Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

I'm glad to see another book that talks about wrestling. With so many kids (and many girls!) who are eager followers of wrestling, I'm glad to see another book including this topic. I think many kids will like this one.

I adored this book. The characters were absolutely delightful and felt like real people. I enjoyed following Addie on her journey to discover the missing pieces of her family tree. Addie had a lot of big thoughts and it was nice to see her perspective. I also loved the Bravo family and their wrestling history. This was such a heartfelt, humorous, realistic book and I loved it so much. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Kokila and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Adela “Addie” Ramirez lives with her mother and stepfather, Alex, in Thorne, New Mexico. She has never known her father or anything about his family so when Alex proposes a formal adoption, Addie becomes more curious about the secret her mother has been keeping for twelve years. Addie finds an old photo hidden in her mother’s from when she was a baby with both of her parents. Using this as a clue, she discovers that her father is Manny Bravo of the renown Bravo wrestling family. Addie convinces her mother to let her visit her father and his family so that she can get to know more about her background.
This is a heartwarming, realistic novel about finding out who you really are. Wrestling matches and lingo feature prominently, not exactly my cup of tea but did not take away from the story. Addie gets to know her father’s extended family and finds the part of her that was missing. Recommended for grades 4 and up.
#Tumble #NetGalley

Addie is old enough to learn the truth about her father's identity. What she didn't count on learning was that families are complicated, parents are imperfect, and who you are is shaped by so much more than genes. Along the way, she finds quirky new family members and a stronger sense of her own identity.

Celia Perez has shaped a lovely coming of age novel around a relatively uncommon theme--wrestling. Addie is a realistic middle grade character and the book is filled with culture, history, and humor. Readers will sympathize with Addie's desire to understand her family and her past as well as the normal middle school struggles. While this book is obviously a good match for readers with interest and knowledge of wrestling, the author has carefully described wrestling in a way that makes it accessible to readers without much knowledge of the topic. It was a fun read, and I'm thankful to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for this honest review.

Wonderful! Combines a tough emotional struggle with a fun physical struggle, allowing connections for readers who are drawn to different types of books.

Another great middle grades read! This story focuses on Adela and her learning about her father, his family, and how she can fit in to all types of family. The author makes the story even more fun with an interesting and new storyline- revolving around Mexican wrestling! The readers learns fun aspects of the sport, all while cheering on Adela, her family, and her friends in the challenges they face.

Thank you, NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delightful book! I loved how unique the storyline was. I rooted for Addie the whole time and loved watching her transform and become more of her true self. I also really loved the extended family that Addie got to know through her dad's side.
I don't have much background in wrestling, but it was fun to learn about and be exposed to something this unique.

I'm not a huge fan of unresolved endings but I think this leaves room for a sequel. :)

This review is based on an ARC.

I found this book to be heartfelt and honest. I enjoyed the dive into a subject matter that is not so easily talked about openly and honestly. There was no sugar coating this reality and it made the characters more relatable. A must-read for anyone seeking realness and wrestling!

What a delightfully creative story!

The idea of a wrestling family is just different, and I think it will appeal to middle grade readers. The main character is likable and readers will be pulled in to Addie's story.

At its heart, this story is ultimately about family - our blood and our found family! Its about what makes us different but also what brings us together.

I love reading new middle grade advanced copies of books, but I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d love a book about entertainment wrestling. I did. The book starts off with a bang as 12-year old Adela’s step-father asks for permission to adopt her. This single question sets off an avalanche of new questions and emotions, including the desire to know more about her biological father. Forced to find out for herself, Adela discovers who her father is….and who he isn’t. This book explores the definition of family, the need to know our familial roots and how to make space for new people, traditions and emotions. It was a roller coaster of a ride and I’m shocked at how much I got into the wrestling aspects, too. I may have googled a few things to bring this book to life. =) It’s a must read.

Delightful story of 12 year old Adela discovering her absent father when her stepfather wants to adopt her. There is joy for Adela in discovering a whole new family but finds her father does not have the desire to be her "present" day as his wrestling comes before family which is the reason her mother left him in the first place. Adela also shows the importance of friends as she develops a good group that work together to have a very unique Nutcracker play.

Another winner from Celia C. Perez, Addie Ramirez has grown up without knowing anything about her dad including his identity. Her mom won’t speak of him and now her stepfather wants to adopt her. Addie is desperate to know about her dad and takes matters into her own hands. Her experiences with her dad and his family are both entertaining and heartbreaking as Addie learns that finding her dad is only the first step in belonging.

This book will have a strong appeal to professional wrestling fans. It will be a welcome addition to my inclusive middle school library.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Adelita is a young girl who happily lives with her mom and step-father. She spends her days with her best friend Cy and at her step-father's diner watching wrestling together. Adela's mom is pregnant and Alex would like to adopt her. This makes Adela wonder about her birth father whose identity is a mystery to her. This lead her on a quest to find out not only who he was and why he was not around. This is an excellent story on friendship, girl power, and what really makes a family. I am not a wrestling fan but I thoroughly enjoyed how this author weaved it into her story. I would highly recommend this book for your middle grade readers. I know I will be recommending it to my 6th graders this year!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Celia C. Perez, and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
12 year old Addie has a lot going on in her life! Her stepdad wants to adopt her, she has a new brother coming soon, and she finds a photo of a mysterious man in her mom's belongings. Things are moving too fast for Addie. Addie starts to investigate and it takes her to family she never knew she had. Being apart of a family can be hard. Will Addie be able to learn how to be apart of both of her families?

I liked this story and will certainly be purchasing it for my classroom. Addie is similar in some ways to most students now. They are going back and forth between parents/stepparents or be in families with one parent or a grandparent, aunt or uncle, etc. I think this a good read for students to see different types of families. I also enjoyed learning more about luchadores and the history! This will be a great classroom read.

Tumble is a great book for kids dealing with an absent or uncommitted parent.

Adela has a wonderful mom and stepdad. Her stepdad wants to adopt her, but Adela has questions about her birth father that her mom doesn't ever answer. He's never tried to get in touch with her after leaving them when she was really young. Snooping through her mom's stuff, she finds a picture of them and goes on a mission to find out more about him.

When her mother finds out, she isn't happy, but allows Adela to meet her father, Manny. At their first meeting, Manny isn't home like he is supposed to be, but Adela does get to meet her grandmother, grandfather, uncles, aunts and cousins, all of whom welcome her with food, hugs, and love. Her father was a great wrestler in the Cactus League years ago, along with the rest of his family, the Bravos. When he gets home, she can see herself in him, which feels magical.

Adela falls in love with the family she never knew, but her dad isn't always around. She has been cast as Maria in the 7th grade production of The Nutcracker. The class always puts a spin on the classic play, so her best friend, the director, and the other two main leads have to come up with something good. What is better in Texas than wrestling? But will Manny come through and support his daughter, or is her mom right to caution her not to get her hopes up?

At times, this book feels like a warm hug. Adela's family and friends are quirky and funny, but love her so much. The wrestling tidbits are fun to read and learn from (you might have to watch your kids closely after reading this book to make sure they're not making a square circle in the backyard and practicing their moves). But it also deals with some pretty heavy topics - parents who prioritize things over their kids, parents who leave and have no contact with their kids, adoption by stepparents, and dementia.

I loved reading this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy!

I loved “The First Rule of Punk” and “Tumble” was a wonderful follow up. Quirky and lovable characters paired with the unique background of professional wrestling made this story truly adorable.

7th-grader Addie Ramirez has no memories of her dad. When her stepfather wants to adopt her, she sets out to find out who her father is. Her search takes readers into the world of luchadores and an extended family that she never knew. Although the beautiful cover might overwhelmingly appeal to girls, the wrestling connection should make the book interesting to boys as well.

Adela has never met her birth father and her mother has never been forthcoming. When her stepfather wants to formally adopt her, Adela begins to search for clues and eventually finds her birth father. She learns about an entire extended family she never knew she had. Heartwarming and funny a definite read for fans of the author's previous books as well as Meg Medina's Merci Suarez series.

Tumble was a fantastic read! The story is interesting and unique. The characters are engaging and make you wonder. Their experiences are thought-provoking and empathy building. The wrestling world is something that will pull in all kinds of readers. I love the way they students use the library and the historical records to put together the pieces of information they need to discover what they want to know. I love the way this book approaches family. This gorgeous cover will draw people in and the story will keep them until the very end.

Wrestling is as ubiquitous to twelve-year-old Adela Ramirez as her stepdad’s quirky diner is. While sitting in the diner surrounded by the faces of the luchadors she loves watching on television, Adela often finds herself thinking about the people behind the masks. Much like those masked fighters, Adela hides from the world around her, especially as she is maturing and knows nothing about the father she resembles so much. When Adela takes matters into her own hands and discovers her biological father’s true identity, Adela steps outside of the only world she has ever known to come to terms with both where she came from and who she truly is.

Middle grade coming of age stories are important tools for young people to observe someone else’s life while finding parallels within their own, and this book is no exception. Expertly written, the book hooks readers from the beginning and carries them along Adela’s important ride. Spanish language and luchador culture are referenced frequently through the narrative, immersing readers in Adela’s world and painting vivid mental images throughout. Written in the first person, this book invites readers directly into Adela’s story and will leave readers cheering for Adela on her path to self-discovery.

Whether or not readers are familiar with luchador-style wrestling, they will find themselves becoming connected to it through this story. The narrative does an excellent job intertwining real-life experiences with fictional characters as well as blending the very real desire to be invisible with the glamour of performance. Elements of social commentary are included as well, which places this book squarely in the present. The writing is well-suited to readers of all ages, but middle grade readers are sure to be especially drawn to this narrative. Dynamic, multifaceted characters and a compelling, well-written story make this book an excellent addition to library collections for middle grade readers.