I’m not going to lie, I chose this arc strictly based off of the cover. I was into this story based off the graphics alone. But once I got into the story which was the adventurous life of Lindy herself! Her life is not the norm of most kids which is funny to me that she’s so drawn to Kentucky Jones. She’s so cool and she doesn’t even realize it just yet.

Pros: girls in skateboarding, supporting each other as one learns from scratch. Not enough books out there about skating, especially about girl skaters! Journal and art so far are cute.

Cons: who thinks middle grade readers care one hoot (or even know) about skoolie life, life coaching, influences or the like? Where did the author get her research on the progression of skate tricks? Any kid who skates is going to find the timeline laughable - days from learning how to push flat land to doing lip tricks in a 5' bowl/channel? Why not change the outfits of the girls over the course of the book? No text gearing up to meet Kentucky- Why does it end so abruptly? Although it's a kid-based book, and first person from Lindy's view, there's more adult financial issues than I'd expect to see.

It's clearly unfinished, but could use some tweaks to be a great book! 2.5 stars for concept

To start my review, I'd love to send out a huge thank you to the author, Brie Spangler, Random House Children's (Knopf), and NetGalley for the privilege of being able to read an advanced digital copy of Kickturn. I will share my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release. Kickturn is a really heartfelt, part-journal/part-graphic novel for middle grade readers (ages 8-12 or so). The story is told by Lindy, a 10-year-old girl who lives on the road with her wannabe-influencer parents in a refurbished school bus. Her mom is a yoga content creator and her father manages their lifestyle because he got fed up with his real job. In all the excitement of pursuing their dream lifestyle, Lindy's parents seem to have completely forgotten to think about how Lindy feels about all of this. We read about how isolated she feels, how she longs for more stability and friends, and even the simple pleasure of a place to call home.

Lindy’s life takes an unexpected and positive turn when their family's bus breaks down in San Jose, and she meets Dasha and May, local kids who introduce her to skateboarding—a passion she’s secretly already nurtured as she's long been a fangirl of Kentucky Jones, a skateboarder who posts her tricks on YouTube. Lindy and her friends discover support and companionship in their enjoyment of skateboarding, and the cute illustrations help show how much fun she's having as she learns to skate (would love to be able to see the final version with the finished illustrations, as the ones that were included were very cool). Her newfound confidence from accomplishing hard things leads her to stand up for herself and her feelings to her parents, and the way it plays out left me cheering her on. Without revealing how it ends, I think Lindy was able to make her needs known. I was happy she was able to, but her parents were really awful! Spangler did a great job of making the main character relatable to the age group.

I really liked the illustrations that made the journal feel really personal and interesting, but I wish I could've seen all of them. It was hard to fully capture the depth of the friendship without the extra pages. But I was able to appreciate how much Lindy was able to change and grow in the story, which was the main point, and I definitely think this will capture readers' hearts. There's a lot of different dynamics about the main character's life that middle grade readers can connect with, even if they aren't homeschooled, living in a bus, or a skateboarder. Even though it's meant for middle grade, I think the deeper messages of finding yourself and the results of influencer culture is something that any aged reader can connect with, so it might be a good read for parents with their kids in order to spark further discussions about their own feelings and dreams. I'd recommend for any library collection, (schools, public libraries, etc.) and for any homeschooled preteen, or kid interested in skateboarding, youtube/social media culture, or stories about kids finding their confidence. You might like Kickturn if you liked Roller Girl, New Kid, or The Vanderbeekers of 14th Street.

Major Tropes & Themes:
- found family/friendship
- self-discovery
- homeschooling/van life/nomadic lifestyle
- influencer culture/social media
- skateboarding
- pursuing new passions

3.8/5 stars!

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Lindy and her parents have a nomadic lifestyle, traveling the Southwest in a converted school bus (a "skoolie") so that her mother can post pictures of herself doing yoga poses, spreading love and lifestyle advice. Her father, a formr software engineer, helps, and Lindy is often called upon to model clothing sent by sponsors, since posts featuring her do well on the analytics. Lindy is tired of this lifestyle, and lonely for friends her own age. She spends a lot of time watching the skateboarder and social media star Kentucky Jones while neglecting her homeschooling material, which she finds difficult, especially since her parents don't seem to offer much support. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, California, it's not an easy fix, and the family rents a house while waiting for the repairs to be done. Lindy meets Dasha and May at a convenience store, and the two invite her to skateboard with them. They show her the ropes, and May even loans her a board. Lindy enjoys having a more private room, and warm shower, and some friends. She also takes to skateboarding in a big way, and her parents often accompany her to the skate park, where she also meets Carter, a seven year old social media influencer who can do a lot of skate tricks that Lindy can't even imagine. When the group finds out that Kentucky Jones is coming to San Jose, they are super excited to meet their idol. The bus takes a while to be fixed, but eventually is road worthy once again, and Lindy's parents inform her that they will be moving on. Unhappy to be leaving, Lindy sabotages the bus. When her parents find out, they are angry, and a bit perplexed that Lindy is no longer enjoying life on the road. She pleads her case for staying, which is bolstered by the fact that she is failing all of her online classes. Lindy gets her way, and the family decides to stay in San Jose.
Strengths: There need to be a lot more books about skateboarding, as well as volleyball and track. It's interesting to see parents who are social media influencers; Weissman's So Over Sharing is another one to look at. Lindy's desire to stay in one place and make friends is understandable, and it's great to see her connect with girls her age while also developing a hobby. Bonus: both of Lindy's parents are alive!
Weaknesses: This was a little younger than I had hoped; the font looks hand drawn, ala Wimpy Kid, and the interior illustrations do support Lindy being in late elementary school. I just wish that she had been older. I also wish that the parents had paid more attention to Lindy; at a minimum, they should have checked her progress in school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed other books about families on the road, like Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Goebel's Alpaca My Bags, or Hawes' Big Rig.

As much as I liked Lindy and her awesome group of skater girls, I couldn't get past how utterly self-absorbed and irresponsible her parents were. I also wasn't expecting this to be written like a journal but that wasn't a big deal.

Lindy’s parents are influencers, or at least they think they are. Instead of a van-life, they have decided on a refurbished school-bus-life, and are traveling around getting shots at various national parks, as Lindy’s mother does yoga, and other healthful things. Lindy’s father sold his company and house to fund this trip, that has been going on for two years.

And at first Lindy was ok with traveling…until she wasn’t. But she just didnt’ know how to tell her parents. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, California, she happens to meet two kids practicing their skateboards outside a gas station shop, where she has been sent to buy stuff for her mother.

Lindy has secretly been watching YouTubes of skateboarding, admiring it, but never getting the chance to skate, and now she is given the opportunity to try it, with these girls. And she realizes she wants to do nothing but skateboard now.

I liked how the story, told in first person, from Lindy’s point of view, shows just how desperate she is to get back to a “normal” life. How this is what she craves. And it makes her do things she shouldn’t just to stay in San Jose, with these new friends.

I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go with this, and it seemed as though it would run out of room before it got there. I did enjoy it though, and totally got the desperation that Lindy felt, and how she would do anything to continue to skateboard, and be with her new friends.

It is a quick read, and I read it in one night, because I really wanted to know what would happen.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 17th of June 2025.

I really enjoyed this book. The friendships were pure and they supported each other so well. Lindy really came into her own and was able to express her needs to her influencer parents. I really enjoyed this book and I think many readers at my library would connect with Lindy and her friends.

Lindy’s family lives in a Schoolie. Mom is a social media #yoga.life guru. But Liinda isn’t fond of life on the road and being home schooled. She dreams of friends, learning how to skateboard, and the predictability of being stuck in one place. One day in San Jose, their bus breaks down. Now, she’s finally making friends and learning to skateboard. Will a taste of stationary life be enough for Lindy?

The illustrations are cute, black and white illustrations that do a great job of complementing the story. The plot is well written and engaging. The characters are relatable and authentic. Readers who like realistic fiction, graphic novels, travel, being homeschooled, and books about making friends will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. 5 Stars. Gr. 4-7