Roll with It, Jamie Sumner
Roll with It, Jamie Sumner
2 Rating(s)
List: $17.99 | Sale: $12.59
Club: $8.99

Roll with It

Author: Jamie Sumner

Narrator: Candace Thaxton

Unabridged: 4 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/01/2019

Categories: Children's Fiction


Synopsis

“A big-hearted story that’s as sweet as it is awesome.” —R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder
“An honest, emotionally rich take on disability, family, and growing up.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

In the tradition of Wonder and Out of My Mind, this big-hearted middle grade debut tells the story of an irrepressible girl with cerebral palsy whose life takes an unexpected turn when she moves to a new town.

Ellie’s a girl who tells it like it is. That surprises some people, who see a kid in a wheelchair and think she’s going to be all sunshine and cuddles. The thing is, Ellie has big dreams: She might be eating Stouffer’s for dinner, but one day she’s going to be a professional baker. If she’s not writing fan letters to her favorite celebrity chefs, she’s practicing recipes on her well-meaning, if overworked, mother.

But when Ellie and her mom move so they can help take care of her ailing grandpa, Ellie has to start all over again in a new town at a new school. Except she’s not just the new kid—she’s the new kid in the wheelchair who lives in the trailer park on the wrong side of town. It all feels like one challenge too many, until Ellie starts to make her first-ever friends. Now she just has to convince her mom that this town might just be the best thing that ever happened to them!

About Jamie Sumner

Jamie Sumner is the author of Roll with ItTime to Roll, Rolling OnTune It OutOne Kid’s TrashThe Summer of JuneMaid for ItDeep WaterPlease Pay AttentionSchooled, and Glory Be. Her work has appeared in The New York TimesThe Washington Post, and other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She is also the mother of a son with cerebral palsy and has written extensively about parenting a child with special needs. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her at Jamie-Sumner.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Darla

She had me at British Baking Show. Ellie is an aspiring baker and is inspired by Mary Berry, Julia Child and other baking greats. She is also confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy and lives with her divorced mother. The two of them move to a trailer in Oklahoma to help Mema take care of gra......more

Goodreads review by Eileen

I loved this book--I couldn't put it down. I loved Ellie, and I loved her family, her two friends, and Hutch! I don't come across too many books where the main character has a disability and I love it when I find one that is so full of heart. It was helpful to see the challenges that Ellie faces on......more

Goodreads review by Calleen

I love the book. From a reader’s perspective, it flows well. The characters are developed and real. There is a real story there that makes you laugh and cheer. As a Mom of a special needs kid, this book rocks! We need more books like this that show what our kids can do and that they are people just l......more


Quotes

"Narrator Candace Thaxton lends her unique voice to a feisty and unforgettable protagonist. Born with cerebral palsy, Ellie Cowan has always been wheelchair bound, but that hasn't stopped her from dreaming big. She wants to become a professional baker. But when her grandfather's dementia worsens, Ellie and her mom must move to look after him. Narrating in an emotional tone, Thaxton skillfully captures Ellie's wry sense of humor, along with her charming idiosyncratic friends, Coralee and Bert. Listeners will hear Ellie's loneliness and determination as she struggles to find independence and her place in the world. Written from the author's own experience as a special needs parent, this heartwarming story is brought to life as Thaxton strikes the perfect balance of grit and tenderness."