Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Uptown Dreams by Kelli London - Available

Uptown Dreams

by Kelli London
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Read a sample Read a sample
1 of 1 copy available
At the prestigious Harlem Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, students are destined to realize their uptown dreams—as long as friends, haters, and crushes don't trip them up. . .
La-La Nolan's killer voice could make her a superstar, but she's more focused on scoring the attention of Ziggy Phillip—the cute Jamaican boy in her class. But a singing competition against her arch rival could cost her both Ziggy and her spot at the Academy. . .
The daughter of the school's director and voice coach, Reese Allen has to work harder than everyone else to prove herself. But all Reese wants is to be a hip hop producer—a path her mother will never approve of. . .
Even though it's clear that Ziggy loves the ladies, he has to keep his passion for dance a secret from his father. But then his brother discovers Ziggy's ballet shoes and threatens to tell all—unless Ziggy gets him into the Academy too. . .
No one's a better actress than Jamaica Kincaid Ellison. She's even acted her way out of the boarding school her parents think she's still attending and into the Academy. She'll do anything to achieve her dream—unless her lies destroy everything. . .
If that weren't enough drama, rumor has it that the Academy may close at the end of the year. Can these gifted students put their talents to the test to save it?
"An amazing tale that is sure to delight, teach, and intrigue teens everywhere!"—Ni-Ni Simone on Boyfriend Season

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 26, 2011

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780758274465

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780758274465
      • File size: 865 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 4.5
    • Interest Level: 9-12(UG)
    • Text Difficulty: 3

  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      November 15, 2011
      An uneven narrative follows four aspiring young artists attending the Harlem Academy of Creative and Performing Arts. An initial chapter from each character's point of view introduces the character and his or her major obstacle. La-La has a younger sister with cancer and an irresponsible mother. Reese produces hip-hop beats in secret, but her strict mother insists she only study classical music. Ziggy hides his dancing because his West Indian father is convinced that boys who dance are gay. Jamaica-Kincaid has convinced her rich, absentee parents that she attends boarding school in Connecticut. As the school year progresses, romances unfold, a rivalry heats up and secrets are revealed. Harlem's 125th Street provides a warm and welcome cohesion among the stories as multiple characters encounter the Sandman, "the official unofficial mayor of Harlem," and Ziggy's brother, Broke-Up, whom Ziggy helps sell knockoff handbags with an illegal vending license. Some gaps and dropped threads in the plot are distracting: Readers see a character wake up from a hangover without having seen her arrive at the party that caused it, and a threat to the school's funding that initially seems significant is resolved off-page. A light read for teens who love performing arts... and the other kind of drama. (Fiction. 12-16)

      (COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

    • School Library Journal

      March 1, 2012

      Gr 9 Up-La-La is a talented singer with an absent mother and a sister battling cancer; Reese, a classically trained musician, has to sneak around a strict mother to pursue a love of hip-hop; Ziggy, a talented dancer, hides his passion from his Jamaican family because he's worried they'll think he's gay; and JamaicaKincaid wants so desperately to act that she's run away from her Connecticut boarding school to try and make it in New York on her own. All four students attend the Harlem Academy of Creative and Performing Arts, determined to fulfill their artistic dreams no matter what obstacles are placed in their way. Told in short alternating chapters by each character, the story lines get lost in the choppy narrative, but all four characters have encounters with the Sandman, the mythical "unofficial mayor of Harlem," who occasionally offers advice. A romance between La-La and Ziggy will pique readers' interest, but predictable triumphs and run-of-the-mill drama keep this story from achieving star status.-Shawna Sherman, Hayward Public Library, CA

      Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.5
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

Loading