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    Gertie's Leap to Greatness
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    Gertie's Leap to Greatness
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    Gertie's Leap to Greatness
    Ebook228 pages2 hours

    Gertie's Leap to Greatness

    By Kate Beasley

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    For fans of Three Times Lucky and The Penderwicks, this endearing new classic spins together sparkling humor, sizzle-pop writing, and a sassy main character with an unforgettable voice.

    Gertie Reece Foy is 100% Not-From-Concentrate awesome. She has a daddy who works on an oil rig, a great-aunt who always finds the lowest prices at the Piggly Wiggly, and two loyal best friends. So when her absent mother decides to move away from their small town, Gertie sets out on her greatest mission yet: becoming the best fifth grader in the universe to show her mother exactly what she'll be leaving behind. There's just one problem: Seat-stealing new girl Mary Sue Spivey wants to be the best fifth grader, too. And there is simply not enough room at the top for the two of them.

    From debut author Kate Beasley, and with illustrations by Caldecott Honor artist Jillian Tamaki, comes a classic tale of hope and homecoming that will empty your heart, then fill it back up again--one laugh at a time.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateOct 4, 2016
    ISBN9780374302627
    Unavailable
    Gertie's Leap to Greatness
    Author

    Kate Beasley

    Kate Beasley holds a Masters in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives with her family in Claxton, Georgia, with two dogs, one parrot, lots of cows, and a cat named Edgar. Gertie's Leap to Greatness is her first novel.

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    Reviews for Gertie's Leap to Greatness

    4/5

    32 ratings11 reviews

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    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      Gertie wants to become the greatest fifth grader in the universe. And she's got a plan to obtain greatness. She's got the support of two wonderful friends to get her there. Until that seat-stealing new girl, Mary Lou, comes to town....Sometimes, in children's books, you see main characters who have had all their rough edges smoothed out by their authors in order to increase their like-ability. None of the main characters in this book have had their rough edges smoothed out but all of them (yes, even that seat-stealing Mary Lou) are wonderfully likable. An adorable Southern pecan pie of a book. Absolutely delicious. I gobbled it up.
    • 4/5
      Gertie is being raised by her father and great-aunt since her mother decided to leave the family. Now Gertie's mother is planning to remarry and move away. Gertie embarks on a mission to become the greatest fifth-grader ever in order to show her mother what she has given up. Meanwhile, Gertie is being tormented by a snobby new girl who joins her class at school. This story goes deeper than many school stories by addressing the jumbled emotions of Gertie as she deals with the possibility that her mother might move away without ever caring to know her. I loved the interactions with Gertie's friends, especially the way that Jean also expressed the need to be the best at something. The resolution which comes at the end felt affirming without being unrealistic. My only gripes with the book were the repeated use of "Give 'em hell!" by the aunt and Gertie's use of "My, Lord." Certainly these are mild expressions. However, they also seemed unnecessary and may sit uneasy with some readers. I loved the illustrations by Jillian Tamaki, especially the cover art. The cover brought Robert McClosky to mind, so i was a bit surprised to find the book set in the present day, Altogether an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Fifth-grader Gertie Reece Foy is determined to make the leap to greatness, thereby winning the attention and admiration of her absent mother in this engaging middle-grade novel from first-time author Kate Beasley. Although raised by her father and her Great-Aunt Rae, Gertie is used to having her mother, the elegant Rachel Collins, who still lives in the same Alabama town that Gertie does, appear as a distant figure in her life. But when a 'For Sale' sign appears outside Rachel's house, Gertie, who has never so much as exchanged a word with this mysterious mother, determines that she will make herself known, and cause the woman who abandoned her to regret leaving her behind. But things rarely go exactly as planned, and Gertie quickly discovers that newcomer Mary Sue Spivey, a transplanted Californian, and the daughter of a filmmaker to boot, is also determined to be the best fifth-grader ever. In the process of fulfilling her "mission," Gertie begins to concentrate so much on what she doesn't have that she starts to forget what she does, alienating friends and family in the process. Will Gertie succeed, or will she discover that there are all kinds of greatness...?An engaging read, one which boasts an immensely appealing young heroine, Gertie's Leap to Greatness is an admirable debut from Kate Beasley, sister to Cassie Beasley, whose Circus Mirandus is another recent children's book of note. I appreciate the fact that Gertie is, despite her undeniably good qualities - she has a lot of heart, is often quite courageous, and perseveres in the face of numerous setbacks - also a realistically flawed young girl, one who sometimes makes serious mistakes. Some of those mistakes cause heartache, whether it be her temporary estrangement from her best friend Jean, after she displays a lack of awareness of her friend's desires, or the careless words of anger that wound Audrey, the young girl in her aunt's care; but others, such as the chocolate-stealing incident, are quite humorous. The latter had me chuckling quite a bit! I also appreciated the fact that Beasley constructs her bullying sub-plot in such a way - led by Mary Sue, whose mother is an environmental lobbyist, the children target Gertie specially because her father works on an oil rig - that the bullies represent a popular cause with which many young readers would identify. It's really helpful I think, in terms of provoking real thought around issues of political and ethical differences of opinion, and how we react to such differences, to understand that people on "our" side of an issue can also act with intolerance and cruelty. Kudos to Beasley for not taking the more stereotypical route of having her bullies espouse views that are unpopular in the children's literature/children's publishing world, thereby making them doubly 'villains.'All in all, Gertie's Leap to Greatness is an appealing, well-written story, one I would not hesitate to recommend to middle-grade readers. It's not a masterpiece, as some reviewers seem to think - although her heroine comes alive, I think Beasley could use some work on her secondary characters, who sometimes feel like silhouettes of real people - but it is a very good beginning. I found it remarkably similar to Kate DiCamillo's recent Raymie Nightingale - both stories feature a young Southern girl who is determined to win the attention of an absent parent by being the best at something - which surely augers well for Beasley's continued success and improvement.
    • 5/5
      What Ramona Quimby was for younger readers, Gertie Reece Foy does for a new generation of third through fifth graders. Gertie is always busy on missions with her two best friends, Junior and Jean. Fifth grade turns out to be a pivotal year for Gertie, who longs to be the greatest fifth grader in the world. And then disaster strikes in the form of Mary Sue, who is better at everything, and whose father is a movie producer. Gertie maneuvers hilariously throughout the year trying to one-up Mary Sue and keep the respect of her classmates.What I loved:Gertie is imaginative, creative, and totally independent in trying to solve her problems. Some great reading results. Kids can learn to ask for help from adults as they see Gertie trying to handle things on her own, yet not having the maturity needed to clearly understand the problem. Kids can also see the maturity Gertie finally develops as she bumbles along, searching for what she doesn't have.What I wasn't thrilled about:The characters routinely used God's name as a common saying, not in reverence. Aunt Rae, in being her rough self, had a favorite encouraging phrase I would change if reading aloud to a class.All in all, Gertie's Leap to Greatness,by Kate Beasley, is a great book and destined to become a Newberry!! I gratefully received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      The audio book's narrator made the character sound a lot younger than her 5th grade.
    • 4/5
      Gertie determines to impress her absent mother by becoming the best fifth grader ever, but her efforts are not appreciated by the rest of her class. Ramona Quimby meets Harriet the Spy. I found this well-written and enjoyable, though not as good as Raymie Nightingale, which is similar in theme.
    • 4/5
      Gertie is the definition of spunky, even when she is completely clueless. This is a sweet, sort of everyday story that will be great for young kids.
    • 5/5
      Originally posted on Lovey Dovey BooksGertie Reece Foy is on a mission to be the best fifth grader in the universe and she never gives up! This is one ten year old who cannot be stopped. Kate Beasley weaves an uplifting tale that will bring tears and giggles.Gertie's Leap to Greatness is an outstanding debut that makes me hope, that at ten years old, I was as cool as Gertie. It's realistic fiction written with an overdramatic voice that demands attention. The hope that her mission will succeed is what drives this plot and has readers rooting for Gertie to go get 'em. Jillian Tamaki's illustrations remind me of my own elementary school days pouring over similar stories like Fudge and Ramona Quimby. This story is destined to be remembered along with those endearing classics.It's the kind of story that makes you instantly happy and eager to share with others. Gertie Reece Foy will leap off the pages of the book and steal your heart!*eGalley provided in exchange for an honest review*
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Gertie is a girl who knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. She’s never failed at a mission. After Gertie saw the ‘For Sale’ sign at her mother’s house, Gertie wasn’t worried. She had a plan. Gertie decided to become the best fifth grader in the universe. Whenever I think of Gertie, I cannot help but get a giant grin on my face. I want to be 100% not-from-concentrate awesome like her! Every middle-grade child who reads this book will fall in love with Gertie’s spunk. This spunk gets Gertie into a lot of trouble, but also allows her to stand up to the new girl in class, Mary Sue Spivey. I wish I had half the gumption Gertie has. I keep having flashbacks of various scenes in the book that made me crack up. Kate Beasley is phenomenal at the craft of writing. She uses words to create vivid scenes, rollercoaster events, and dynamic characters. I will never forget reading the scene when Gertie’s classmates are at Mary Sue Spivey’s house. I will never forget Gertie. I hope to read many more books from Kate Beasley. She is 100% not-from-concentrate awesome!