A Good Kind of Trouble: A Compelling Coming-of-Age Story About Making a Difference for Children (Ages 8–12)

My daughter is 10 and is will be starting 5th grade this August, 2022. My daugther is very sweet and has a nice personality but I get on her so much when it comes to practice on her reading. She does not like to do work, read, study.... nothing. I have been very stressed out as a mom trying to encourage her to read and take education seriously. I got on here looking for some books for her to read that I thought she may be interested in. I kept coming across this book for a while but never purchased it because I was scared it would be a waste of money as I have bought so many books in the past from school book fairs and they still sitting up til this day. Anyways, I kept seeing this book on Amazon and good reviews so I said im give it a shot. We received the book and I gave it to my daughter and told her I got her a book she can practice on reading. She gave me this weird look but she said okay. When I tell yall she been reading this book non stop, laughing and running and telling me something funny in the book. All she say is "ma I really love this book" and I swear it made me feel so good! There was this part in the book she was telling me about where it said, "when I see that person passing by I tend to clutch my pearls" or something like that... She just fell out laughing at that part. When I tell yall everyday she picked this book up reading and telling me things from the book I felt so great as a mother. Long story short, buy it for your kids! If it can help my child who dont even like to read or engage in anything educational then that should tell you something. I guess we just have to find things that our kids will enjoy reading verses some thick book thats blah and boring. I plan to order more books from this author. Sorry for making this review long, I just felt the need to share our experience as Im a mom who just wanted to give up.

The girl in this book is in seventh grade, but at least in my area, sixth graders begin middle school. My oldest granddaughter will be starting this strangest of growing-up experiences next year. Unlike Shayla, the protagonist in Lisa Moore Ramée's debut chapter book, my granddaughter is starting in a new school knowing very few students. I wish her well in navigating this time, hope she will find courage as Shayla did. Twelve-year-old Shayla is allergic to trouble, so much so that when she's really upset or nervous, inside, her hands itch. She really values following the rules and is looking forward to starting seventh grade with the United Nations (her two best friends from grade school). Soon enough Shay realizes that rules change when kids get older. They want to be liked, girls and boys both. Her two friends are of different backgrounds, Latina and Asian. Shayla is black. Each wants something different and in this story, that means some disagreements, perhaps even friendships broken. Some at school are saying she's not black enough, doesn't mix enough with her black classmates! Different boys like Shayla, but she likes other boys. Sound familiar. Young teens are trying to figure out who they are, and Shay struggles with it all, too. Teachers and the principal also play a part in her life, mostly good, but when it comes to what's really important, Shay does figure out what is most important to her, wearing an armband to school in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Shay's older sister Hannah is involved in protests, but at first, as I wrote earlier, Shay really doesn't like breaking rules. She's learned from others, including her coach while doing track. And she's thinking more about what her favorite history teacher is saying, that we have to be ourselves, no matter what. What I loved was reading the thoughts of this marvelous young woman that Lisa Moore Ramée has given us. If you know a young adolescent, you'll see how much they think about life and stuff, over and over again. Ramée has Shayla ending each chapter with a bit of learning, showing her grow and grow until she feels good about what happens, what she does even though it takes lots of courage. For example, Shayla says: "I never knew walking right into trouble would make me feel strong. Maybe it has to be the right type of trouble." It's a wonderful book that's so current, it feels as if Ramée wrote it yesterday. There are the students, the varied teachers, and the protests over another police officer getting off the hook for a shooting. It's about today!

Good read

I used to teach middle school so when my cousin recommended this book I got it. I could relate to the working class family but I really related to Shay. She found her comfort level and thought life would not change. Over the course of her seventh grade year everything she thought was real turns out to be not what she thought. I appreciated Shay’s parents & Isabella’s moms protective teachings. We are constantly reminding our children not to grown up so fast & take it slow. Shay wants to wear makeup and have a boyfriend at 12. That hasn’t changed! Most important is the the reminder of using caution in environments hostile to us. (It would be interesting to have Julia’s parents contribute to the story. )The layers of bigotry in in each culture were touched on. As a parent who showed her face regularly at my son’s school I can so cheer Shay’s mom. It’s a fine line to support your child and not put them in the crosshairs of the powers that be. I will keep this author on my list for gifting the young bloods.

I thought it was a good coming of age story in the BLM time. Shay and her girlfriends Isabella and Julia are known as "the United Nations", one African American, one Puerto Rican and one Chinese. Shay is teased by her sister Hana as not having any black friends and letting Shay know the United Nations won't always be together. Hana is front and center at the BLM protests and walks in their town as tensions rise over police shooting of a man in the back as he walks away with his hands up. Shay is dealing with tensions from what her white class mates think about black lives matter as they yell back, all lives matter or blue lives matter. She must also come to terms with liking a boy who likes her friend Isabella and learning to be nice to those boys who happen to be crushing on her. Really good story showing how Shayla comes into her own through discipline of track and making a stand for what she feels is right.

Lisa Ramee's debut has been hailed as "the Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry for this generation," and that praise is well-earned. This middle grade book deals with race, acceptance, friendship, and identity in a pitch perfect, delightfully readable way. Shayla hates trouble so much, it makes her hands itch. But when another unarmed black man is shot by police, Shayla wants to do *something.* So she starts wearing a Black Lives Matter arm band to school. She's not protesting. She's not rallying others to the cause. She just wants to show her belief that being Black is important and valuable. But to some, Shayla isn't Black enough. And to others, she's suddenly too Black. Where does she fit in? Even her closest friendships are starting to unravel, and Shayla isn't sure what to do. With prose so clear and precise, you feel you're actually talking with 12 year olds in the best possible way, A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE is a warm, funny, thoughtful, and deeply important book. Kids will love it, and adults will value its insightful discussion of race, racial politics, and belonging. HIGHLY recommended for all classrooms and school libraries!

Representative John Lewis has shown Americans that sometimes citizens have to be willing to get in some, as he has often said, “good trouble”. Lisa Moore Ramee’s middle grade novel, A Good Kind of Trouble, is an engaging read. The main character, Shayla, is very good student, hesitant in ways that are common with rule following middle schoolers. She wants to fit in- with her best friends, the school track team, the social world available to her and in seventh grader in public school. The middle school has more black, latinx, and Asian than her elementary school had. Shayla is black and this new school environment is an adjustment. As the title suggests, Shayla has to think deeply about when to act or not act in a way that may lead the trouble. Even though it may be the the kind of ‘trouble’ Representative John Lewis would consider, “Good Trouble”. I recommend this book to all middle schoolers and beyond.

very applicable reading for the time we are living in. I read it and then gifted it to the preteen who I original purchased it for.

I adored this book. It has everything I want in a middle grade novel. The characters are relatable and believably thirteen, and there is humour and heart. I really related to Shayla's aversion to rule breaking and her anxiety, and I think a lot of kids reading this will too. The author also manages to touch on some potentially difficult issues, but does it in a really natural and organic way that feels right for the story. This is a good story, but it is also an important one. I also loved how culturally specific the author portrayed all the main characters, especially Shayla's best friends Jules and Isabella. Their experienes as Japanese American and Puerto Rican aren't glossed over but are portrayed with sensitivity and humour. An excellent middle grade novel. Can't recommend it enough!

I purchased this book to read to my students. They love the storyline and can relate to it. An excellent buy!

Ok muy bien. Respuesta pronta, excelente servicio

Brought this book for my Granddaughter. She read this book in two days, during the summer holidays. She loved it

Fight for what they believe in