Eastern Michigan University. After receiving my degree, I became a Special Education teacher. Early on I realized that teaching was my new “school." I learned so very much from my students and their families about hope in the face of despair, about the hidden talents each of us possess, and about how simple acts of humanity can touch and enrich lives.

I have always loved writing whether composing an educational report, a letter to one of my children, or a simple poem. My initial inspiration to write a novel came while I worked as a Special Education teacher and became involved in a mystery surrounding one of my students. As all writers do, I began playing “what if” and started putting ideas down on paper.

Since penning my first novel, Identity Issues, I am consumed with learning more about my newly discovered passion. A newbie at my first writer’s conference a few years back, I asked the question, “How do I become a better writer?” The editor, my newly adopted fairy godmother, spoke wisely. “Write some more.”

Since that time, I have written two more installments in The Samantha Series, Intimacy Issues and Internal Issues.

I've also recently released The Wrong Guy, a new adult romantic mystery loosely based on the Co-Ed killings of the late '60s.

Later in 2014, I will be releasing a stand alone work of contemporary fiction, Two of Me, and a middle grades historical fiction novel, Between the Lines.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I like to record songs with universal themes that everyone can relate to…The first song that I ever wrote was called ‘Make Sure You Know Your Classroom.’ I don't know what inspired me…some deep, hidden insecurity about starting school or what…the words to the song were: ‘Make sure you know your classroom, Make sure you know your seat, I hope you find your teacher, I hope she looks so sweet. Make sure you know your classroom, Make sure you know your seat, I hope you find your teacher, Or you'll have to wait in the street’...I didn't even know how to physically write - because I hadn't even started school yet, so my sisters helped me…write out the notes on a big piece of staff paper…maybe someday I'll do a remix of it! As silly as the song was, that was the beginning of my writing career.”

School continued to inspire Gibson, and she later wrote "Wake Up To Love" in social studies. “I was falling asleep in class one day, and I said to myself, ‘wake up!’, And, I started thinking, ‘wake up to love!’ and developed a story around it. That song's about when you have someone really close in your life, and it's like, ‘You stupid fool, would you just wake up and see we're in love already!’”

For "Between The Lines" (the song for which the autobiography was titled), “I was staring at my notebook, and I really wanted to write a song, and I couldn't think of anything, and I didn't have any ideas. So, I looked at the piece of paper long enough until I saw nothing but lines. And then the title came to me: ‘Between The Lines.’ After that I just developed the story about how you can just pick up vibes from someone, you read between the lines.”

Gibson never considered herself a star. “To me it has a real negative connotation. The only thing that I like about the word ‘star,’ is that it makes me think of ‘confidence.’ To me someone who is a star just has an aura about them that makes people want to watch them…but I also think of ‘arrogance’...That's part of the word ‘star’ that can be eliminated. I never want to have that stuck-up attitude, or have people think of me in that way. More than being a star, I really want to be a creative and successful entertainer. That's basically it.”

[Jennifer Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like The 80’s and Debbie Gibson.

[AsianWonderGod · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a debbie gibson fan than this book was created for you! debbie gibson wrote most of this book.