***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.
***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year. There are 9 books on the list. This is the 8th blog in a series of 9.
The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.
Title: Roll With It
Author: Jamie Sumner
Format: Chapter Book, 272 pages (available in paperback)
This book is a realistic fiction friendship and family relationship story. Ellie has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Her dream is to become a famous chef…she loves baking and cooking. She and her mom move from Nashville to a small town in Oklahoma to help take care of Ellie’s grandpa who has Alzheimers.
Ellie has a lot of “attitude” and tells it like it is. This often gets her in trouble with teachers and her mother. It’s actually refreshing that the author does not make her out to be all “sunshine and cuddles”. I think kids will see her character as being very believable and relatable. She has to start at a new school that is very small. Ellie ends up making friends with two other kids from her grandparent’s trailer park.
I think this book could be a strong contender as a read-aloud, especially at 4th or 5th grade. This book is the longest of all the WAW nominees (3rd-5th grade), so it will take a little longer to get through, but it is SO worth it! Teachers looking for read-alouds similar to Wonder by Palacio or Out Of My Mind by Draper will love this book.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the relationship that forms between Ellie and the PE teacher at her new school. I know it’s not realistic for a PE teacher to do a chapter book read-aloud to an upper elementary class, but … oh, my goodness … I wish they could! I’ve read some books with school settings where the PE teacher is portrayed with some stereotypical negative characteristics. This book doesn’t go there, and it brings a depth to the teacher’s character that is very refreshing. I strongly urge elementary and middle school PE teachers to read this book for your own enjoyment. I think it might help you see ways to reach out to students with physical disabilities. If nothing else, it will remind you of how important, worthwhile, and fulfilling your job can be!
I often have students who are requesting books similar to Wonder or Out Of My Mind. These kids are usually looking for stories about building relationships with family members and friends. Most of the time, they want the main character to have some sort or disability whether it be physical, emotional, or intellectual. I am happy to have yet another quality title to offer them.
The author, Jamie Sumner, has a son with cerebral palsy, which really helps this book have an authentic voice. Roll With It was Sumner’s debut middle-grade novel, though she has written a couple more since. She has a website that includes a free downloadable discussion guide for the book. She also is willing to do a Skype session with a class that has read or listened to her book. I’m not sure what the cost would be, but her website has her contact information.
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