FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD

When letters on pages flip around faster than her tumbling routines, a young girl tries to perfect a tricky skill in this verse novel.

Claire excels at gymnastics and plans to compete at the state championship soon. But she struggles with reading and writing skills and feels that a fifth grader like her should be able to do what her 5-year-old cousins easily can. She gets by with a stellar memory, her best friend, Emma Lea, writing out her homework, and good improvisation skills. Still, Claire’s teacher chastises her for both her schoolwork and her frustrated outbursts in class. Her divorced parents can’t help much, what with her dad living across the country and her mom refusing to believe Claire could have a learning disability. Thankfully, a supportive vice principal, Emma Lea, her team, and Claire’s older sister all make an effort to help Claire push through her learning disability, which she desperately wants. The resolution feels a tad rushed, but it’s an uplifting one nevertheless. Designed with accessibility in mind (the typeface is meant to be easily decoded), the text stresses that learning disabilities are in no way a bad thing. Fullerton offers readers a glimpse into what it’s like to try to read with difficulties. Based on the occasional illustrations, Claire and her family are light-skinned, while Emma Lea is dark-skinned.

A positive representation of perseverance.