Kyle Finds Her Way
-
- $13.99
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
In this delightful debut, Kyle Constantini discovers what it takes to navigate middle school: good friends, a crusading spirit, and her lucky blue fedora.On the first day of sixth grade, Kyle Constantini lands in the principal's office after standing up against (that is, punching) Ino Nevarez, who was teasing a deaf girl at school. Her punishment? Join the NAVS program, which teaches constructive problem-solving (that is, not punching).Kyle loves NAVS, where her team competes in a challenge to navigate a maze. But her parents refuse to let her participate... so Kyle may just have to fudge the truth a bit to get around them. Then her best friend starts to crush on a cute new English boy, who seems to be interested in -- Kyle? As the NAVS competition approaches, she has to trust her instincts, take some good advice, and figure out her way through the amazing maze of middle school.Rich characters, a big heart, and a witty, warm voice make Kyle Finds Her Way a debut worth discovering.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this empowering coming-of-age story, Kyle Constantini begins sixth grade secure in her friendships with pals Sheroo and Brooke, but complications quickly arise. Boy-crazy Sheroo develops a crush on a new student named Reed, who clicks with Kyle, and Brooke is acting mysterious about medical tests she needs. After Kyle impulsively hits classmate Ino for picking on a student with hearing aids, she is assigned to participate in NAVS, a competitive problem-solving group. Kyle winds up loving the group, but her parents pull their already-grounded daughter from NAVS after discovering that one of its meetings looks more like an unsupervised pool party. Kyle navigates these and other problems with help from wise teachers and insight from friends, eventually coming to better understand herself and the people around her. Debut author Salom gives Kyle a punchy narrative voice whose quirks can feel forced at times ("Crap'n Crunch. Now, my heart is a bongo at a luau"). But the novel offers some intriguing ideas about connections that transcend verbal communication, which should leave readers with plenty to think about. Ages 10 14.
