n the 1950s, Dana struggles to live in two worlds-her Harlem neighborhood and the advanced school she attends-while staying true to herself.

Irene Smalls, is the award winning author of 15 books

Dana lives in the tenements of Harlem and says "ain't", but her grades have earned her a spot at an advanced school. She struggles with her identity and feels she doesn't belong at the new school. She no longer feels she fits in with her neighborhood friends either. Dana shows other kids her age that there is a time and place for everything, and you can be yourself regardless of the setting you are in. ( )

Dana is a young African American girl who loves jumping rope with her friends. Her Godmother raises her and teaches her to use proper language. Dana's godmother believes that getting a good education is very important, so she sends Dana to an advanced school. Her new school teacher comes over to her house for a visit. Dana's teacher uses the word "ain't" in conversation with her godmother. This surprised Dana and she realized that she can use informal words at home. Setting plays a huge part in this story. Setting is key for Dana to realize when she needs to speak formally and when it is acceptable to use slang. This book could be used to show the differences in language. ( )

Dana is a young girl in the 1950s who is really smart ans excels in school. Her godmother wants to place her in an advanced school so she can get a better education, but Dana does not want to leave her friends and her old school. Her godmother convinces her to transfer to the new school, but now Dana's two closest friends will not talk to her anymore because they believe Dana thinks she is too good for them now, which is not the case. Dana does not like her new school and is always told not to say "ain't". When her teacher comes to her house for a visit, Dana hears her say "ain't" in a sentence and is really confused because the teacher always told her not to say "ain't". This is when Dana realizes that it is okay to speak differently in different places, so she can use "ain't" at home, but she should be speaking properly in school. I think the setting plays a big part in the story because it sets the tone for what is going on around her. In the book, it talks about her godmother not being given the chance to be educated when she was growing up, so she wanted the best for Dana. This background information is important for a students to understand in order to really understand the book. It is also important for the students to know why it mattered how Dana spoke in public versus at home since she was African American. ( )

Don't Say Ain't by Irene Smalls is about a little black girl named Dana. Dana would always play with her friends, jumping rope and things like that. It was a time where your parents and grandparents didn't want you saying certain words like ain't out in public so people wouldn't scold you or look at you crazy. Dana's godmother had announced that she was going to a new school because she was highly intelligent. Her friends made jokes of her which she did not like. Dana's new school was different. She couldn't speak how she normally spoke and she got scolded for doing so. I too was scolded for saying got instead of have when I was younger, so I know exactly how Dana feels. As the story progresses, Dana comes to a conclusion of when she can say ain't and when she can't say ain't. ( )