All Girls Should Know How to Braid
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The year was 1983 and everybody was “Beating It” with Michael Jackson, who at the time was the biggest pop star on the planet.
Almost every girl had their legs covered with legwarmers; long open-toed socks usually worn by dancers. Florescent sweatshirts were popular like the one seen in the movie Flashdance, and Penny Loafers, brown leather shoes with a penny tucked in the middle, were making a comeback. They had been out of style for a couple of years, but when some actors from a popular T.V. show were seen wearing them each week, the fad was re-born. If you were really cool and could afford it, quarters were placed in the middle of the slot on top of the shoe instead of pennies. One time I saved up two quarters to put in my Penny Loafers but ended up taking them out to buy some ice cream from the corner store. That was the end of my Quarter Loafer days. Pennies would have to do. But the style of all styles was a Jheri Curl, and everyone, girls and boys, had a Jheri Curl. Everyone except me, Stacy Bell.
You see, if you had a Jheri Curl, you had to put glycerin in your hair to make it curl; a lot of glycerin. My Mama didn’t like the greasiness of the style. She said glycerin was too messy and thought people paid too much money just to put a curl in their hair. Rule #63: Only simple, natural hairstyles will be worn by children while they are in my house. “Ponytails look better,” she’d say. Whatever was “in” for the new school year usually meant I wore what was “out” from last year. That’s pretty much how I accepted things until seventh grade. Fate was calling roll and for the first time, my name was at the top of the list.
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About the Book
Stacy Bell was a typical eighties teenager. She had a colossal crush on Michael Jackson and teaching herself to break-dance was a daily ritual. Like most girls her age, she fantasized about being the prettiest, most fashionable, and the most popular seventh grader at Forest Hill Middle. The key to making her dreams a reality was being noticed by the cutest eighth grade boy in school. Desperate to fit in, Stacy and her best friend, Tomeka (who is well known), conspire to make Stacy's dream a reality. Their weapon of choice is a Golden Girl perm hair kit. However, to Stacy's surprise, an unexpected road block has halted her plans for a glamorous makeover. This setback causes more agony than fame; spiraling Stacy's confidence to an all time low. A continuous chain of unfortunate events forces Stacy to regret ever revealing her secret crush. Her friendship with Tomeka is in limbo, a mysterious note may blow her cover, and to make matters worse, she is unprepared for an unanticipated class presentation. What appears to be shear tragedy leads Stacy to a completely new world and allows her to take an introspective journey of discovery.
About the Author
Tonya Holloway is a Mother and freelance writer and has always been interested in the Arts. She holds a degree in Theater and has worked at a variety of jobs in the film/commercial/theatre industry as a freelancer for over ten years. Her experiences include working as an actress, production assistant, casting director and assistant editor.
Mrs. Holloway wrote, produced and directed a documentary on illiteracy based on parolees she taught in night school. She was co-founder of Soul Rep Theatre Company in Dallas, Texas where she wore many hats as a producer, a casting director and playwright. In 2001, Mrs. Holloway was nominated by the Dallas Theatre League for Best Director of a play (Purlie Victorious). With a second passion for teaching, Mrs. Holloway has worked as a teacher for numerous School Districts in Texas. She realized then, that most young people do not have a passion for reading and decided to write books that would peak the interest of a young audience. Today Mrs. Holloway continues to wear many hats; mother, wife, community activist, actress, writer and she is presently looking forward to writing a screenplay.