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The Hoopster #2
Hip-Hop High School
Theresa Anderson is every kind of too smart-mouthed for her own good, street smart enough to deal with a neighborhood that gets more dangerous every day, and more book smart than anyone knows. But with the example of her super-achieving older brother towering above her, Theresa hasn’t even been trying. How can a girl compete against the family favorite, especially when he’s a certified local hero? With her parents and her teachers always on her case, and her best friend pregnant and dropped out of school, Theresa turns to hip-hop for comfort. Her favorite singers seem to understand her when no one else does.
Everything changes when a new man comes into Theresa’s Devon, whose tough-guy reputation conceals a blazing ambition for academic success. Devon helps Theresa face up to her own talent and ambition, and together they set off on a three-year quest to beat the SAT and get into top colleges. But then Devon gets shot in a street fight, leaving Theresa with two piles of unfinished college applications—her own and Dev’s—and time running out. . . .
Everything changes when a new man comes into Theresa’s Devon, whose tough-guy reputation conceals a blazing ambition for academic success. Devon helps Theresa face up to her own talent and ambition, and together they set off on a three-year quest to beat the SAT and get into top colleges. But then Devon gets shot in a street fight, leaving Theresa with two piles of unfinished college applications—her own and Dev’s—and time running out. . . .
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
71 people are currently reading
953 people want to read
About the author
Alan Sitomer
28 books126 followersAlan Lawrence Sitomer is a California Teacher of the Year award winner and the founder of The Writer’s Success Academy. In addition to having been an inner-city high school English teacher and former professor in the Graduate School Of Education at Loyola Marymount University, Mr. Sitomer is a nationally renowned keynote speaker who specializes in engaging underperforming students. To date, Mr. Sitomer has authored 16 books with works ranging from hard-hitting YA novels like CAGED WARRIOR, HOMEBOYZ, THE HOOPSTER and HIP-HOP HIGH SCHOOL to humorous and warm children’s picture books such as DADDIES DO IT DIFFERENT and DADDY’S ZIGZAGGING BEDTIME STORY. Alan lives in Los Angeles where he just finished writing the movie script adaptation for his novel CAGED WARRIOR.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
November 4, 2022
Preface, I didn’t read this book but I can guarantee this white man wrote from a place of having limited interaction with only a very small segment of the black community. Just the brief synopsis on the back of the books shows he lacks true understanding of black culture as a whole or part and attempts to explain it to others - like the blind leading the blind. Do not suggest this book to any young reader for there are far more well written books that are written by black people that would be a better option. You don’t need to read a book by someone who put on literary blackface to sell a book about something he knows nothing about and couldn’t even be bothered to do any research to make it sound half way convincing.
February 6, 2009
I ordered this book for my 7th grade students; I wanted to include it in the SSR cart based on a few reviews I had seen. A few months ago, one of my students told me that "it was good" and I didn't push her to go into depth on that stirring review.
Recently I picked this up to read during our morning SSR, and initially I was turned off by the hip-hop slang/dialect. It seemed unnecessary and exaggerated, but it grew more fitting as the story played out and as the main character, Teresa Anderson (affectionately known as T.A. or "Tee-Ay"in the book) matures. By the end of the book I was crying when she finally overcomes all of the obstacles she has faced: gang violence at her school, kids dropping out, her best friend getting pregnant, etc, etc. As a (former) high school teacher, I really appreciated reading a story that treated the reality of going to an urban school with honesty and respect. The story is believable and at the same time inspiring.
If you're looking for something to recommend to a reluctant younger reader, or if you're just into young-adult lit anyway, this would be a great pick.
Recently I picked this up to read during our morning SSR, and initially I was turned off by the hip-hop slang/dialect. It seemed unnecessary and exaggerated, but it grew more fitting as the story played out and as the main character, Teresa Anderson (affectionately known as T.A. or "Tee-Ay"in the book) matures. By the end of the book I was crying when she finally overcomes all of the obstacles she has faced: gang violence at her school, kids dropping out, her best friend getting pregnant, etc, etc. As a (former) high school teacher, I really appreciated reading a story that treated the reality of going to an urban school with honesty and respect. The story is believable and at the same time inspiring.
If you're looking for something to recommend to a reluctant younger reader, or if you're just into young-adult lit anyway, this would be a great pick.
June 5, 2010
I want to love these books... but they feel cliched and melodramatic... I have no doubt that students will enjoy parts of this book, but other parts feel preachy and like the author is talking directly to the reader... soapboxy... I am also troubled by what amounts at times to gratuitious content like use of the word "ti**y" in a internal monologue...
Plus there are things that just don't make sense. Characters change motivations and personalities to fit the story not with any sense of development...
My favorite character may be Sonia who disappears halfway through the book into her own book... T. A. bears down, but there is just false drama... the shooting is predictable and the after events as well...
I also think the dialogue sometimes reads true and other times reads like a teacher trying to make it read true...
All that being said, if the content was toned down I would put the books into my middle school collection in a heartbeat... kids will read them... and some will find inspiration...
In a sidenote, I was intrigued enough by the description of the Autobiography of Malcolm X to go check it out and its on my list now...
Josh
Plus there are things that just don't make sense. Characters change motivations and personalities to fit the story not with any sense of development...
My favorite character may be Sonia who disappears halfway through the book into her own book... T. A. bears down, but there is just false drama... the shooting is predictable and the after events as well...
I also think the dialogue sometimes reads true and other times reads like a teacher trying to make it read true...
All that being said, if the content was toned down I would put the books into my middle school collection in a heartbeat... kids will read them... and some will find inspiration...
In a sidenote, I was intrigued enough by the description of the Autobiography of Malcolm X to go check it out and its on my list now...
Josh
June 17, 2015
Really glad I finally read it and definitely teared up at the moment with Mr Wardin at the end... I was slightly irritated with two things, however: 1) the repetition of "fo' sho" and "we high-fived, slap-slap-bump on the down-low" 8 million times; and 2) the fact that the jerk jock/villain got rejected by the USC football program because of his grades and character but accepted by Notre Dame!!!! Alan Sitomer must have it out for the Irish...
November 16, 2022
I cannot believe this book has such high ratings. I read about 60% before it joined the DNF pile. It's makes a mockery of AAVE and hip hop culture. I've never in my life seen AAVE used so incorrectly. I'm not surprised after looking up the author! Writing books about communities you clearly have zero ties to needs to stop. Explaining away Black English Vernacular as ignorant is clear even through the synopsis. As a teacher he should know better. For example, we know only old white ladies call people "hip-hoppers". Look at those "hip-hoppers" over there 🙄. Alan needs to stop it!
June 5, 2011
"Hip-Hop High School" is about a girl name Thresa Anderson who is a
honor student and trying to get in USC(University South California)the
college of her dreams. But before she got invited to USC,her
bestfriend Cee-Saw got pregnant by a football player name Rickee and
kept the baby few months later. Devon and Thresa were study buddies to
get a good score on their SAT. Devon got shot later trying to take
another SAT test. Thresa help him filled out his college application
and filled her's out too. They both were accepted to USC and graduated
out of Hip-Hop High School. I would rate this book a five because it
talks about how a person is struggling in high school trying to get
into a good college.
honor student and trying to get in USC(University South California)the
college of her dreams. But before she got invited to USC,her
bestfriend Cee-Saw got pregnant by a football player name Rickee and
kept the baby few months later. Devon and Thresa were study buddies to
get a good score on their SAT. Devon got shot later trying to take
another SAT test. Thresa help him filled out his college application
and filled her's out too. They both were accepted to USC and graduated
out of Hip-Hop High School. I would rate this book a five because it
talks about how a person is struggling in high school trying to get
into a good college.
January 23, 2015
One present I would give to Tee-Ayy (Theresa Anderson) is a SAT prep guide. Because she is crazy about getting a high score in the SAT
Read
December 20, 2017Cee sam bobbed her head up and down , watching all the folks fill the room .Some good stuff gonna be happening this year. She said to me “good stuff dat straight up girl answered back as we traded another slap slap bump high five on the down low. His life is weird , its like speaking two languages. In the head i talk a normal kind of english , but when i chat with my friends or any of my peers i rap to them in this kind of ghetto slag.its like i purposely mispronounce words and disobey all them rules of grammar.actually it makes me fit in, and fittin in round here is huge.
November 28, 2011
Patricia Turner
November 23,2011
Hip-Hop-High School
The protagonist’s of this book is very important through out the whole book. Staring Theresa , her family , and her best friend Cee saw, boy Devon. They are so important because a lot of things rely on them. Also they go through a journey because life Isn’t what it seems. And things just happens when it happens .And your about to see the roller coaster ride they go through .
There isn’t really a antagonist in this book but there is some nature.Like when Theresa arrive at school for the first day she arrived at school and it was trees and wind just blowing around. And there is some bad people like the people who mad Theresa’s friend nose bleed during the M.L.K class. And also the people who shot Devon in the neck and put him in the hospital for a while. And a last sad one is when some people shot Theresa sister in the back and she died. And her brother wants revenge.
There are a couple of crazy things that happened in this book but I’m going to go with the crazy sad one. The crazy conflict is when Devon was riding his bike and some boys shot him in his neck. Yes they shot him in his neck and then that’s things got even more interesting. When Theresa found out it was like she was dieing but slowly is was like pieces of her was just falling as she goes.And Theresa did everything in her power to help Devon and his mother with things. She tried to help his mother feel better but nothing couldn’t really help her survive at the moment because that was her son and he was a important piece in her life. And with Devon Theresa wrote every collage that she knew he wanted to apply to. And shelet them know what was going on.
To me the theme was basically expressing how life Isn’t always fair and you can’t always expect things to be how you want them to be. And don’t try to grow up fast because a lot of things will go wrong no matter how you put it. And it clearly tells you how you should pick your friends wisely because they aren’t what you thought they was and people do change.The book also explains how things fall apart easy and your heart won’t always stay together it will fall eventually. And the lesson is to be careful with your surroundings of a circle and just live your life and enjoy it while you’re young.
Well their are many settings in this book. Like in the beginning of the book the setting is in school or in front of the school in the morning. And as the story goes by the setting gets more interesting. It goes from class to class and than home. When Theresa gets inside of her house she goes into the living room. And from the living to her room.And as the story goes on Theresa and Cee Saw ends up in a party. But that’s not all
the setting just goes by and by even faster than what it was going. And the setting where things go down is outside. Like any where outside. But the hospital and Devon’s house is another important place.
Things was going from the morning to the evening to the night. And it was going faster and faster than before.
So the plot in the beginning of the story was when Theresa and Cee Saw lied and went to some party were people was drinking and stuff. And a lot of things happened like Cee Saw was drinking a lot of liquor and Theresa was in a room with a boy that wanted to do somethings with her but she didn’t really want to so she left as fast as she could. And than she lost Cee Saw and than found her again. Than later the cops came
and everybody had to wait for there parents to pick them up. And Cee saw threw up in the back of the car.
And towards the middle of the story things got even more interesting to were Devon had got shot in the neck .And Theresa spent a lot of time on it. And his mother was broken hearted.And Theresa just couldn’t live her life without helping him live his. So she just did everything in her power to help his mother survive and help him go to collage. She wouldn’t give up until she knew he was fine. Theresa ‘s life was hell because her life wasn’t going how she expected things to be.And towards the end things were even more stressful. Theresa left off to collage and her little sister was into other things unlike Theresa. And her little brother was protective and was worried about revenge.So Theresa’s little sister got shot in her back. And her brother wanted to kill whom killed her.
Well the climax for the beginning of the book is when Theresa just started to leave Cee saw alone and got a job. She wasn’t into the things Cee saw was into. And for when Devon was shot he got way better than before and got into a collage. But everything was so perfect for them. And last of all Teddyb Theresa’s little brother just won’t give up until he’s got it.
In this book many things happen and not every problem was solved but most of the struggles was handeld well.And some things was just unbelievable so there really isn’t a resolution for this book until you read all of the books that’s part of this book. But for some parts things are solved well. Like when Theresa and Cee saw had got caught sneaking to a party because the cops.Yes this book is different from others and powerful.That’s why i like it.
The End !
November 23,2011
Hip-Hop-High School
The protagonist’s of this book is very important through out the whole book. Staring Theresa , her family , and her best friend Cee saw, boy Devon. They are so important because a lot of things rely on them. Also they go through a journey because life Isn’t what it seems. And things just happens when it happens .And your about to see the roller coaster ride they go through .
There isn’t really a antagonist in this book but there is some nature.Like when Theresa arrive at school for the first day she arrived at school and it was trees and wind just blowing around. And there is some bad people like the people who mad Theresa’s friend nose bleed during the M.L.K class. And also the people who shot Devon in the neck and put him in the hospital for a while. And a last sad one is when some people shot Theresa sister in the back and she died. And her brother wants revenge.
There are a couple of crazy things that happened in this book but I’m going to go with the crazy sad one. The crazy conflict is when Devon was riding his bike and some boys shot him in his neck. Yes they shot him in his neck and then that’s things got even more interesting. When Theresa found out it was like she was dieing but slowly is was like pieces of her was just falling as she goes.And Theresa did everything in her power to help Devon and his mother with things. She tried to help his mother feel better but nothing couldn’t really help her survive at the moment because that was her son and he was a important piece in her life. And with Devon Theresa wrote every collage that she knew he wanted to apply to. And shelet them know what was going on.
To me the theme was basically expressing how life Isn’t always fair and you can’t always expect things to be how you want them to be. And don’t try to grow up fast because a lot of things will go wrong no matter how you put it. And it clearly tells you how you should pick your friends wisely because they aren’t what you thought they was and people do change.The book also explains how things fall apart easy and your heart won’t always stay together it will fall eventually. And the lesson is to be careful with your surroundings of a circle and just live your life and enjoy it while you’re young.
Well their are many settings in this book. Like in the beginning of the book the setting is in school or in front of the school in the morning. And as the story goes by the setting gets more interesting. It goes from class to class and than home. When Theresa gets inside of her house she goes into the living room. And from the living to her room.And as the story goes on Theresa and Cee Saw ends up in a party. But that’s not all
the setting just goes by and by even faster than what it was going. And the setting where things go down is outside. Like any where outside. But the hospital and Devon’s house is another important place.
Things was going from the morning to the evening to the night. And it was going faster and faster than before.
So the plot in the beginning of the story was when Theresa and Cee Saw lied and went to some party were people was drinking and stuff. And a lot of things happened like Cee Saw was drinking a lot of liquor and Theresa was in a room with a boy that wanted to do somethings with her but she didn’t really want to so she left as fast as she could. And than she lost Cee Saw and than found her again. Than later the cops came
and everybody had to wait for there parents to pick them up. And Cee saw threw up in the back of the car.
And towards the middle of the story things got even more interesting to were Devon had got shot in the neck .And Theresa spent a lot of time on it. And his mother was broken hearted.And Theresa just couldn’t live her life without helping him live his. So she just did everything in her power to help his mother survive and help him go to collage. She wouldn’t give up until she knew he was fine. Theresa ‘s life was hell because her life wasn’t going how she expected things to be.And towards the end things were even more stressful. Theresa left off to collage and her little sister was into other things unlike Theresa. And her little brother was protective and was worried about revenge.So Theresa’s little sister got shot in her back. And her brother wanted to kill whom killed her.
Well the climax for the beginning of the book is when Theresa just started to leave Cee saw alone and got a job. She wasn’t into the things Cee saw was into. And for when Devon was shot he got way better than before and got into a collage. But everything was so perfect for them. And last of all Teddyb Theresa’s little brother just won’t give up until he’s got it.
In this book many things happen and not every problem was solved but most of the struggles was handeld well.And some things was just unbelievable so there really isn’t a resolution for this book until you read all of the books that’s part of this book. But for some parts things are solved well. Like when Theresa and Cee saw had got caught sneaking to a party because the cops.Yes this book is different from others and powerful.That’s why i like it.
The End !
September 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this book because I was able to visualize it. I can see it become a movie, because I really liked the story. It was a nice reminder about how it doesn't matter where you grew up, where you come from, or what obstacles get in your way, anyone can do what they want, if they're truly hungry for it.
August 22, 2019
I would like to begin rating this book with 5 stars because the character's, setting, and conflicts are amazing. When I saw the title, I thought it was going to be about hip-hop, but it was more than that. Every emotion the character's had I felt like I was seeing and feeling what was going on. I would suggest this book because it was fun to read and might help you throughout things in your life.
January 24, 2022
I wasn't expecting to like this book because I had no choice to read it. However, it surprised me that a book about Hip hop is more about education and academics than anything. The ending really made me mad, but I think it's supposed to.
February 7, 2019
Good book but at times it was a little bit boring. About some high school students getting into college with lots of problems
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May 18, 2020I'm interesting
December 17, 2020
Inspiring but short
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May 17, 2023I really liked this book because it shows so much character develoupment and emotion between the book 10/10 would absolutly recomend.
January 2, 2025
reread
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February 17, 20233 Copies
March 23, 2022
At the time that I read this book. It reminded me of so much of what people were going through. It kinda hit home. With teen pregnancy. Best friends. Trying to find yourself. Once in a while I remember this book
September 30, 2015
Theresa and her best friend Cee Saw go through their sophmore year with ups and downs. Theresa’s goal is to pass the SAT this year but her journey to do that goes up and down There school is a hip hop high school so it is really ghetto and they dont have as much as more safisticated schools do. Theresa and her best friend are invited to a party and it gets booked so her parents are mad and upset because she wasnt supposed to be there. Cee Saw her best friend gets pregnant and she has to drop out of school to take care of her baby. Tee wants to try to get into USC. Devon Hampton her friend and guy she studies with didetnt even finish out filling out his college applications and he gets shot in the neck. Tee finishes the application before its to late and sends in the the applications out. Tee is a girl who runs her mouth a little to much but she wants to be successful and not drop out or anything. Cee Saw her best friend they go through good times but at a couple points they werent even speaking,but when she got pregnant Tee was there through everything. The minor characters in the book is the mom dad, and her annoying little brother.Theresa Andersons mom is always hard on her through everything because she wants her to be successful. If she was to get grounded it would be for her own good and Theresa was grounded the weekend of a party and she had to sneak to it. This guy Theresa meets at the party is trying to force her to have sex with her in the bedroom but she stops herself for making the biggest mistake and denys it but he left her. Cee Saw her best friend does have sex with him and gets her pregant and that is a problem because she is only in high school. The conflict in this book is how Theresa Anderson is going the pass the SAT and she talks about it throughout the book and how she is going to get accepted to USC. The way the conflict was solved i dissagreee to it because Cee kept the baby. Cee went to counsling and had the choice of other options like getting an abortion but she dident. The fact that she dident means she had no other choice but to drop out of highschool and not get an education. The theme of this book is to never stop trying to acheive something and to believe in yourself. Theresa wanted to pass all her classes and she never gave up no matter how hard it was and everything distracting her. The theme is effectively communicated because it is everyday teen problems. The theme applies to my life because at are age we go through the same struggles with teachers and colleges and friends. The did appeal to me i relate to her so much it helps me realize to never give up on your dreams and for Theresa she was not going to let nothing stop her from doing that no matter what she was going through or anything. I would recommed this book to another highschool student who feels like they are going through the same struggles its a good book to read if you feel like that.
June 5, 2017
Hip Hop High school is a great book for me because I am in high school my self. It shows a different perspective of what I experience day to day at high school, and highlights how unfair most of life and the school system is. The whole book is written with hip hop slang and dialect, and with the underlying theme of hip hop culture.
December 21, 2012
Hip Hop High School
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence was the author of this book and this book who’d be suitable for older kids like 14-17 and adults. The plot is the kid named Alex goes the this school and he is a honored student and has a difficult time going through it because he cheat his way in to the honored student list. In 8th grade and now he regrets it his best friends name is ceesaw. The plot is Alex has to get through high school and still stay in the honor class. There are a lot of characters in the book Alex the main characters. The plot is Alex getting through high school and stays in the honor group and keeps his friends.
This book was hard to read a little bit with all the slang words like wazzup and dig it this book is for good readers with good slang word knowledge. This book is 250 pages long and about a 12 font size so it would be good book for book readers. It kept me awake and not a good book for little kids and some teens. I would classify this book as young adult book because it was teen problems and “cool” words and slang words to. It could be a thriller because it is an existing book for teens and adults. Good Year around book. I liked this book a lot but a few things can be different like when they use a lot of the slang words and I think it is too much like they use it on every page .The likes is that the book is detailed in the book like when he describes his test grad he told me every one he got right and wrong .he talks about how he hates his teachers and how they can be vary pikey about the work they turn in. I think a lot of people would like this book like ages 10 – 17 and adults will enjoy this. My comments will bet that this book was nice length and well script. I like the story line in the book but it lacked a few parts like what town or city he lived in and what the name of the school is or where his house is. But the book is good in story and a lot of people would like this book. I think the book can be shorter in my opinion because it was a pattern of single pattern of the same thing over and over again.
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence was the author of this book and this book who’d be suitable for older kids like 14-17 and adults. The plot is the kid named Alex goes the this school and he is a honored student and has a difficult time going through it because he cheat his way in to the honored student list. In 8th grade and now he regrets it his best friends name is ceesaw. The plot is Alex has to get through high school and still stay in the honor class. There are a lot of characters in the book Alex the main characters. The plot is Alex getting through high school and stays in the honor group and keeps his friends.
This book was hard to read a little bit with all the slang words like wazzup and dig it this book is for good readers with good slang word knowledge. This book is 250 pages long and about a 12 font size so it would be good book for book readers. It kept me awake and not a good book for little kids and some teens. I would classify this book as young adult book because it was teen problems and “cool” words and slang words to. It could be a thriller because it is an existing book for teens and adults. Good Year around book. I liked this book a lot but a few things can be different like when they use a lot of the slang words and I think it is too much like they use it on every page .The likes is that the book is detailed in the book like when he describes his test grad he told me every one he got right and wrong .he talks about how he hates his teachers and how they can be vary pikey about the work they turn in. I think a lot of people would like this book like ages 10 – 17 and adults will enjoy this. My comments will bet that this book was nice length and well script. I like the story line in the book but it lacked a few parts like what town or city he lived in and what the name of the school is or where his house is. But the book is good in story and a lot of people would like this book. I think the book can be shorter in my opinion because it was a pattern of single pattern of the same thing over and over again.
January 3, 2014
IQ "I looked away, avoiding that type of soul-to-soul eye contact a person can make when they look to deeply into another person's eyes." Tee, pg. 264
I'd read this book years ago but never reviewed it so I decided to re-read it and while I'm not putting this up on the blog (yet) I did want to include some thoughts here. I preferred The Hoopster since I found this book to be preachy regarding the pros and cons of applying to college (and maybe that can't be helped when writing about the college admissions process), the difficulties students of less-privileged backgrounds have when it comes to finding actual college admissions guidance. Furthermore I had to suspend my disbelief at the ending of the book regarding college choices although depending on when the author wrote the book perhaps scoring was different? I'm not sure.
While the story could be unbearably heavy handed at times, there were a few amusing gems sprinkled throughout that managed to combine what we learn in school with what we learn in the real world, "Do people even know that one cannot 'hate on' another person without being in violation of about thirty-six rules of grammar?" (Mr. Wardin, 343). The author seems to have a clear and firm grasp of the world he's chosen to write about and he dos not belittle or victimize his characters, nor make them simply angry. Theresa (or Tee) is struggling to find the happy-medium by balancing the lives of those she sees around with those she sees on TV, "The question is, what happens if you don't get there? Does it have to be a minimum-wage job at the supermarket collecting shopping carts", (pg. 305). This echoes the lack of options students are being taught that they have, there is a medium to the two extremes when it comes to careers. Anyway you will fly through this book and enjoy Theresa's observations of life and connect with her difficulties in high school that transcend race and class.
I'd read this book years ago but never reviewed it so I decided to re-read it and while I'm not putting this up on the blog (yet) I did want to include some thoughts here. I preferred The Hoopster since I found this book to be preachy regarding the pros and cons of applying to college (and maybe that can't be helped when writing about the college admissions process), the difficulties students of less-privileged backgrounds have when it comes to finding actual college admissions guidance. Furthermore I had to suspend my disbelief at the ending of the book regarding college choices although depending on when the author wrote the book perhaps scoring was different? I'm not sure.
While the story could be unbearably heavy handed at times, there were a few amusing gems sprinkled throughout that managed to combine what we learn in school with what we learn in the real world, "Do people even know that one cannot 'hate on' another person without being in violation of about thirty-six rules of grammar?" (Mr. Wardin, 343). The author seems to have a clear and firm grasp of the world he's chosen to write about and he dos not belittle or victimize his characters, nor make them simply angry. Theresa (or Tee) is struggling to find the happy-medium by balancing the lives of those she sees around with those she sees on TV, "The question is, what happens if you don't get there? Does it have to be a minimum-wage job at the supermarket collecting shopping carts", (pg. 305). This echoes the lack of options students are being taught that they have, there is a medium to the two extremes when it comes to careers. Anyway you will fly through this book and enjoy Theresa's observations of life and connect with her difficulties in high school that transcend race and class.
November 21, 2016
The book "Hip-Hop High School" is about how a girl name Theresa Anderson goes through problems in an urban school. Theresa starts off by talking about her friends and the crowd she hangs around. The main person that she talks about is her best friend Constancy Sawyer(Cee-saw). Her and Cee-Saw have been going through pair-pressure that has made them do a lot of bad things like cheating, partying, and having sex without protection. Which have put them into a lot of bad situations like getting a zero on a test, kicked out a their home, and having a baby. Also, the narrator has talked about her relationship life. Her having boyfriends and never finding the right one. Not until she notices that the one boy for her is right in front of her eyes the whole time, which is her friend name Devon. After, the narrator talks about that in the book, the author ends the book off with the narrator maturing into a woman that learned from her mistakes.
The book has had some strengths to it which made it interesting. For example, the narrator talking in slang to show how she was living a urban life and surrounded by urban people. Like when she was talking to her friend Cee-Saw. Which made another, strength that the author had was that the author would describe the narrator making a decision on the inside of her. Like in the beginning of the book when she had to decide from letting her friend cheat off her test or not. Which made the reader more engage with the book and the narrator thoughts.
There might have been some strengths, but there was only one weakness. Which was, when the narrator continually kept saying the words for SAT, after almost every word she described out of her mouth. When the author described in the beginning of the book when she talked about letting Cee-Saw cheat off her test. Which is annoying because the narrator doesn't have to do that after every problem she went through.
The book has had some strengths to it which made it interesting. For example, the narrator talking in slang to show how she was living a urban life and surrounded by urban people. Like when she was talking to her friend Cee-Saw. Which made another, strength that the author had was that the author would describe the narrator making a decision on the inside of her. Like in the beginning of the book when she had to decide from letting her friend cheat off her test or not. Which made the reader more engage with the book and the narrator thoughts.
There might have been some strengths, but there was only one weakness. Which was, when the narrator continually kept saying the words for SAT, after almost every word she described out of her mouth. When the author described in the beginning of the book when she talked about letting Cee-Saw cheat off her test. Which is annoying because the narrator doesn't have to do that after every problem she went through.
May 5, 2008
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Meet Theresa Anderson, known to her friends as Tee-Ay. Alan Lawrence Sitomer has captured Tee-Ay's struggle to survive high school and make it to college, and at the same time deal with some serious issues -- drive-by shootings, discrimination, and poverty. HIP-HOP HIGH SCHOOL presents big-city teens with big-city problems in a realistic, yet positive and inspiring story.
As a sophomore, Tee-Ay is finding it difficult to measure up to her older brother, Andre. (His story is told in Sitomer's HOOPSTER.) He is attending Stanford, and Tee-Ay thinks it would be great to be accepted at USC someday so she could tease Andre when USC kicks Stanford's butt in football. Attending a top-notch university seems like a pretty lofty goal, but Tee-Ay is willing to fight for it.
The story takes Tee-Ay and her fellow classmates through 10th, 11th, and 12th grade to graduation. Along the way she watches one friend, Cee-Saw, become pregnant and drop out, and another almost lose sight of her goals due to family obligations. One positive force in Tee-Ay's life is Devon, who helps her tap into her true potential as they study together for the dreaded SAT -- their ticket to a brighter future.
Sitomer uses hip-hop language to create vivid characters that grab the reader and carry them through right to the end. Big-city teens will be able to relate to the situations, and more sheltered teens will be transported to a world beyond their own.
Note: Although this is listed above as grades 9+, many of my 8th-grade students have read and enjoyed it. In fact, when several of them saw me reading it, they immediately commented about how much they liked it. So many other students are requesting it now, we will probably need to hold some sort of lottery to determine the next reader.
Meet Theresa Anderson, known to her friends as Tee-Ay. Alan Lawrence Sitomer has captured Tee-Ay's struggle to survive high school and make it to college, and at the same time deal with some serious issues -- drive-by shootings, discrimination, and poverty. HIP-HOP HIGH SCHOOL presents big-city teens with big-city problems in a realistic, yet positive and inspiring story.
As a sophomore, Tee-Ay is finding it difficult to measure up to her older brother, Andre. (His story is told in Sitomer's HOOPSTER.) He is attending Stanford, and Tee-Ay thinks it would be great to be accepted at USC someday so she could tease Andre when USC kicks Stanford's butt in football. Attending a top-notch university seems like a pretty lofty goal, but Tee-Ay is willing to fight for it.
The story takes Tee-Ay and her fellow classmates through 10th, 11th, and 12th grade to graduation. Along the way she watches one friend, Cee-Saw, become pregnant and drop out, and another almost lose sight of her goals due to family obligations. One positive force in Tee-Ay's life is Devon, who helps her tap into her true potential as they study together for the dreaded SAT -- their ticket to a brighter future.
Sitomer uses hip-hop language to create vivid characters that grab the reader and carry them through right to the end. Big-city teens will be able to relate to the situations, and more sheltered teens will be transported to a world beyond their own.
Note: Although this is listed above as grades 9+, many of my 8th-grade students have read and enjoyed it. In fact, when several of them saw me reading it, they immediately commented about how much they liked it. So many other students are requesting it now, we will probably need to hold some sort of lottery to determine the next reader.
May 27, 2015
The book is about a girl named Theresa Anderson. And she is talking about her life as a high school girl. Theresa also know as Tee-Ay has a best friend of the name Cee Saw but her real name is Constancy Eloina sawyer. She and Tee-Ay been friends for years. Theresa one day was grounded for something her brother did and she got grounded. And she wanted to go to a party so she had to sneak out with Constancy. So a couple hours later there at the party and Constancy is getting drunk and Theresa sees the boy see like at the party and see says hi to him and then he ask her to go to the bedroom with him and she felt real nervous.
There are many reason why I like this book. Because it help me see how high school girls think. The second reason why I like this book is that it is not boring I could see this book for days but i just cant do that like that but cant. The second reason why this book is good is that the book gives you a insight how girls think about each other and other people. The third thing that I like about this book is how see feels one way and is easily can by her disjoins because of her best friend which can give you good information. The fourth reason why I like this book is that on every page it keep me into the book like some others failed to do. The last reason why i like this book is that the book just keeps everything together don't just go all over the place with this one.
The character should great transmission from being to end keeping her part the way it is. Theresa has many parts in the story that has some flaws but she is still a great character. Like when she gets in trouble be her mother it seems like she uses the same excuse each time. But other than that I would recommend this book to many people that like to know about high school and girls.
There are many reason why I like this book. Because it help me see how high school girls think. The second reason why I like this book is that it is not boring I could see this book for days but i just cant do that like that but cant. The second reason why this book is good is that the book gives you a insight how girls think about each other and other people. The third thing that I like about this book is how see feels one way and is easily can by her disjoins because of her best friend which can give you good information. The fourth reason why I like this book is that on every page it keep me into the book like some others failed to do. The last reason why i like this book is that the book just keeps everything together don't just go all over the place with this one.
The character should great transmission from being to end keeping her part the way it is. Theresa has many parts in the story that has some flaws but she is still a great character. Like when she gets in trouble be her mother it seems like she uses the same excuse each time. But other than that I would recommend this book to many people that like to know about high school and girls.
April 19, 2011
Hip Hip High School is a spin-off of Alan Lawrence Sitomer’s Hoopster. In this book, Sitomer centers around the life of a minor character from Hoopster, Theresa Anderson, known to her friends as Tee-Ay.
Tee lives in a bad neighborhood populated by a majority of African American community. Her parents judge her and don’t understand her, and in a world that expects her to fail in life, Tee turns to comfort in Rap music. The music seems to understand her and helps her in life as she deals with the stress of growing up and trying not to be another statistic. She grows up and watches her best friend, Cee-Saw, fall into the crowd; becoming pregnant and dropping out of school to support herself and the baby. She grows up wondering her path in life while her friends each seem to find their calling.
The theme most prominent in this book is that of perseverance and will to succeed in the world against all odds. It is evidenced by Tee’s constant will to be above her peers’ defiance and deliquency.
I enjoyed Hip Hop High School though it is not perfect. It was an overall entertaining story, but still it had many a flaw. The most recognizable is the painfully misinterpreted hip hop slang and misconceptions of modern teenagers. There is also the slow moving storyline which derails and loses the audience near the end. It becomes uninteresting and just drags on.
In short, Hip Hop High School is entertaining and worth a read but has flaws and you wil most likely lose interest in the later parts of the book. 3.5/5
Tee lives in a bad neighborhood populated by a majority of African American community. Her parents judge her and don’t understand her, and in a world that expects her to fail in life, Tee turns to comfort in Rap music. The music seems to understand her and helps her in life as she deals with the stress of growing up and trying not to be another statistic. She grows up and watches her best friend, Cee-Saw, fall into the crowd; becoming pregnant and dropping out of school to support herself and the baby. She grows up wondering her path in life while her friends each seem to find their calling.
The theme most prominent in this book is that of perseverance and will to succeed in the world against all odds. It is evidenced by Tee’s constant will to be above her peers’ defiance and deliquency.
I enjoyed Hip Hop High School though it is not perfect. It was an overall entertaining story, but still it had many a flaw. The most recognizable is the painfully misinterpreted hip hop slang and misconceptions of modern teenagers. There is also the slow moving storyline which derails and loses the audience near the end. It becomes uninteresting and just drags on.
In short, Hip Hop High School is entertaining and worth a read but has flaws and you wil most likely lose interest in the later parts of the book. 3.5/5
September 30, 2015
Noah Kleckner
Mrs. Reaman
English 3+4
Sep 28, 2015
In the book Hip-Hop High School Tee-Ay (Theresa Anderson) is trying to pass high school with a excellent GPA. Her best way of getting into the college USC is by getting an amazing score on her SAT’s. On her way through that she has problems. Her best friend gets pregnant, she is not passing her SAT’s with a good score, the boy Tee-Ay likes (Devon) gets shot in the neck. I think this was an amazing book with a decent ending.
First, I liked that they were trying to tell me is to never give up and follow your dreams. I thought this book fit realistic fiction and so that is just even more inspiring something that didn’t happen but could happen to someone. All because she didn’t give up on something she really wanted in life which was a really good education. Second, is how Devon was mean in the beginning, but then he ended up helping Tee-Ay with her SAT’s. Next, is Tee-Ay doing Devon’s writing admission for the colleges he wanted to be in because he was shot in the neck and was in critical condition.
In conclusion, this book was phenomenal. It had a great twist of instead of something happening to the main character it happened to another character. Tee-Ay passed her last SAT and got into the college she wanted(USC). She was able to get Devon into a college by finishing his admission writing. I would only recommend this book to a responsible reader because of the way to characters talk and how they behave in Hip-Hop High School.
Mrs. Reaman
English 3+4
Sep 28, 2015
In the book Hip-Hop High School Tee-Ay (Theresa Anderson) is trying to pass high school with a excellent GPA. Her best way of getting into the college USC is by getting an amazing score on her SAT’s. On her way through that she has problems. Her best friend gets pregnant, she is not passing her SAT’s with a good score, the boy Tee-Ay likes (Devon) gets shot in the neck. I think this was an amazing book with a decent ending.
First, I liked that they were trying to tell me is to never give up and follow your dreams. I thought this book fit realistic fiction and so that is just even more inspiring something that didn’t happen but could happen to someone. All because she didn’t give up on something she really wanted in life which was a really good education. Second, is how Devon was mean in the beginning, but then he ended up helping Tee-Ay with her SAT’s. Next, is Tee-Ay doing Devon’s writing admission for the colleges he wanted to be in because he was shot in the neck and was in critical condition.
In conclusion, this book was phenomenal. It had a great twist of instead of something happening to the main character it happened to another character. Tee-Ay passed her last SAT and got into the college she wanted(USC). She was able to get Devon into a college by finishing his admission writing. I would only recommend this book to a responsible reader because of the way to characters talk and how they behave in Hip-Hop High School.
January 17, 2013
This book really catches a person's attention. The author wrote an amazing book. I read "Homeboyz" and that book was quite magnificent itself. It relates to Hip-Hop High School. A young girl who wants to prove to everyone that she's better than what people expect her to be and that she's not just another girl on the streets. She tries her best to pass the S.A.T. She finds a young man who is willing to do the same as well. The only problem blocking her goal is the example her brother Andre puts out there for her, as well as knowing that her parents and teachers are always on her and never leave her alone.This makes the pressure worst than it should be. All of a sudden the fact that Devon had came into her life it seems like a simple switch that could change her life in an instance. He may be the type of guy that is honestly tough and hard around those around him, he simply has a weakness for success just like Theresa. It makes me feel like that's like my situation. I have an undying passion for education & their situation is really easy to connect to. I love this book just thinking that something could have been done for it as you can see. I must admit though that if I were to rate the book it would be an absolute 9 due to the fact that some parts weren't as interesting but it was worth the read. I suggest this book to those who love those type of books that consider something that has to do with being doubted and education. To those who read this it will blow your mind.
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October 9, 2009This book is very good because it tells you words that iks very good to use on the S.A.T.'s for example contenplate it means "to think really hardvabout something and it tells you number one schools you can go to after high school so that can grow to be successful in life.
The girl Tee-Ay told me about her life and how she use to argue with her mom but her mother said all of this will end-up with you saying thank you to me because i tell you all the time im bugging you to take extra curricular classes and A.P. classes so it'll look good on your application. Tee-Ay told the readers that she really wanted to go to USC, University of South Carolina because it was a very good school and at the end her friend Devon got shoot up and she would check his mail for his college applicattions and she would take them up there to start writing his application essays for him to getg him into a college so she started to write his letter to USC and told them everything she knew about him so he could beable to go to college and she said that it was her telling them about him and when the letter came back she got one too in the mail so when she was scared to open she went to the hospital told him to open it and she would open his and they did it and they both had got in the school and they were so happy about it so very much.
The girl Tee-Ay told me about her life and how she use to argue with her mom but her mother said all of this will end-up with you saying thank you to me because i tell you all the time im bugging you to take extra curricular classes and A.P. classes so it'll look good on your application. Tee-Ay told the readers that she really wanted to go to USC, University of South Carolina because it was a very good school and at the end her friend Devon got shoot up and she would check his mail for his college applicattions and she would take them up there to start writing his application essays for him to getg him into a college so she started to write his letter to USC and told them everything she knew about him so he could beable to go to college and she said that it was her telling them about him and when the letter came back she got one too in the mail so when she was scared to open she went to the hospital told him to open it and she would open his and they did it and they both had got in the school and they were so happy about it so very much.
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