This was such a cute book. I think all young girls should read this book. I enjoyed it with my daughter

I really adore middle grade books and this one is really cute and charming. It's a BIPOC rep book and revolves around the protagonist "Magic". The story is about making new friends, finding your place, and learning to embrace your inner Magic. I really loved this book , the character development of Magic is great. Engaging read but not a quick read tho!! Writing and Narration is awesome. Title is apt and cover page is adorable. Totally recommended to all!! It's actually for ages 8-12 but I think it's more suitable for 13+ !!

15 thoughts 💭 while reading
• There’s always a girl like Magic who feels she doesn’t belong and yearns for that.
• Vintage but not old!
• Being different doesn’t have to be scary
• No one cheers you on more than family ❤️
•I am a girl who keeps her word.
• You can do it all
•Background noise- they don’t really matter
•You are stronger than you think
•Rainbow 🌈: all the colors are needed to make it look this beautiful
• Practice makes perfect
•Do you believe in lucky charms??
•Always finish what you start
•Believe. Succeed. Achieve
•What’s friendship without sacrificing a thing or two for??
•Every team needs a little MAGIC .

The Poindexters are phenomenal. Talk of a support squad👌. No one cheers than family!
Her new friends were also some tight and loyal squad-the stumbleBees.

I felt all emotional and nostalgic when Coach was mentioning the final twenty who made the HoneyBee team. I couldn’t wait to hear Magic’s name and I couldn’t help but share some tears when it happened.

There’s a lot you learn from such squads: love, support, cheering you on, a shoulder to lean on, sacrifices, got your back always, never leave your side...
Squad Goals🙌🏻.

“My fears don’t define me but my courage does.”

“That’s how wars are won. One victory at a time.”
Thanks for this eARC.

Squad Goals was such a cute story of friendship, determination, and rising above the odds. My favorite part of the book was the Stumbles because the way the girls all came together to support each other was beautiful. It showed that even when everything around you is a competition, friendship doesn't have to be. It was also nice seeing disability rep that focused on not being limited in doing what you want. The way parent loss and grief were mentioned was also really cool.

I enjoyed the Cappie storyline because it showed some of the sacrifices you might have to make to get to where you want to be even if it involves you losing something or someone. The Dallas parts were really sweet too, and I liked seeing the difference between Cappie and the Stumble's reactions to Magic talking to Dallas.

Magic was a funny, caring MC just trying her best. The way she went out of her way to make those around her feel supported was nice to see. I did find some of the food parts a little weird as Magic turned to food for comfort, but sometimes it read more as a bit to show how far from cheerleading material she was than actually having a purpose in the story.

Overall, I would recommend this book for a hopeful read with good characters.

While I appreciated the representation present in this book in terms of having a little Black girl who is also chubby try out for an elite cheer squad, I found the handling of her weight to be toxic. There were so many moments throughout this book where the author used Magic's weight or enjoyment of food as a humorous plot device, even when other characters were not making fun of her love of food. It was weird and uncomfortable to read because it read almost as if the author themselves were diminishing Magic's character. It seems that Magic definitely used food as a coping mechanism in some instances, and I would have liked to see this better addressed throughout the novel.

Thank you to the publisher for this arc! It was the fist time I read MG in a while, and while I don't think I will read more of that genre, I really appreciated this book. It was cute and fun and predictable, but still a great read. I enjoyed Magic's character and her little friend group. I think the friendships in this book were amazing and I loved the family relationships as well.

There were a few things that annoyed me, though. The fact that Magic's older sister, Fortune, kept calling her ''sissy'' is one of those things. It was like she couldn't talk without saying ''sissy'' and it made me cringe so bad. I also was really annoyed with Capricorn, Magic's (ex?) best-friend. I was very frustrated in many points, but then had to remember this was a MG book. Also there's the fact that the author used the term ''sexy'' to describe a twelve years old girl... That made me cringe really bad.

Anyway, I hope you guys read this book and enjoy it!

*arc provided by Hachette Book Group and Hear Our Voice book tours*

Squad Goals really is a charming, cute read that reminded me a lot of the kind of books the Disney Channel Original Movies are adapted from. There's a plucky, awkward heroine, embarrassing but loving parents and older sister, a "from-diapers" type of friendship with best friend Capricorn, and the main character's dream to step into her family's legacy, specifically her middle school's cheerleading HoneyBees where her grandmother was the first Black member. Magic Poindexter has got her own thing going on, but her anxieties and self-esteem take a hit on multiple occasions and I couldn't help rooting for her and the rest of the friends she made at the summer cheerleading camp.

The story also doesn't shy from bullying, it's effects, or retaliation for that matter and the latter was fun to follow. There are also cringe worthy moments in spades but are totally appropriate given the age group and circumstances that bring them forth. I also appreciate that all the characters sound like actually middle school kids, and this is definitely something that both younger and older readers who read contemporary middle grade will be able to enjoy.

Extra special love towards Magic's new friend group, aka the StumbleBees. While all added something special to the group and love and supported Magic in spades, I'm completely biased towards Brooklyn and the special connection she and Magic shared as they got to know each other better through workouts and the duration of the camp.

All in all, a solid read and one I will gladly recommend.