Roll With It by Jamie Sumner

Synopsis: 

“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!”

Review:

You rarely see a children’s book with a character in a wheelchair, especially when they’re highlighted on the cover. I knew immediately that I’d have to pick up Roll With It to see how it portrayed disability. When I realized that Ellie had Cerebral Palsy, I was very excited because I have an aunt who also has CP. My aunt’s disability is much more severe as she has only a little muscle control and is also non-verbal. I mean, the public would say that she is non-verbal. But our family has learned different signs to communicate as well as having pictures that we use too.

What most people don’t realize is that CP affects your body, not your mind, my aunt is no dummy. We have a running UNO tournament that we pick up every time we see each other. The only part that we help her with is picking up her cards and placing them on the discard pile. I think Ellie’s story can show readers how judging someone by their looks is never a good idea.

From my own experience, Jamie was able to create a character that not only resonated with me but also felt very true as a middle school voice. Ellie doesn’t apologize for her disability. She’s also her own advocate. Probably something she learned from her mom who has fought tooth and nail to get Ellie what she needed. What I truly enjoyed is that Ellie’s disability doesn’t necessarily define who she is, but is something that she contends with on a daily basis that is a part of her. She’s a multi-faceted character sharing her world with other characters that are just as deep. I loved the characters in this book, especially Ellie’s new friends But also her special relationship with her grandparents. And of course, her PE teacher Hutch who surprises Ellie and her mom with more knowledge than most people know.

This is a perfect story for kids who loved Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper and would make a great discussion book for school or library clubs. You can even download a discussion guide from the author’s website for Roll With It by Jamie Sumner.

Need to Know:

Title: Roll With It
Author: Jamie Sumner
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Page Number: 256 pgs.