Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Cute, middle-grade read. The children seemed younger than fifth grade to me (more like third or maybe fourth), but it was still cute. Some touching moments when it came to Gertie and her absented mother.

Growing up is hard. Kindergarten during a pandemic is hard, but so far there are no books about that. Gertie’s Leap to Greatness (middle-grade fiction) is a great reminder of just how much kids are trying to piece together about the world they live in while dealing with kids in school, family and all of the joys of changes while growing up.

Gertie is just starting 5th grade, and she has a mission – to be the best! Coming back from summer break, everyone is to share their stories of the best thing that happened to them over the summer. She will have the best story! And once she has established how great she is, she will show her mom that she can be great without her.

This isn’t just a 5th grader boasting about needing attention from everyone. Gertie’s mom abandoned her family, and is about to move away from their town to begin a new life with a new family. But along the way, her plan doesn’t work out quite as she wanted it to. There’s a new girl in town who is ruining everything – she gets everything Gertie wants, and is threatening Gertie’s dad’s job (he works on an oil rig). Gertie also finds herself at odds with one of her best friends.

The Greatness

Oh Gertie. Growing up is hard! I think there are many that would be able to relate to Gertie and everything she is going through. Someone at odds with her friends. Someone who is experiencing a new kid coming into the class and disturbing the status quo. And even more importantly, someone who may not have a mom or a dad living with them, and they don’t understand why.

When you look at Gertie from her classmate’s POV, it can seem that she just needs a bit of maturity. Knowing exactly what she is going through changes that lens, and shows a lot of motivation for why Gertie creates these missions for herself, and that behind the craziness, she really did mean well. This can be a great lesson for a kid who may not have ever experienced anything Gertie has, to show them that not everyone is so lucky, and how other families live.

The Not-So Greatness

There were times that the book sounds a little old-fashioned. I think I have become so accustomed to today’s digital age and kids growing up too fast, that I forget that kids still experience the same issues we did as kids, just with a digital slant. That digital slant really isn’t seen here, and I think that was a missed opportunity. The new girl in the class had a cell phone, but that was really the only modern technology that was really mentioned.

My Final Leap…Errr…Thoughts

Missing technology aside, I still think this story can resonate with kids around 4th/5th grade (around 9 and 10 years old). At the heart of the story lies a girl looking for missing acceptance, trying to find her place, and prove to others how great she is, while not realizing that she is also proving it to herself.

A good, solid read for kids who are eager for flawed protagonists. Being a kid is hard and complicated, and readers who appreciate it when authors acknowledge those truths will flock to Gertie.

Never have I fallen for a protagonist like Gertie. Following her around was a =n adventure I did not expect. This is a light-hearted journey that will hit you right in the feels. I would recommend this book to fans of the Ramona Quimby books.

Gertie is going to try her best to be great. And if she can be the best fifth grader in town, her mom will realize what she's leaving behind. Throughout the story, Gertie realizes that she can be great for herself and has family and friends who love her just the way she is.

Gertie is full of heart and good ideas gone wrong. This fifth grader's world just got a little bit bigger and there is no stopping Gertie from going full-on, with family or friends, to accomplish her goal of being the best kid in her class. I struggled along side Gertie, cringed at failures, celebrated her victories and would recommend this story to upper elementary and middle grade readers.

I really liked Gertie, and her belief that if she is the best 5th grader, her mother will come back to her. I think that any child who has believed that their parents love is dependent on something (grades, behavior, etc.) could relate. There were also realistic friend issues. I enjoyed it.

I think that I would have enjoyed this a whole lot better had I been on this reading level, however, Gertie was a fun character. I enjoyed her mindset and her determination. The children in her class, typical children but total jerks. The end of the book I wanted to just smack her mother, There was also a really good teaching moment at the end of the book with her arch enemy. The ending of the book had a good ending that really came together.

I'm afraid I never got to the E ARC and ended up checking it out from the public library. While I thought it was beautifully written I haven't yet decided on purchase for my school collection or not. Haven't quite figured out if my students will relate to Gertie. They don't always ... "get" this type of writing. Still thinking. Perhaps one copy. When I mentioned it on my blog (http://www.msoreadsbooks.com/2017/07/imwayr-july-17.html) another reader compared her to Sheila Turnage's Tupelo Landing series. Which I totally agree with! And that didn't take off at my school. It did in other places, just not with my kids, as much as I tried to get them to read/listen to it!

Excellent story line and well written. I found myself reminiscing of my school days and the complications of elementary school. A must read for young readers!

I received this book from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review. The newest spunky female protagonist in children's literature is Gertie Foy. She's a schemer, planner, dreamer, and optimist. In this book, (I hope there are more), Gertie has decided to become the best fifth grader ever to impress a certain individual. Even as her plans crash and burn, Gertie maintains her level of optimism and makes new plans. Issues addressed in the book include the environment, single parent families, and class differences. I like the fact that Gertie is active and a problem solver.

This was such a charming and wonderful middle grade read that is perfect for summer, as well as being reminded that you're great the way you are, and should always push yourself to your very best.

Readable and sweet story with a strong narrative and charming illustrations.
Realistic handling of difficult subjects and strong characters.. Great for middle readers looking for stories like a Tale of a Fourth Grade nothing.

Oh, Gertie. This book broke my heart into a million wee pieces. It's really a wonderful book, though.

Gertie wants to be the best fifth grader that ever lived. We begin the book with Gertie creating her "what I did on my summer vacation" story. By her fifth grade year she was well aware that these stories were a competition, and Gertie needed to be the best! Gertie didn't count on there being a new girl in class this year - a new girl from California who knows movie stars.

Gertie's Leap to Greatness follows Gertie's fifth grade year and her struggle to be the best.

This book is adorable and horrible all at the same time. Kids can be so cruel to one another, and growing up is such a struggle. By the time I learned why Gertie needed to be so great, I was just a mess of broken pieces.

This is the type of children's literature that stands the test of time. I saw elements of my own childhood in the pages. I saw some of the struggles my own children are going through in school with their teachers and their peers. If you are looking for an excellent book for your kids or you happen to be like me and you've never outgrown reading kid lit, there's a lot to experience in this one little book.

7/10: Recommended Read

This book reminded me of Beverley Cleary's "Ramona" books or of Kate DiCamillo's "Because of Winn Dixie." I think a lot of kids will be able to relate to Gertie and her worries.

I see a value in this book but it simply didn't move me. Well-written but a bit dull for my tastes.

Gertie is the spiritual successor to Ramona Quimby and a young Harriet M Welch (with perhaps a smidge of Junie B Jones, without some of the exceess brattiness). Gertie wants to be appreciated and has big ideas but they don't always go according to plan. I found Gertie both entertaining and endearing and my heart ached for her at times. The pictures in the book are charming. This book will appeal to any kid who has felt a bit out of place at times.

At times, some of the characterization felt a bit flat and the ending felt a bit uneven for me. Gertie is pretty well fleshed out, but Mary Sue felt a bit like a caricature to me. Additionally, there are a lot of plot points for various characters revolving around beauty and good looks. Last time I checked, most fifth graders didn't get zits or worry too too much about them. By middle school, yes, but elementary school, no. And I wasn't sure what message it was sending to impressionable young readers (particularly female), especially given that Gertie could be a role model for valuing things other than beauty. I know that it bothered me a bit.

That being said, I did enjoy reading this book and I look forward to seeing more from Beasley (and hopefully more about Gertie).