Book Review - Flipping Forward Twisting Backward by Alma Fullerton + Giveaway

 

Claire is the best gymnast in her school's team. She is even on her way to qualifying for the state championships. Claire does her best at the gym but, in school she is known as the troublemaker. At school, she spends more time in the principal's office than in the classroom. Claire doesn't mind being in trouble because it helps hide the fact that she can't read. She has trouble reading because everything looks like a jumble of mess.

Her principal is sympathetic to Claire and wonders if she is acting out because she has dyslexic. Claire's mother is hesitant to get her tested because she doesn't want Claire to be labeled. Claire never realized that she might be able to get help for her reading problems. Will she be able to convince her mother that she needs help?

I was a bit torn on this book. The book has a great message and shows how everyone can have their own private struggles while appearing differently in public. However, I didn't really like Claire and her mother. Claire was very aggressive and took out her anger on others when things got hard. There was even a scene in the book where Claire was aggressive towards an animal because she was frustrated. Claire and her mother seem to have a close bond but, it seems that her mother never really paid any attention to Claire's school work. They would spend time cuddling and watching movies but, I am hesitant to believe that her mother never noticed anything amiss or that her school never contacted her before about Claire's aggressive behavior since, she seems to have a pattern of aggressive behavior. Then when Claire's mother is called in because Claire pushed a child and he lost a tooth, her mother didn't even try to get to the bottom of the fight. Claire wants to get help but, when she notices a teacher paying attention to her and trying to help, Claire still tries to rebel against the teacher. Also, I am not sure about the part where they require the parents permission to put children into "special programs". I remember being in one because they thought I didn't speak English since I was an immigrant (even though English is the only language I spoke) and they didn't seek my parents' approval before placing me in that program.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**

 

 

 

About The Book:

Title: FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD

Author: Alma Fullerton

Pub. Date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: Peachtree

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 144

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

A high-energy novel in verse starring a fifth grader who is almost as devoted to competitive gymnastics as she is to hiding her poor reading skills. What happens when Claire’s secret starts unraveling?

Claire is by far the best gymnast on her team, and she’s well on her way to qualifying for the state championships. The gym is where Claire shines. But at school, she’s known as a troublemaker. She seems to spend more time in the office than in class—which is fine with her since it enables her to hide the fact that she can’t read. She has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page. No one except her BFF knows.
 
But when a sympathetic principal wonders if Claire is acting out because she’s dyslexic, her mother balks. She’s afraid Claire will be labeled “stupid” and refuses testing. Claire has always assumed she’s dumb; she never imagined her reading problem could have a solution. Is she strong enough to take on both her reading challenges and her mother’s denial? Is it worth jeopardizing her spot in qualifiers?
 
Told in clear and poignant verse and featuring black and white illustrations, Claire’s struggle with something that seems to come easily to everyone else will resonate with readers and have them cheering her on.

 

 

About Alma Fullerton:

Alma Fullerton couldn’t read until she was in the fourth grade. Today she works with students who have learning disabilities. She is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels that garnered acclaim and awards in her native Canada. Alma is also the author/illustrator of several picture books. She is on faculty with the Highlights Foundation for teaching novel in verse writing and is an RA for SCBWI’s Canada East region. 

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

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