Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Jamie Sumner’s Roll With It has been on my radar for quite a while; when I realized my library had it in audio, I snapped it up like there was no tomorrow. First of all, it looked really good, and second of all, it’s just the sort of thing that my second girlie ought to enjoy. And, satisfyingly, it was quite good and I fully expect that second girlie to enjoy it–as soon as I pass it off to her.

Hence, review.

Roll With It works because Sumner’s Ellie feels so real–neither saint nor rebel, but a wholly normal girl dealing with a frustratingly abnormal body. Her dad’s never around since the divorce, and her mom spends her time working and monitoring Ellie’s health; when her grandfather’s battle with dementia starts to become more difficult, however, Ellie and her mom decide to relocate to her grandparents’ home for a while. Despite being the new kid and suffering the lack of a handicapped-accessible shower, Ellie begins to find a place for herself in her grandparents’ town, making unexpected friends and finding more freedom at school. Can she convince her mom that the benefits of their new life outweigh the difficulties?

This felt on the short side, but it deals with real things, and brings both an awareness and a normality to a not-uncommon condition. Introducing our kids to other people’s struggles is never a bad thing, and Sumner does it well; latter elementary schoolers and younger middle graders ought to both enjoy and learn from this one. I’ll let you know what my girlie thinks!

12/28/2020: She loved it! Mom win!