Ginger Pye

Emmeline got assigned Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes for a Newbery book report at school, so I decided to read it too so I could better help with the assignment if needed. This book was the Newbery winner in 1952. It is about Jerry and his sister Rachel who get a pet dog they name Ginger. The book follows their adventures with their dog--until their dog disappears on Thanksgiving Day. Jerry and Rachel are determined to find their pup that they love so much.

This was a great read. I've read some children's books that were written a long time ago (like Half Magic), and I felt like they weren't quite as good as this one. This one was just written so well from a child's perspective and had some funny, clever parts that just made me chuckle (like how the parents met, and Benny saying his name was "Uncle Benny"). It was also fun to read knowing Emmeline was ahead of me in her own reading of it and was really enjoying it.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Roll with It

I saw Roll with It by Jamie Sumner recommended on the A Mighty Girl Facebook page. It is about 12-year-old Ellie who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. She and her mom move to a new state to help take care of her grandpa with dementia, and Ellie has to transition to a new school.

This was a fun read. I was engaged, finished it quickly, and enjoyed the story. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as similar types of books like Wonder or Out of My Mind, partially because the characters seemed a little bit too exaggerated or stereotypical. I really do love distinct characters, but these seemed a little more forced to me than some books. The author's note in the back said that the author's son has cerebral palsy, which made me really like that the perspective for Ellie was authentic. I thought it was a good read and will probably recommend it to my daughter to read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)