Tough Tiffany by Belinda Hurmence

Tough Tiffany Reviews

• 
  Mir

  Told from the point of view of the youngest of several poor African-American sisters, this story engages a variety of difficult social issues (racism, poverty, teen pregnancy) and the challenges of growing up.
  
  I read this when I was 7 or 8 and mainly remember empathizing with Tiffany when she was made to do unpleasant things like give up her bed to company and be nice to her mean cousin.
• 
  Aimee Massey

  When I was growing up, it seemed to me (if I thought about it at all) that there weren't any kids' books featuring African-American characters set in contemporary times. There were some set in sslavery/historical times, and of course there were books about just plain African children, usually exploring some foreign culture or tradition.
  But "Tough Tiffany" was a shining standout. Tiffany Cox is ten and is the youngest of six children in a poor family in rural North Carolina, circa 1980, when the book was published. Tiff is smart and funny and cares deeply about her family, but she has to struggle with some issues that are common to a lot of kids, regardless of their ethnicity.
  Tiffany's mother wants her kids to have it better than she did growing up, and this causes her to overspend. At the beginning of the book, Mama has just bought two sets of bunk beds for the five girls, who have heretofore had to sleep crammed together in two double beds. The girls are delighted with their new beds, which they have to stack on top of each other because their bedroom is so tiny, especially with the new dressers that came with the bunks. Tiff is especially happy because she gets the very top bunk, where she can pretend she's hiding away in a secret place, read books, and write notes and lists to herself on the ceiling. But this new bedroom furniture costs a lot of money, which Mama has trouble coming up with every week, and Tiff is worried the beds and dressers will be repossessed.
  And then there's the trouble with second-oldest sister Dawn, who at fifteen is three months pregnant and miserable. Mama is furious with Dawn and Tiff can't stand to see her big sister so sad.
  Last but not least, there's Mama's mother, Granny Turner. Granny is sharp-tongued and critical of everyone and everything, but somehow she has taken a shine to Tiffany, and it's Tiff who has to go to Granny's house and help her in the garden or cook for the big family reunion.
  Tiff prides herself on figuring out solutions to problems, and she is rightfully proud that her enlisting beloved Aunt Sister to help Dawn seems to be working. Tiff schemes for Aunt Sister to adopt Dawn's baby when it's born so that Dawn can go back to the way she was before she got pregnant.
  As the summer wears on and Tiff spends more time with her granny, she comes to respect the old lady's toughness (toughness being a quality she admires in others and hopes to have herself) and resourcefulness, and to enjoy hearing Granny's stories of the old days. When Granny, a pack rat and something of a miser, thinks she's lost her life's savings and is in despair, Tiff is not only able to find the money, she's also able to come up with a way to keep it safe forever. In return, Granny solves the problem of the bunk-bed payments, and not a moment too soon.
  But there's still the problem of Dawn's baby and where it will live, and this is a problem that looks like it's solved, but not the way Tiff had hoped it would be. And one day in October, when Tiff comes home to find Dawn alone and in labor, she is able to put her problem-solving skils to work for everyone involved, and realizes how important she is to her family, and to her new little niece as well.
  The characters are vivid and realistic, the situations relatable for most kids, and the love and caring shared by Tiffany and her family is something we all should experience. Great story, and I kind of wish it had been part of a series.