What do you think?
Rate this book
Roll With It #1
Roll with It
The story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves to a new town.
Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles. 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. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.
But 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. 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. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!
Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles. 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. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.
But 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. 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. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
328 people are currently reading
4829 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Sumner
15books310followersJamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.
She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com
She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 770 reviews
July 17, 2020
“Parents of disabled kids stop writing books about disability like you experience it� challenge.
November 16, 2019
DNF for Roll with It. I could not take any more of Ellie's self-deprecating narration--she constantly calls herself "cripple" and "ugly", and says that her body is useless and that there's no way any boy would find her attractive. (Also, hello, heteronormativity, not pleased to meet you!) No one calls Ellie out on all this. Apparently Sumner is the mother of a kid with cerebral palsy, and if this is the way she thinks, I feel bad for the kid. Yes, internalized ableism is sadly a thing, but this was really excessive, and as far as I read there was no hint of Ellie learning not to think this way about herself. When another character, Bert, was introduced--clearly autistic, but portrayed in an extremely stereotypical, one-dimensional, offensive way and with Sumner portraying his traits as creepy and the butt of jokes--I was done with this. Disabled kids deserve better mirrors, and non-disabled kids need clearer windows.
Also, what is up with RJ Palacio blurbing so many middle grade books? How much is she getting paid for this? Wonder has some serious ableism issues of its own, so honestly her endorsement does the opposite of convince me to try a book.
Also, what is up with RJ Palacio blurbing so many middle grade books? How much is she getting paid for this? Wonder has some serious ableism issues of its own, so honestly her endorsement does the opposite of convince me to try a book.
April 1, 2023
She had me at British Baking Show. Ellie is an aspiring baker and is inspired by Mary Berry, Julia Child and other baking greats. She is also confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy and lives with her divorced mother. The two of them move to a trailer in Oklahoma to help Mema take care of grandpa after his dementia symptoms cause a couple of dangerous accidents. Now she is the new kid in a wheelchair at a small middle school coming from the wrong side of town -- the trailer park. Spunky Ellie may be down, but she is not out. With the help of her two new friends, Coralee and Bert (short for Robert), she will learn the joys of not being normal and discovering who she really is. This book reveals much about living with a disability without being just about that. Ellie's voice is authentic and will provide a much needed window for middle grade kids to living with CP. There is something for everyone in here: baking, therapy, mini golf, pageantry, fishing, and more. As promised on the cover, there is most definitely PIE! This is most definitely one of my favorite new juvenile titles in 2019. Enjoy.
After finishing this one, you can move right on to the sequel: . Enjoy! 🥰📚
After finishing this one, you can move right on to the sequel: . Enjoy! 🥰📚
October 16, 2020
"Sometimes the best plan is the one you don't make for yourself."
Don't let this whimsical cover confuse you into thinking this is a clichéd or cartoonish story.
This middle grades read about a 12-year-old competitive baker with cerebral palsy earned a blue ribbon at our house.
The author, Jamie Sumner, is a writer and a mother to a son with CP, and her expertise with the condition is obvious.
There's humor here (a person is not their condition), and Ellie may be bound to a wheelchair, but she's snarky as hell, talented, and incredibly observant, too. Other serious topics are explored here: abandonment by a parent, single-parenting, and a grandparent with Alzheimer's.
I've been exposed to more books with a theme of CP this year than ever before. I'm both saddened that we don't have more authors and/or protagonists with this condition sharing their stories, and also heartened that my list is growing:
In the Field Between Us
Places I've Taken My Body
Out of My Mind
This is a compelling work of fiction, and a particularly good one for aspiring bakers or chefs, and/or any preteen who likes a good story.
From the author:
I want to acknowledge the children, one in seven, living with a disability. You are all forces to be reckoned with and wonderfully made. You are fighters, and I am honored to write this story for you.
Don't let this whimsical cover confuse you into thinking this is a clichéd or cartoonish story.
This middle grades read about a 12-year-old competitive baker with cerebral palsy earned a blue ribbon at our house.
The author, Jamie Sumner, is a writer and a mother to a son with CP, and her expertise with the condition is obvious.
There's humor here (a person is not their condition), and Ellie may be bound to a wheelchair, but she's snarky as hell, talented, and incredibly observant, too. Other serious topics are explored here: abandonment by a parent, single-parenting, and a grandparent with Alzheimer's.
I've been exposed to more books with a theme of CP this year than ever before. I'm both saddened that we don't have more authors and/or protagonists with this condition sharing their stories, and also heartened that my list is growing:
In the Field Between Us
Places I've Taken My Body
Out of My Mind
This is a compelling work of fiction, and a particularly good one for aspiring bakers or chefs, and/or any preteen who likes a good story.
From the author:
I want to acknowledge the children, one in seven, living with a disability. You are all forces to be reckoned with and wonderfully made. You are fighters, and I am honored to write this story for you.
October 14, 2024
This story is about Ellie and how she manages her life with cerebral palsy. The story is written beautifully, and shows a lot of charm, humor and heart. Ellie’s character is vibrant, vulnerable and cutely sarcastic. And, she loves to bake and shows her commitment through her character on what it takes to practice to become the best version of herself doing what she loves.
Even though the target audience for this book is middle-school age, it is easily readable for adults. As readers, we can’t help but root for Ellie. Ellie is resilient and proves to be a wonderful role model for all kids. Her character also serves as a delightful teaching tool for helping kids understand that dis-eases, even cerebral palsy, do not need to define the person.
Reading Level: Ages 9+ - Grades 4th and up
4.5 stars rounded up
Even though the target audience for this book is middle-school age, it is easily readable for adults. As readers, we can’t help but root for Ellie. Ellie is resilient and proves to be a wonderful role model for all kids. Her character also serves as a delightful teaching tool for helping kids understand that dis-eases, even cerebral palsy, do not need to define the person.
Reading Level: Ages 9+ - Grades 4th and up
4.5 stars rounded up
May 29, 2020
This book is filled with one ableist trope after another. There are so many ableist slurs. Publishing, I am begging you: Stop letting ableds (even—or maybe especially—those with disabled children) tell disabled stories.
October 21, 2020
Own Voices review here. I have CP, it affects my right body half. I'm not a wheelchair user, though.
I don't even know where to start. This was BAD. Really, really bad.
Ellie's disability is mentioned constantly. There are so many unnecessary sentences that somehow refer to her disability - it made me want to scream.
Ellie is pretty self-degrading and calls herself an invalid, a cr*pple and says that she is never going to be attractive. These thoughts are not challenged in any way.
She's also pretty ableist towards Bernie, who "is probably on the spectrum". Because he is a nerd (stereotype much?)...
Don't even get me started on the "disabled person dreams about being nondisabled, in the dream they are super happy" trope.
There wasn't much of a plot?
Yeah it was just bad. If nondisabled could stop writing books in the POV of disabled characters that'd be swell, thanks.
I don't even know where to start. This was BAD. Really, really bad.
Ellie's disability is mentioned constantly. There are so many unnecessary sentences that somehow refer to her disability - it made me want to scream.
Ellie is pretty self-degrading and calls herself an invalid, a cr*pple and says that she is never going to be attractive. These thoughts are not challenged in any way.
She's also pretty ableist towards Bernie, who "is probably on the spectrum". Because he is a nerd (stereotype much?)...
Don't even get me started on the "disabled person dreams about being nondisabled, in the dream they are super happy" trope.
There wasn't much of a plot?
Yeah it was just bad. If nondisabled could stop writing books in the POV of disabled characters that'd be swell, thanks.
May 16, 2020
DNF. This book is incredibly ableist. There are so many problems with this book that I gave up on finishing it. I wish I could give it 0 stars.
Abled parents of disabled kids need to stop writing about what it's like to be disabled, especially if you write in the first person. STOP SPEAKING OVER DISABLED PEOPLE AND LET US SPEAK ABOUT WHAT BEING DISABLED IS LIKE.
Abled parents of disabled kids need to stop writing about what it's like to be disabled, especially if you write in the first person. STOP SPEAKING OVER DISABLED PEOPLE AND LET US SPEAK ABOUT WHAT BEING DISABLED IS LIKE.
August 3, 2019
I loved this book--I couldn't put it down. I loved Ellie, and I loved her family, her two friends, and Hutch! I don't come across too many books where the main character has a disability and I love it when I find one that is so full of heart. It was helpful to see the challenges that Ellie faces on a daily basis, and how she feels about the things she can and cannot change. I love how she worries more about her grandpa than about herself, and how she loves her family fiercely. And I love how much of a "normal" tween she is and that this makes it okay to be not normal, which is really the norm, lol. The other thing I loved was how they treated the challenges of loving and caring for a person with dementia. As the daughter of someone who passed away from dementia, this really made me cry. I also appreciated the fact that they shared how her grandpa felt in his more lucid moments about what he was dealing with. The only flaws to this book is that I wish they had done a bit more with Bert and the ASD in terms of Ellie and her friends growing in understanding of what it's like to be him. They touched on it, which I appreciate it, but I think it would have hit it out of the park if they had developed that part just a bit more. Still, I will still give this book 5 stars because I think it's a huge step in the right direction and because I couldn't put it down. I hope to see more books like this!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2020
I'm always on the hunt for books with good representation of disability especially aimed at children and there's little I hate more than having to rate them low, as they're so few and far between to start with. Then there are books like this, and I have to wonder: really people.... Is this the representation we want our kids to see...
More indepth thought to come.
More indepth thought to come.
October 12, 2019
I love the book. From a reader’s perspective, it flows well. The characters are developed and real. There is a real story there that makes you laugh and cheer.
As a Mom of a special needs kid, this book rocks! We need more books like this that show what our kids can do and that they are people just like us. I was impressed with how seamlessly she brought issues like the girl being afraid that one day she would be put in a home, and the way in which she handles it.
I love everything Jamie Sumner writes.
As a Mom of a special needs kid, this book rocks! We need more books like this that show what our kids can do and that they are people just like us. I was impressed with how seamlessly she brought issues like the girl being afraid that one day she would be put in a home, and the way in which she handles it.
I love everything Jamie Sumner writes.
January 22, 2020
I randomly came across this book one day at Target. The cover drew my attention because my 11-year-old uses a wheelchair and has CP. When I read her Ellie's description of what it's like to have an aide at school (my daughter also has a 1:1), about having an adult near you all the time and treating you like your fragile and having to have help using the bathroom, she said, "I would say that is all accurate. Is she writing about my life or something?"
It's nice to see characters my daughter can identify with. Representation matters. My only quibble is that not all kids with CP get sicker than regular kids or have a more compromised immune system. I realize the author is likely basing that aspect of Ellie's character off experiences with her own child, but by not making clear that it was specific to Ellie, it just perpetuates the idea that people in wheelchairs and/or with CP are fragile.
It's nice to see characters my daughter can identify with. Representation matters. My only quibble is that not all kids with CP get sicker than regular kids or have a more compromised immune system. I realize the author is likely basing that aspect of Ellie's character off experiences with her own child, but by not making clear that it was specific to Ellie, it just perpetuates the idea that people in wheelchairs and/or with CP are fragile.
Read
May 19, 2019Ellie's voice grabbed me from the first page and just wouldn't let go. I honestly couldn't put this book down. This is a story with a lot of heart and humor and an absolutely unforgettable protagonist. Author Jamie Sumner has a son with CP, so she writes from a place of experience with CP and wheelchairs and the like. I don't have the knowledge to judge how accurate this story is to a disability experience, but coming from a writer who has a lot of experience with a close family member with a disability gives me some confidence in its authenticity.
At its heart, this is a story with very universal themes - finding true friends who accept you as who you are, doing what you need to do to help family members in times of need.
At its heart, this is a story with very universal themes - finding true friends who accept you as who you are, doing what you need to do to help family members in times of need.
May 17, 2020
If i could leave this book 0 stars I would. This is how NOT to write a disabled character.
1. People touching our wheelchairs without permission is NOT okay and shouldn't be presented that way
2. Jesus fucking christ address the internalised ableism of the main character. Her hating herself and going 'well I can never reach the fountain drinks in McDonald's and that's ok' no!! Fight for accessibility jesus.
3. The autistic character is treated in a disgusting manner and that's treated like it's okay!!
If you truly want to support disabled people read a book written by an ACTUAL disabled person. Not this trash.
1. People touching our wheelchairs without permission is NOT okay and shouldn't be presented that way
2. Jesus fucking christ address the internalised ableism of the main character. Her hating herself and going 'well I can never reach the fountain drinks in McDonald's and that's ok' no!! Fight for accessibility jesus.
3. The autistic character is treated in a disgusting manner and that's treated like it's okay!!
If you truly want to support disabled people read a book written by an ACTUAL disabled person. Not this trash.
November 17, 2020
What a special story! The fact that the author has a son with cerebral palsy makes this much more authentic than many other MG stories about children living with physical differences and I so appreciated the author’s candor. But this story isn’t just about physical ability and that makes it even more special - it’s a window or mirror demonstrating that kids with different bodies deal with the same type of hard stuff as anyone else - ailing grandparents, classism, divorced parents, etc. Oh and I loved all the baking - I’m a sucker for a kid who loves the kitchen!!
Can’t wait to book talk this to my 4th and 5th graders!
Can’t wait to book talk this to my 4th and 5th graders!
May 17, 2020
Not an #OwnVoices book. It centers Ableism and demeans the main character. Don’t read.
This is not an #OwnVoices book. It is horribly ableist and portrays the characters without agency. It normalizes able bodied people invading space and dismissing others. The main character uses language that puts themselves down like calling themselves “crippled�.
This is not an #OwnVoices book. It is horribly ableist and portrays the characters without agency. It normalizes able bodied people invading space and dismissing others. The main character uses language that puts themselves down like calling themselves “crippled�.
Read
May 18, 2020UPDATE: May 18/20
Although I really enjoyed this story, I will no longer be reviewing books with neurodiverse characters unless they are written by ownvoices authors as I don't feel qualified to comment on the representation.
Although I really enjoyed this story, I will no longer be reviewing books with neurodiverse characters unless they are written by ownvoices authors as I don't feel qualified to comment on the representation.
September 26, 2020
As someone with CP myself, this book is in no way appropriate reading for anyone, much less children. Please check out my tweet thread for a more in-depth look at why this book is so harmful.
Tweet thread:
Tweet thread:
August 7, 2022
Ellie and company wormed their way into my heart, glad there's going to be a sequel. :)
November 13, 2019
Representation matters, but I wonder if maybe this took a spot or resources from another middle-grade novel written by someone who was actually disabled. How many books with little girls in wheelchairs on the cover is Target going to stock? How much would it suck to be disabled and realize that this decent rep is another way a disability parent gets to talk down to you?
Other than the ubiquitous "crazy" slur on mental health, I didn't see any egregious ableist takes (I am physically abled and not an activist, so not the best judge), I don't think it's going to harm your kid with CP, decent story etc., but wish the publishers would have gone with someone who was an expert because they'd lived it, and not just someone who's watched someone else live it.
Other than the ubiquitous "crazy" slur on mental health, I didn't see any egregious ableist takes (I am physically abled and not an activist, so not the best judge), I don't think it's going to harm your kid with CP, decent story etc., but wish the publishers would have gone with someone who was an expert because they'd lived it, and not just someone who's watched someone else live it.
October 27, 2020
"When you're like me, you get used to seeing your body as a separate thing. Leg one. Leg two. Muscles and hair and a heart that beats. It makes it all a little less embarrassing when people are always putting their hands on you." p.70
"It's why I like to bake. When you're doing something that takes all your brain power, the world kind of falls away and leaves you alone." p. 113
"People stopped looking over me and look at me now. It's nice." p. 207
"It's why I like to bake. When you're doing something that takes all your brain power, the world kind of falls away and leaves you alone." p. 113
"People stopped looking over me and look at me now. It's nice." p. 207
July 29, 2021
بخشهای� از کتاب:
بعضی وقتها� بهترین کار همونیه که از قبل براش برنامهریز� نکرده بودی.
نکتهٔ مهم در مورد اختلاف نظر با افراد خانواده این است که نمیتوانی� از آنه� دور شوید. مجبورید نزدیکشان بمانید تا موقعی که اختلافتان حل شود یا رابطهتا� برای همیشه قطع شود.
تاریخ: ۱۴۰۰/۵/۷
بعضی وقتها� بهترین کار همونیه که از قبل براش برنامهریز� نکرده بودی.
نکتهٔ مهم در مورد اختلاف نظر با افراد خانواده این است که نمیتوانی� از آنه� دور شوید. مجبورید نزدیکشان بمانید تا موقعی که اختلافتان حل شود یا رابطهتا� برای همیشه قطع شود.
تاریخ: ۱۴۰۰/۵/۷
September 9, 2019
“Roll With It� by Jamie Sumner is a very real book. Real in the sense that it talks about a lot of big issues that middle school kids face. The cliques, the have’s and the have not’s, who lives where, how to handle the first day at a new school. And, Ellie is going through all of it in her wheelchair.
When Ellie and her Mom need to move to help care for her Grandparents, Ellie cannot believe she has to start over at a new school. And, she has to convince her Mom she isn’t a baby anymore. After a terrible first day that leaves Ellie in tears, is there any hope?
At home, Ellie is determined to be a professional baker. She loves it and she’s really good at it! Determined to make her dream come true she practices all the time.
When her Mom plans a new pick up and drop off plan with neighbors, Ellie is not happy, but sometimes new arrangements work out. Who ever would have thought that after a rough start, Ellie might never want to leave?
Heart warming, a family filled with love, a kid with courage, friends and big dreams make this book a winner! –Green Gables Book Reviews
5 stars! Your Middle School Age kids will love this book!
When Ellie and her Mom need to move to help care for her Grandparents, Ellie cannot believe she has to start over at a new school. And, she has to convince her Mom she isn’t a baby anymore. After a terrible first day that leaves Ellie in tears, is there any hope?
At home, Ellie is determined to be a professional baker. She loves it and she’s really good at it! Determined to make her dream come true she practices all the time.
When her Mom plans a new pick up and drop off plan with neighbors, Ellie is not happy, but sometimes new arrangements work out. Who ever would have thought that after a rough start, Ellie might never want to leave?
Heart warming, a family filled with love, a kid with courage, friends and big dreams make this book a winner! –Green Gables Book Reviews
5 stars! Your Middle School Age kids will love this book!
March 2, 2020
Twelve year old Ellie who has cerebral palsy finds her life transformed when she moves with her mother to small town Oklahoma to help care for her grandfather who has Alzheimer's Disease.
Want to read
August 19, 2020
Read
August 13, 2020The kids chose this as an audiobook for a short road trip, and I was all for it, since it can be hard to find books with any disabled kids in them. But ultimately I can't really recommend this one, though. While it does give some general kids-in-wheelchairs-are-kids-too stuff, it never really rises above that. Ellie is snarky and often abrasive, which is fine, but that makes up pretty much her entire personality. I was surprised to hear the word "cripple" used so often, and to have a character say "Lame!" and to hear regular references to the "short bus," but it became clear to me pretty quickly that this was not coming from a disabled author, there's a lot of built-in ableism behind the good intentions.
Beyond that, there is some Autism rep here that is not great and I found myself cringing in anticipation every time the character appeared to see what stereotype would come up next. (Why is every autistic kid in books the same kid? I have never met two autistic kids who are anything alike???) I did appreciate that Ellie recognizes that CP can take a variety of forms, including kids who can walk as well as kids who can't speak, and there is a lot about it that she explains well for kids who may be unfamiliar, but the other characters remain background and never come to the forefront. It was good to see the way Ellie can be frustrated by her disability some days and not at all bothered by it on others, and I get how her snark can deliberately counteract the idea of disabled kids as "inspiration," but this is still pretty entry level stuff, a lot of unrealized potential.
The kids liked it a lot, found it interesting and easy to follow. It definitely gave them a new point of view, which can be a big deal when disabled kids are so often segregated from other kids at school and in activities. And they loved Ellie's baking hobby. I, of course, will be a lot more sensitive to these things, and it wasn't ever bad enough that I had to explain something in it to the kids. I wouldn't take it away from kids who are reading it, but I wouldn't use it as a classroom or family readaloud.
Beyond that, there is some Autism rep here that is not great and I found myself cringing in anticipation every time the character appeared to see what stereotype would come up next. (Why is every autistic kid in books the same kid? I have never met two autistic kids who are anything alike???) I did appreciate that Ellie recognizes that CP can take a variety of forms, including kids who can walk as well as kids who can't speak, and there is a lot about it that she explains well for kids who may be unfamiliar, but the other characters remain background and never come to the forefront. It was good to see the way Ellie can be frustrated by her disability some days and not at all bothered by it on others, and I get how her snark can deliberately counteract the idea of disabled kids as "inspiration," but this is still pretty entry level stuff, a lot of unrealized potential.
The kids liked it a lot, found it interesting and easy to follow. It definitely gave them a new point of view, which can be a big deal when disabled kids are so often segregated from other kids at school and in activities. And they loved Ellie's baking hobby. I, of course, will be a lot more sensitive to these things, and it wasn't ever bad enough that I had to explain something in it to the kids. I wouldn't take it away from kids who are reading it, but I wouldn't use it as a classroom or family readaloud.
March 6, 2020
Elly Cowan wasn't particularly happy when her mother moved her from Nashville, Tennessee to Eufaula, Oklahoma over the Christmas holiday to help her Mema care for her grandfather, who is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Elly is confined to a wheelchair because of Cerebral Palsy and really doesn't want to go through the whole "new kid in school in a wheelchair" thing again. Plus they will be staying with Mema and Grandpa in their trailer, a small space for a wheelchair that requires her mother's help every time Elly needs to use the bathroom, which is more than embarrassing now that she's 12-years-old.
Elly has dreams of becoming a baker someday, and finds comfort in creating delicious cookies, cakes, and pies whenever the world becomes too much for her, including her overly protective mom and her absent father. So the one advantage to being in Eufaula is that now Elly can participate in the Bake-Off for the best pie held by Mema's church every year along with their fish fry and silent auction. And there's a $100 prize for the winner.
But first, Elly has to adjust to life in a trailer and a new school. And the first person she meets couldn't be more different. Coralee is a friendly, free-spirited girl with big blond hair who is on the beauty pageant circuit and she immediately invites Elly over to the trailer she lives in with her grandparents. a pit bull, and some cockatoos.
The next friend Elly makes is Bert Aikers, son of the grocery store owner. Her Grandpa had driven his car into the store, which is the event that brought Elly and her mother to Eufaula in the first place. It has been arranged that Mrs. Cowan would drive Elly, Coralee, and Bert, who also lives in the trailer park, to and from school each day.
Despite the other kids in school ignoring the three friends because they are trailer park kids, Elly finds she is enjoying living in Eufaula, realizing how lonely she had been in Nashville with no friends and just having the company of an overprotective aid all day long.
But as time goes by, and the decision is made for Grandpa and Mema to move into an assisted living condo, it looks like Elly and her mom will be heading back to Nashville. Well, not if Elly, Bert, and Coralee have any say in that decision. Besides, there is still the Bake-Off to win. Can they persuade Mrs. Cowan to stay in Eufaula?
There are just so many things I like about this book. To begin with, it isn't about a girl learning to live with CP. Elly has already accepted the fact that she has CP and will be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Instead, it's about a girl who happens to have CP dealing with many of the same issues any middle grader faces - being a new kid, making new friends, being snubbed by the other kids, but also being with people you like and who accept each other for who they are, doing the things you enjoy and that provide a great deal of satisfaction, and fighting to gain some amount to independence in your life. And over the course of the novel, Elly discovers just who she is and what her strengths and weaknesses are and then she rolls with it.
Elly is a great character. Even though she accepts the hand the life has dealt her, it doesn't mean she can't have some bad, frustrating, or disappointing days. Baking has become her coping mechanism and when she needs to, she will hole up in the kitchen and experiment. And while dealing with limitations and frustrations because of cerebral palsy may have matured her in some ways and made her self-involved in the past, now having friends and family around helps her mature more and to see others as individuals facing their own hurdles.
Sumner portrays the relationship between Elly and her mother so realistically, and it's not so different from most mother daughter relationships. After all, twelve is an age when kids want to be more independent and Elly is not different. Of course, her mother's fears can cause her to be little overly protective. I really enjoyed watching their relationship change and grow over the course of the novel.
Roll with It is a funny, sad, poignant novel and a book that all middle grade readers can benefit from reading.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was gratefully received from Atheneum
Elly has dreams of becoming a baker someday, and finds comfort in creating delicious cookies, cakes, and pies whenever the world becomes too much for her, including her overly protective mom and her absent father. So the one advantage to being in Eufaula is that now Elly can participate in the Bake-Off for the best pie held by Mema's church every year along with their fish fry and silent auction. And there's a $100 prize for the winner.
But first, Elly has to adjust to life in a trailer and a new school. And the first person she meets couldn't be more different. Coralee is a friendly, free-spirited girl with big blond hair who is on the beauty pageant circuit and she immediately invites Elly over to the trailer she lives in with her grandparents. a pit bull, and some cockatoos.
The next friend Elly makes is Bert Aikers, son of the grocery store owner. Her Grandpa had driven his car into the store, which is the event that brought Elly and her mother to Eufaula in the first place. It has been arranged that Mrs. Cowan would drive Elly, Coralee, and Bert, who also lives in the trailer park, to and from school each day.
Despite the other kids in school ignoring the three friends because they are trailer park kids, Elly finds she is enjoying living in Eufaula, realizing how lonely she had been in Nashville with no friends and just having the company of an overprotective aid all day long.
But as time goes by, and the decision is made for Grandpa and Mema to move into an assisted living condo, it looks like Elly and her mom will be heading back to Nashville. Well, not if Elly, Bert, and Coralee have any say in that decision. Besides, there is still the Bake-Off to win. Can they persuade Mrs. Cowan to stay in Eufaula?
There are just so many things I like about this book. To begin with, it isn't about a girl learning to live with CP. Elly has already accepted the fact that she has CP and will be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Instead, it's about a girl who happens to have CP dealing with many of the same issues any middle grader faces - being a new kid, making new friends, being snubbed by the other kids, but also being with people you like and who accept each other for who they are, doing the things you enjoy and that provide a great deal of satisfaction, and fighting to gain some amount to independence in your life. And over the course of the novel, Elly discovers just who she is and what her strengths and weaknesses are and then she rolls with it.
Elly is a great character. Even though she accepts the hand the life has dealt her, it doesn't mean she can't have some bad, frustrating, or disappointing days. Baking has become her coping mechanism and when she needs to, she will hole up in the kitchen and experiment. And while dealing with limitations and frustrations because of cerebral palsy may have matured her in some ways and made her self-involved in the past, now having friends and family around helps her mature more and to see others as individuals facing their own hurdles.
Sumner portrays the relationship between Elly and her mother so realistically, and it's not so different from most mother daughter relationships. After all, twelve is an age when kids want to be more independent and Elly is not different. Of course, her mother's fears can cause her to be little overly protective. I really enjoyed watching their relationship change and grow over the course of the novel.
Roll with It is a funny, sad, poignant novel and a book that all middle grade readers can benefit from reading.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was gratefully received from Atheneum
September 14, 2019
Interest Level: 5-8
Have you ever had to move to a new city, a new state, and a new school? It's not easy is it? Now imagine you have to do it from a wheelchair. This is the life of Ellie Cowan. Ellie has Cerebral Palsy and has lived her whole life in a wheelchair. Sometimes when you see a girl in a wheelchair you think she will be all sunshine and roses... but not Ellie. She speaks her mind and tells it like it is. She stands up for herself always and is very independent. Ellie and her mom live in Tennessee where her mom is a high school teacher and Ellie doesn't have many friends. But Ellie's grandpa has dementia and is not doing well, so Ellie and her mom move to Oklahoma to help her Mema take care of him. So now Ellie is the new kid in town, in wheelchair, in a trailer, on the wrong side of town. How will she ever make friends? But unbeknownst to Ellie and her mom, this is exactly where they were meant to be. They begin to make some friends, Ellie begins baking again, and things seem good, that is until everything falls apart. Ellie's grandpa leaves the fish fry and no one can find him and Ellie is found unconscious in the gym at school. Is all of this too much for Ellie's mom to handle? Does she have to move her and Ellie back to Tennessee to be closer to the Children's Hospital? Just when Ellie's life was coming together is it now going to fall apart? Read this incredible book to find out all of these answers.
Roll With It is one of my favorite books of 2019! Jamie Sumner creates a character that you want to give a big hug to but you know that if you do she might punch you in the stomach. Ellie is a strong, independent girl with big dreams and she will not let a wheelchair get in her way. Sumner also creates supporting characters that abound with friendship and love. This is a must read!!!!! Don't miss it!!!
Follow me:
Blog - Blazer Tales -
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place -
Instagram - laurieslibrary -
Twitter - @laurieevans27
ŷ - Laurie Purser - /user/show/1...
Pinterest -
YouTube -
Linkedin -
Have you ever had to move to a new city, a new state, and a new school? It's not easy is it? Now imagine you have to do it from a wheelchair. This is the life of Ellie Cowan. Ellie has Cerebral Palsy and has lived her whole life in a wheelchair. Sometimes when you see a girl in a wheelchair you think she will be all sunshine and roses... but not Ellie. She speaks her mind and tells it like it is. She stands up for herself always and is very independent. Ellie and her mom live in Tennessee where her mom is a high school teacher and Ellie doesn't have many friends. But Ellie's grandpa has dementia and is not doing well, so Ellie and her mom move to Oklahoma to help her Mema take care of him. So now Ellie is the new kid in town, in wheelchair, in a trailer, on the wrong side of town. How will she ever make friends? But unbeknownst to Ellie and her mom, this is exactly where they were meant to be. They begin to make some friends, Ellie begins baking again, and things seem good, that is until everything falls apart. Ellie's grandpa leaves the fish fry and no one can find him and Ellie is found unconscious in the gym at school. Is all of this too much for Ellie's mom to handle? Does she have to move her and Ellie back to Tennessee to be closer to the Children's Hospital? Just when Ellie's life was coming together is it now going to fall apart? Read this incredible book to find out all of these answers.
Roll With It is one of my favorite books of 2019! Jamie Sumner creates a character that you want to give a big hug to but you know that if you do she might punch you in the stomach. Ellie is a strong, independent girl with big dreams and she will not let a wheelchair get in her way. Sumner also creates supporting characters that abound with friendship and love. This is a must read!!!!! Don't miss it!!!
Follow me:
Blog - Blazer Tales -
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place -
Instagram - laurieslibrary -
Twitter - @laurieevans27
ŷ - Laurie Purser - /user/show/1...
Pinterest -
YouTube -
Linkedin -
October 31, 2024
This was a really fun book reading from the perspective of a wheelchair user which I feel is really rare in fiction!
This is definitely suited to a younger audience, but I really like reading teen style books like this, even as an adult. There's a lot of life lessons and personal growth, including friendships in the book - it's interesting seeing how the author includes challenges in the book to show how the main character adapt and learns to cope with changes
As an undiagnosed autistic child, I really struggled with friendships and so this book really speaks to me - it's very relatable for somebody like me who feels like they stand out due to their disability
Accessibility is tackled but in a way that makes the main character feel worthy which I think is a really great and valuable lesson to have in a book!!
This is definitely suited to a younger audience, but I really like reading teen style books like this, even as an adult. There's a lot of life lessons and personal growth, including friendships in the book - it's interesting seeing how the author includes challenges in the book to show how the main character adapt and learns to cope with changes
As an undiagnosed autistic child, I really struggled with friendships and so this book really speaks to me - it's very relatable for somebody like me who feels like they stand out due to their disability
Accessibility is tackled but in a way that makes the main character feel worthy which I think is a really great and valuable lesson to have in a book!!
October 24, 2019
“You will never be normal.� Ellie is a middle school student with big dreams. She is also the the new girl in a new town and a new school. She’s the new kid in a wheelchair. I loved her spunk and her ability to make friends and find a space for herself. “Sometimes the best plan is the one you don’t make for yourself.� I know this is going to be a student favorite!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 770 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.