At times heartbreaking (but ultimately affirming) MG novel about a middle school runner who believes her father will return if only she can make herself unforgettable through athletic excellence. Strong trigger warnings for parental abandonment, depictions of childhood poverty, disordered eating, and bullying. Feminists motifs are present and explicit, particularly via the track coach who desperately tries to keep her students more informed about their bodies and get them to commit to each other in the solidarity of sisterhood.

Leta loves running, but she thinks if she can win the big race it will help bring her dad back to her and her sister. Along the way she is experiencing some middle school bullying and trying to figure out where she fits in.
She also deals with body image issues and not always having enough food at home.
I loved that her Pops tries to help her figure out why she runs and not to do it for anyone else.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Leta, a star on her middle school track team, is determined to win the 400 meter race at the upcoming district track meet, Maybe then, her long-absent father will return to the family. Unfortunately, Leta's single-minded pursuit of her goal puts her chance at the title--and her health--in jeopardy.

For a middle grade novel, R.L. Toalson's "Leta" covers a lot of ground, including food insecurity, bullying, eating disorders, and divorce.. Some of it worked and some of it didn't. As a runner myself, I appreciated the emphasis (via Leta's coach and her Pop, her runner grandfather) on healthy fueling, taking breaks when necessary, and awareness of how menstrual cycles can affect one's training. (Though I do quibble with the bit where Pop, training Leta in the pool when she's injured, makes her "run" the equivalent of 10 miles. This seems excessive for a middle schooler.) Leta's emotions regarding her father's absence, her unasked for role as a "second parent" to her little sister, her mom's work to keep the family afloat financially, and changing friendships will be relatable to many readers.

That said, the pacing of the story felt slow at times and some of the "lessons" about the "sisterhood" (imparted mainly by Leta's coach) seemed shoehorned in so the author could pontificate on a pet topic. It's important, to be sure, but with so many other things going on it felt a little unnecessary.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Leta lives with her mother and younger sister Amelia, and the family is struggling since the father has moved out. The mother works two jobs, and still struggles to put food on the table. Pops, the mother's father, helps out, but he is still running a heating and cooling business. He's also a manic runner at 65, sometimes going 18 miles a day, and lives in a retirement facility. Leta has picked up his passion for running, and is determined to be the best at the 400 yard race. It's tough, though, when she has to glue the sole of her running shoes back together, and doesn't have enough fuel for her body. Coach Mac is fairly understanding, and provides her runners with sports bras, food, and information about their periods and health. Even Coach Mac, though, can't provide new shoes. Leta is too ashamed to get free lunch, even though her friends Chrissy, Raina, and Sabrina also have backgrounds where there is some struggle. Leta wants to do really well in the upcoming state meets, hoping that her father will read the write up in the newspaper and come back to visit, especially since Amelia is looking forward to a daddy-daughter dance. When there's no food in the house, Pops often takes the girls out for fast food, and Leta starts to pick at this, even though Coach Mac talks to the runners frequently about eating disorders and how detrimental poor diet can be to runners' health. Since Leta often sees her mother eat less than she needs, this example sometimes speaks more loudly. On top of these serious challanges, there are standard middle school issues like whether to shave her legs, problems with Amelia, new girl Natalie, mean girls Briana and Brooke, and the crush that Leta has on Benny. When over training leads to a possible stress fracture, Leta decides to run through the pain to hopefully still win her race. Pops helps by showing her how to train in a pool, but stress fractures don't get better on their own. Will Leta and her mother finally be able to ask for help and find a better way forward.
Strengths: I'm always a fan of books about running, and Leta's challenges with training will speak to a lot of readers. Pops is a fantastic character, and I love that he is still running in his short shorts! His difficult relationship with Leta's mother is echoed in Leta's relationship with her own father. Leta often has to take care of Amelia, and we don't see this portrayed enough in middle grade literature; I loved that Amelia chafed under Leta's supervision and had her own after school agenda. Coach Mac tries to be aware of all of the challenges facing her athletes, but can't see every need. There is excellent information about periods, and even a scene where Leta's friends instruct her on how to use a tampon through the bathroom door. While Leta deals with a lot of difficult situations, there is an air of hope about her story, and a satisfying ending.
Weaknesses: Free and reduced lunch programs, like other details about schools, vary from place to place. In my district, students have an account number that they give to the cafeteria, and no one knows if they have free lunch, or if their parents put money in the account. We also have a "share box", and Leta could pick up as many carrots and apples as she could eat, and other schools in my district even have food pantries. Other areas might be more like Leta's school. I would have liked to see a little more of the mother, but her absence drives much of the plot. Seeing more of Leta's relationship with Benny would also have lightened the mood.
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who liked Gerber's Taking Up Space, Dunlap's Racing the Clouds, or Morrison's Keeping Pace. If Barbara Dee wrote a novel with sports, it would read a bit like this title.

Leta is an eighth grader that is going through a lot! Her dad isn’t around, so her mom works all the time and still there isn’t much to eat. She takes care of her younger sister Amelia and now she’s giving her a hard time. All of a sudden her good friend Sabrina starts to hang out with other girls and her name was added to some mean lists (Poorest, Stinkiest, Smelliest) and Sabrina was the person who added Leta’s name to the list. Leta’s one thing that is going for her, is running. Her Pop is a runner and ends up helping Leta a lot. Towards the end of the track season Leta injures her foot. She keeps on running until the pain causes her to pass out at the race. Pop to the rescue-he has her train in the swimming pool. In the end, Leta needs to figure out why she is running and will she continue.

I liked this book. Leta went through a lot, but unfortunately it was realistic. This book has some important messages. I understand the ending, but it wasn’t my favorite.

This reminded me a bit of The First Magnificent Summer- you've got a determined female protagonist with a hardworking single mother, an absent father who doesn't support the family, and themes including body image, feminism, and the transition from girlhood to womanhood.

Unfortunately, it was also slow. So slow. I also thought Leta's one-sided "rivalry" with Natalie would be a bigger deal than it was. Honestly, I think Leta had enough going on without the addition of such a cliché plotline. It would've been nice if Leta got to know Natalie rather than immediately feeling threatened by her.