Ah...Gertie! She reminds me a little of Ramona and a little of Junie B. but with a little more sass. This is a fun, entertaining book! I recommend this book to anyone who wants an endearing read!

Thank you NetGalley. ( )

Same plot as Raymie Nightingale / DiCamillo, Kate.; but for lower elementary grade. ( )

I can't remember why I placed this book on my library book list. I usually would not pick up a Young Adult book to read, so I must have heard of the book on NPR or a public radio podcast (yes, I'm an elitist radio listener) in some manner that provoked my interest. By whatever means the book became known to me, I am glad it came my way.

Gertie is described from other reviewers as the new Ramona Quimby. I suppose that description fits. Gertie is a determined to be herself, no matter how uncomfortable that goal makes her. And, she has a lot to be determined about. She has a mom who left her to pursue a different life just down the road— a life with another man and being a mom to his children while disavowing Gertie's existence, a dad who loves his work on an oil rig in a reality of staunch environmentalists (who hire million-dollar lobbyists who jet around the country and live in multi-million dollar homes contributing to the environmental degradation they are paid to halt), and an aunt who feeds her Twinkies for breakfast in the age where pushing unhealthy diets is somewhat akin to child abuse. Gertie, being herself through it all, wears a tight ponytail at the top of her head to make certain her brain power is working a full steam as she sets off to successfully complete her missions. "Give 'em hell, baby."

The book is not perfect. In the most notable of flaws, there is one child of color who is relegated to the "smart best friend" role while the girl who "has it all" is white and blond. These characters have been overdone in fiction reinforcing stereotypes that, in turn, reinforce discriminatory mental models (conscious and unconscious). Ms. Beasley would do well to broaden her offerings of characters in future volumes. In spite of the stereotypes making me uncomfortable, I found myself enjoying this book dealing with some very adult realities. The book does what a good young adult book should do: it makes the reader think. None of the situations presented have easy answers or even desirable answers. It is a book that, if read with an adult, can provoke some interesting conversations. ( )

The audio book's narrator made the character sound a lot younger than her 5th grade. ( )

GERTIE’S LEAP TO GREATNESS by Kate Beasley tells the heartwarming story of a fifth grader on a quest to have the best school year ever.

From summer speech writing to performing in the school play, Gertie Reece Foy is determined to be the best fifth grader ever. However, Gertie finds competition from the new girl in school.

Librarians will find that fans of Beverly Clearly and other small town storytellers will find this humorous family and school story appealing. Charming illustrations woven throughout the text add to the appeal.

To learn more about the book and author, go to http://www.gertiesleaptogreatness.com/.

Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group on October 4, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. ( )