

The challenges faced by youth like Ellie are underrepresented in children's literature highly recommended for middle grade collections."-School Library Journal "A big-hearted story that's as sweet as it is awesome." -R.J.


An honest, emotionally rich take on disability, family, and growing up."-Kirkus Reviews, starred review "A heartfelt and humorous glimpse into the life of a girl with cerebral palsy who is determined to make her mark on a world that often perceives her as limited because of her disability. The mother of a son with CP, the author portrays Ellie and her mom's loving but fraught relationship with achingly vivid accuracy, bringing the tension between Ellie's craving for independence and her mother's fears to a satisfying resolution. Kids navigating disabilities may find her frank frustration with inaccessibility, illness, and patronization particularly cathartic, but readers with and without disabilities will recognize her desire to belong.
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The plot moves swiftly, and it's refreshing that the story's focus is less on Ellie's disability and more on her gradual ability to learn how to 'roll with' the situations that life throws one's way."-Booklist, starred review * "Her voice equal parts vulnerable, reflective, and deliciously wry, Ellie is refreshingly complex. Fans of Kate DiCamillo will especially appreciate this story of unexpected friendship and belonging."-BCCB * "Ellie takes on life head first, and her first-person, present-tense narrative reveals a feisty, dynamic character surrounded by well-rounded characters just as appealing as she is. The telling details of wheelchair use, health risks, and social challenges ring true but don't overshadow the characterization of Ellie as a person, who loves to bake even more than she likes to snark and whose narration is spirited and inviting. I'm reading it a second time now.'"-Deb Perelman, creator of Smitten Kitchen "Sumner, whose son has cerebral palsy, writes Ellie without sitcom clichés and with authentic near-teen sass. I liked the scenes and I wanted to hang out with Ellie. "My son Jacob says: 'I usually read books about wizards and magic, but I liked this a lot. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them! It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Except she's not just the new kid-she's the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. If she's not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she's practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.īut when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school.
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The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer's for dinner, but one day she's going to be a professional baker.

That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she's going to be all sunshine and cuddles. In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves to a new town.Įllie's a girl who tells it like it is. "A big-hearted story that's as sweet as it is awesome." -R.J. A Kirkus Reviews Best Middle Grade Book of 2019
