Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek

The Good News Shoes

by Jill Osborne

If you’re gonna run for your life,

you gotta wear the right shoes.

Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action—so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she’s appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes. Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend, TJ, mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets—because something isn’t quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract’s a contract, so Riley laces up her “Rock Shocker” hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground?

Genres: Middle Grade, Christian Fiction, Childrens, Christian, Sports

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2014

About the author

Jill Osborne is an author and speaker who loves kids (probably because she still is one). She has 30+ years of experience working in children’s and youth ministry and now writes adventure stories to bring hope to a new generation. She lives with her husband in California’s Central Valley—just a short drive from her favorite place in the whole world, Yosemite National Park. A hike to the top of Half-Dome in 2003 inspired her very first book: Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 5 out of 5]

About this book:

“If you're gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes.
Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action---so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she's appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes. Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend TJ mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets---because suddenly something isn't quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract's a contract, so Riley laces up her 'Rock Shocker' hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground?”


Series: Book #1 in “The Good News Shoes” series.


Spiritual Content- Ephesians 6:15 is quoted at the beginning and is what the series is based on; Many Prayers; Mentions of Prayers; Many Talks about God, Jesus, peace, Heaven, & Him loving us; Talks about the Armor of God; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God or Jesus; Bible reading; Scriptures are read & discussed; Church, Children’s Church & lessons; Talks about Church; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of Bibles & talks about reading it; Witnessing & Talking about Jesus to people; A mention of a Bible calendar; Mentions of sponsor kids; Flip nor Fawn go to Church; Rusty doesn’t think that God loves her.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, a ‘holy smokes’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘sissy’s, four ‘rats!’, seven ‘stupid’s, and 11 ‘dumb’s; When TJ gets mad she throws an egg at the wall; Riley Mae & Brandy bicker a bit; A mention of looking like a zombie (after a lot of hard work); Mentions of going to the bathroom in the woods; Mentions of blood & injuries (up to semi-detailed); A couple mentions of a murder (not detailed); A couple mentions of divorce.


Sexual Content- Sean has a crush on Riley & mentions of marrying her (which she does not want to be Riley O’Reilly); TJ’s older sister, Breanne, hangs out with “hairy boys” and flirts with Flip; A couple mentions of anorexia; A mention of a guy who is not wearing a shirt (no details); Rusty’s mom left when she was five.

-Riley Mae Hart, age 12
First person P.O.V. of Riley Mae
238 pages

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Pre Teens- Four Stars
New Teens- Five Stars
Early High School Teens- Five Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Five Stars
From the opening chapter, I started feeling giddy about this series. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way on the first page of a book…the last time was actually back in May! “Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek” was excellent in my honest opinion! It had a lot of Spiritual Content, a fun and exciting plot, and humor in it. Flip is great and is probably my favorite character next to Riley Mae. :)


Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Tami Hungerford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family has absolutely LOVED these books!!!

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek - Faithgirlz The Good News Shoes Book 1
Author: Jill Osborne
Publisher: Zonderkidz-Books
Published: 1-28-2014
Pages: 240
Genre: Children's Fiction
Sub-Genre: Christian; Friends
ISBN: 9780310742944
ASIN: B00HYN86R0
Reviewed For NetGalley and Zonderkidz-Books
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.25 Stars


Riley Mae is a young athletic girl who loves baseball, a sport she shares with her best friend. While at her father's work place she is unexpectedly approached by her father's client to be the spokesperson for the Swiftriver Shoe Company. Excited she begins and new adventure, but finds the fame she comes to know comes at a price. Missed games causes problems with her friend and the others on the team members. Everyone wants to be her and there is no privacy. There is no backing out even when she finds there is something going on at Swiftriver. After all she signed a contract and must honor it.


A wonderfully clean read for young readers. This is a series that teaches as it entertains. Morals and right and wrong without preaching. I rated this book at 4.75 out of 5 stars. If you have a young reader looking for a series that is interesting and fun to read then give this series a try. I don't believe you will be disappointed.


Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HYN86R0/...

B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rile...

GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Faithgirlz book. Better than I expected. Don't know what I expected. Weak plot and characters maybe? But actually, many characters, particularly Riley Mae, Flip and Fawn have interesting, creative, well-developed personalities. I like the inclusion of sports and of course, Riley Mae's faith.

Since Riley Mae's Dad is in advertising, she gets noticed by a shoe company who wants to use her name and face for their brand. At first she thinks it's the coolest thing ever. Then she realizes just how much the photo shoots are going to interfere with softball. Riley Mae has to contend with her best friend's frustration over missing games and a teammate who isn't getting enough to eat. All of this amounts to very real, relatable writing.

What I didn't like was the oddball plot mystery which took over the story at about the 2/3 mark. It was far-fetched, and I prefer that books stay in the land of reality. If the author had stayed more with the story of the poor teammate, created a more believable reason for why Flip was living at the office, and expanded more on Riley's generous heart for helping people, maybe relating it to the gospel shoes in God's armor (Ephesians 6), I would have given 4 stars. Even so, it's a good enough read that I will definitely explore more books in the Faithgirlz collection.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was an interesting book about a girl named Riley who gets her own shoe line. It becomes super popular and it interferes with her ability to play softball and be a kid. She also encounters a girl who doesn't have enough money for food. Finally, her mom is a cop and there is a little mystery involved. The book has a lot going on and I'd say its definitely more appropriate for middle schoolers. Theres a lot of great faith content, but the food insecurity, eating disorders, and potential attempted homicide makes me think we'll wait on this series.

[Cheri Pickslay · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be 12 to enjoy this story. Even though Riley Mae is a kid, the problems she faces are not exclusive to her age group. How do you deal with notoriety? More money? Juggling priorities? Doing the right thing even if it lands you in trouble? And most of all, how do you tell someone about Jesus who's certain she's not worth His time? Jill does an outstanding job penning a story that all of us can relate to, as well as challenge us to keep our eyes on Jesus.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

B-. fiction, teen, young girl gets her own brand of shoes, adventure, teen life;. from stash, keep to give away

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good i rely liked it but it was a little long for me. But over all I give it a 4 out of 5 star.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Comments
I found out about this book and really liked the cover/summary, it turned out to be much better than I expected. Riley Mae loves shoes, loves sports, and is an excellent softball player. One day she goes to her father’s office spur of the moment and ends up signing a contract with Swiftriver Company to be the spokes girl of their shoe lineup. This 7th grader is sooooo excited about getting these shoes, but she doesn’t realize that everything is about to change!

Riley Mae’s mom is a police officer and her dad works in advertising, I really loved their relationship with her and how protective they are of her. Before making any decision, Riley’s dad always prays. Riley also has a kid brother, Brady, and they attend church every Sunday.

Riley Mae’s best friend, TJ, was the character I liked LEAST in this book. I have no idea how this girl became a best friend because she is bossy, judgmental, very opinionated, holds a grudge, and is all attitude when she doesn’t get her way. I guess they have a history together and they both love softball, but I couldn’t believe how unfriendly she is in the story. I really wish Riley Mae had stood her ground better with TJ, but maybe this friendship will have better closure in the sequel.

One of my favorite scenes is in children’s church when the kids talk about the Bible, God’s love, and the armor of God while doing different activities.

I loved Flip and Fawn! Their back and forth snappy comments are great and really enhance the storyline. Neither one of them is what they seem, but their personalities are delightful. Even though they’re involved with Riley Mae for business reasons, they really do become an extended family for her and that was a treat for me.

Riley Mae is not like other teens. She is super observant, intelligent, sensitive, considerate, and unique. She really wants others less fortunate to benefit from her shoes as well as the ones that can afford them, she’s very good at ignoring TJ, and her sense of humor is wonderfully illustrated in this story. She comments a few times about the inconvenience of being a spokes girl and how it changes her free time, but she gets a much bigger adventure thanks to the shoes. She asks her dad how much money she gets from advertising the shoes and he makes it clear that her college tuition is paid for, very nice! I recommend this book for a pre teen audience, but it is a great read for all ages. This book has more action and enjoyment than I expected *smiling big* The conclusion of the story implies what the next book will be about so it doesn't end here. Please check out Faithgirlz.com for updates and fun information for girls!

I want to thank Booksneeze and Zonderkidz for the review copy received. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This trilogy s one of my biggest comfort series. I love how natural Jill Osbourne writes and makes the smallest things relatable. I have loved Riley Mae since I was 12 years old and she continues to show me new ways to look at the world and get my heart in the right place. This book is such a blessing and I know that anyone who delves into the world of the shoe-spokesgirl will feel the same emotional connection.

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:

If you're gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes. Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action---so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she's appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes. Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend TJ mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets---because suddenly something isn't quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract's a contract, so Riley laces up her 'Rock Shocker' hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground?

About the Author:

Jill Osborne works in children's ministry and has a passion for telling great stories. She has written plays, skits for youth groups and Sunday morning drama teams, curriculum for children's ministry, countless articles for her church newsletter, and a blog about taking a sabbatical in a motor home. Good News Shoes is her first series for kids, and she plans to run with it!

My Review:

Being a young girl at the tender age of 12, you really have no worries. Look out world! Here comes young and spunky Riley Mae, she loves her friends and playing softball. She seems to be alright at first with all the attention being a shoe spokesperson entails but soon she feels that her decisions are exactly lining up with the person she is or the company she represents. This book is perfect for girls between the ages of 8-12, it holds their attention and is faith based. I love the series and look forward to seeing more from this author.



Choosing to do the right thing isn't always easy for our children whether its girls or boys. The pull to always be popular or liked is still going strong for today's youth. I know my own children struggle with what God wants verses what the world wants. As a parent I am really glad that there are authors out there willing to address this issue and to support the fact that God's will is the way to go and something that we should strive for.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the BookLook Bloggers Program

[Create With Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know what it feels like to be presented with an opportunity that sounds so fabulous, you think it’s a dream come true?

Seventh grader Riley Mae Hart does. After all, what girl doesn’t dream of owning dozens of sparkly shoes – appearing in photo shoots – and going on glamorous trips?

But – Riley Mae is about to learn that not every opportunity is as golden as it seems.

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne is the delightful story of a young girl who is offered the chance to become a shoe spokesperson for the Swiftriver Shoe Company – one of her father’s advertising clients. She is thrilled by the prospect of having an entire shoe line – the Riley Mae Sport Collection – named after her.

Riley Mae wants this job more than anything. Although her parents are concerned about her making such a huge commitment, Riley Mae knows she will be the perfect spokesperson – even if she doesn’t really understand all that it entails.

So – the family prays about it – and agree that if this is what Riley Mae wants, they will support her in this endeavor.

That is when Riley Mae’s life starts to get really complicated!

You see, Riley Mae didn’t realize that her new responsibilities would interfere with her softball practice… or cause a rift in her relationship with her best friend, TJ. She didn’t know that the glitzy Riley Mae shoes she is promoting cost more than many families could afford – including her new-found friend, Rusty.

And, she didn’t know that things at the Swiftriver Shoe Company wouldn’t be quite what they should be…

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is the first book in The Good News Shoes series from Zonderkidz and part of the FaithGirlz collection – a special group of products for designed to help girls ages 8 through 12 explore, develop and share their faith.

It’s a delightful story that infuses elements of faith, family, friendship and mystery. Young girls will enjoy this story and will want to jump into the sequel!

To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Mae loves sports -- and she loves shoes -- so when she gets the opportunity to be the spokesperson for a fantastic new brand of shoes for girls, she absolutely cannot turn down the opportunity -- even when it means she may have to give up her position on the softball team in order to film commercials and attend meet and greets with fans. But, Riley Mae never expected to be famous, and her fabulous new stash of shoes don't hurt either, and Riley Mae feels like she must be at the top of the world.

But, Riley's best friend soon feels like Riley is cancelling too many plans, and the softball team just may not be able to hold Riley's space if she can't attend practice like everyone else. And, Riley's own friends can't even afford her shoes since the price is so high -- and Riley begins to wonder if this spokesperson job may be more trouble than its worth.

Yet, nothing compares to Riley's latest job, where she must make a dangerous climb up a steep mountain in order to be photographed with her latest rock climbing shoes. Something doesn't quite seem right about the people in charge here, and a mysterious text suggestions that lives may be in danger.

Can Riley, the shoe queen, get to the bottom of this mystery without losing her best friends and her softball team in the process?

RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK was a cute, fun middle grade novel that seems to have been specifically written for a younger, female, Christian audience. Although the novel does mention several Bible verses and biblical topics, like the importance in having Jesus in one's steps/
shoes for true peace, the biblical topics don't seem to be integrated throughout the story enough to isolate readers who aren't necessarily looking for a Christian story.

I loved reading about Riley's rise to shoe stardom, especially during her struggles with her best friend, but I must admit that things got a little weird once the whole cliff mystery came into play. I wasn't surprised or even totally interested in the outcome of the mystery, but the story as a whole was enjoyable enough for a fast little read.

The series was adorable and fun, so I probably will go ahead and read the second book in the series. I thank the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange for a totally honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK
Author: Jill Osborne
Publisher: Zonderkidz
January 2014
ISBN: 978-0310742944
Genre: Young adult

If you're gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes.

Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action---so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she's appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes.

Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend TJ mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets---because suddenly something isn't quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract's a contract, so Riley laces up her 'Rock Shocker' hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite.

Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground?

RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK is the first book in The Good News Shoes series. It is written for tweeners (8-12 year olds), so I am letting one of my tweens review the book (which I got from Zondervan for review, with no expectations for a positive review.)

In my daughter’s words: RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK is a really exciting book. Riley Mae liked the shoes she was shown at her father’s shoe store and all of sudden she’s a spokes-girl for the shoes. She featured on the cover of lot of magazines.
Then Riley Mae’s best friend gets mad at her because she’s missing all the softball games. Things only get worse from there, and there’s a bunch of secrets that were a surprise and kept the pages turning.

Riley Mae is twelve, just like me, and if she were a real person she’d be my friend because she’s like me, she likes sports and reading. And I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids. 5 stars. $7.99. 240 pages.

[AurorainBookland · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are some really serious topics
Rusty's dad lost his job and she and her dad don't have food in the house all the time and her mom left when she was five and her mom left her dad a note basically saying she couldn't be with him anymore and saying they knew this would happen if they had children. Rusty finds it and blames herself for her mom leaving
That is handled well but then we get to the teen serious topics the topics you only find in teen or adult books until now
Flip and Fawn are actually Dan and Samantha (Sam) who are hiding out in California they are originally from New York where there dad was a famous rich real estate developer and their dad's company or some people in the company plotted to have their dad killed anyway flip and fawn find this out and take these people to court and those people got to jail for awhile.
Fast forward now those people are out of jail and want to seriously hurt or kill flip and fawn
And now Riley who is the spokes girl for flip and fawns shoe company that's right Bob is just the helper but flip and fawn are the real genius boss people behind swiftriver shoes. Anyways since Riley is around flip and fawn a lot she is in danger too.
While on the hike a backpack fell on flip accident nope the backpack was filled with rocks and dropped on purpose and of course God saves flip and makes him only have minor injuries
and now Riley's mom and her police team have to find the people who want to hurt/kill flip and fawn not sure which because the book never says while Riley goes to flip and fawn's secret house?
Later Riley's family will join her

So basically a 12 - 13 year old girl it never said how old Riley is in the books this is based off her grade level and all depends on where her birthday falls is in serious danger
Really?

if you don't want your kid reading something that states people plot to have people in their own company killed and yes it states it like this look elsewhere.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book for review is “ Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek” by Jill Osborne. It falls into the genre of juvenile fiction, religious, Christian and general.

Riley Mae is your typical 12-year-old girl who loves her family, friends and softball. While at work with her dad she is approached by one of his clients, Swiftriver Shoe Company, to be their spokesperson for their line of sports sneakers. She gets to keep all the shoes she promotes while she will be in commercials and promotional gigs. The family wrestles between the good and bad of what this will do to her and their family lives. Deciding to go for it, Riley starts her new career. There is a huge problem though, it will interfere with her playing softball with her best friends. Something that consumes her.

It doesn’t help that something isn’t right with her employer as secrets are discovered and must be kept. She is locked into her contract, a fact her parents remind her enough times.

The book had some spiritualness sprinkled throughout the book. It was not over done and I felt the author did a good job in placing them where she did. However the plot of the story seemed a little weak. The set up for what was going on and how it was solved was not introduced as soon as I would have liked it. I was midway through the book and I wondered when would I see action or the action that would propel me to like the characters and how the evolved at the end of the book. I just felt it needed more umph , more meat to the story line to make it a better read.

The characters are likeable and I love how the family unit was portrayed in this book. The age group that this is geared for will like this book for it has the elements that is needed.

[Dena McMurdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Mae is the new spokesperson for a shoe company and she is very excited about it...until it interferes with the rest of her life. Her best friend is mad at her, she can't play softball as much as she wants, and all her weekends are spent doing photo shoots and making appearances.

Here is what I liked about the book: Riley Mae is a sweet girl who genuinely cares about others. She goes out of her way to make other girls feel included and good about themselves. She is upbeat and positive. I loved the vibrant personalities of the characters. Flip and Fawn are both entertaining and fun to have along for the ride. Riley's parents were involved in her life and helped her make good decisions (yay for involved parents!). They taught her to pray over decisions and to turn to God for guidance.

What I didn't like about the book: Much of the religious content felt awkward and out of place—there were only a few instances where it fit nicely with the rest of the story. Also, the build up was very slow. Most of the book was about photo shoots and friend drama until the very end when things got interesting. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending. There's not much of a solution, but instead it ends in a gateway to the next book. There isn't much explanation for some character's motivations, and many of their behaviors didn't make sense. Maybe those things will be addressed in the next book.

Even though not everything worked for me, it was still a good book that I would happily let my daughter read. It will appeal to girls ages 9-12 that enjoy clean, light reads with fun characters.

Content: clean

Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My blog: Batch of Books

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riley Mae loves sports and shoes so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company wants to sign her up as their spokesperson she is all for it….but…. her parents are not so sure because she is like every typical girl. They agree to something but when it gets in the way of something else they want to do, they want to quit. After much prayer and discussion she does become the spokesperson and it takes her on an unusual journey. She is faced with making her best friend TJ mad and friending another girl Rusty. Through her journey she is faced with sharing her faith with the people she meets and although she understands and trusts her faith she is often not sure how to present it to others. As the plot unfolds you will see Riley not only grow in her faith, but also learn how to share it with others.

I loved this book for several reasons. It will appeal to those tween girls who love God, sports, shoes and a mystery. It also shows the struggle between making friends happy and doing what is right. It made situations that children are faced with everyday become manageable if they follow their heart, remember to pray and ask for help. It was a fun book to read and I can’t wait to pass it on to my granddaughter. I know without a doubt she will want to read the whole series.

If any parent is looking for a good wholesome series of books for their young tween…this is it!

Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, ZonderKidz, for an honest review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.

[Brandi (Rambles of a SAHM) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like faiThGirLz! products for tween girls. This new series, The Good News Shoes, is perfect for your tween girl that is all into sports. In the first book, Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek, we meet the spunky Riley Mae Hart. To say that she is into sports is an understatement. She lives and breathes to play.

Riley Mae's dad has his own advertising business and is in the midst of doing promotions for Swiftriver Shoe Company. By chance Riley Mae and the company executives happen to be in her father's office at the same time. Once they meet Riley Mae they know that she will make the perfect spokesperson for Swiftriver.

The instant fame and obligations begin to put stress on her relationships with fellow teammates and friends. But through the adversity Riley Mae learns some important life lessons about compassion and loyalty. Through different circumstances she is forced to figure out who she wants to be and truly take a good look at what she believes.

One of the pleasantly surprising aspects of this series is that it has a suspense element in it. It isn't too heavy, in fact it is just right for your middle grader. By the end of the book part of the mystery is solved but there is an ongoing storyline that continues on into the next book.

If you have an athletic girl that needs something to read this summer you should pick this book and series up. She'll have hours of fun reading about the antics of Riley Mae and her friends.

I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley Mae is your average girl, who loves sports. In fact sports and having fun are pretty much the two things she centers her life around besides family and school. Then a casual visit to her dads work turns into an offer to be a spokes person for a new companies outdoor sports shoe collection for girls. After some begging by her and contemplation by her parents they decide to accept and sign the contract that lets her become the new spokesperson.

Riley's even more excited when they bring by several pairs of the shoes for her and she realizes they have called the actual shoes and collection The Riley Mae shoes. Not only that, they are all fun colors, and she absolutely loves how the shoes feel. Everything seems to be going great for her, that is until she realizes that being a spokesperson takes a lot of time. Time that she thought she's be spending playing on a softball team with her friends.

But a contract is a contract, and her parents tell her she cant get out of it. Soon things start happening. She is making a new friend, who happens to need her help. She's also finding herself sneaking around and spying and keeping secrets when she realizes that something about her new life is not quite right.
To read the rest of my review, visit my blog


http://runawaybridalplanner.blogspot....

[Maryann Skaritka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riley Mae is a sweet tween who loves sports, especially baseball. She has a sometimes annoying little brother Brady and her best friend TJ shares her love of baseball and brownies.

When her dad suggests that Riley be the spokesgirl for the Swiftriver Shoe Company, one of his advertising clients, she agrees. Her life soon becomes taken up with photo shoots, interviews and appearances. Her heart was set on playing on the baseball team again this year but sadly she sees this will be next to impossible.

Riley learns some important lessons about faith and being kind to others too along the way. Her mom is chief of police for the local department and always encourages her. Riley helps out Rusty who is on the baseball team and shows her kindness.

Flip is the Swiftriver photographer and Fawn is Riley's personal photo shoot assistant. These two characters become involved in the books mystery and adventure.

The book didnt have a solid ending so the adventure will probably continue in the next book.

I thought that Riley was a sweet tween character that tween readers could relate to and she shares a wonderful faith filled message with the readers about sharing Gods love with others, caring for others and trusting God.

[BookCupid · Rating 4 out of 5]

With fame comes responsibility -- and Riley Mae shows us how it's done.

Becoming a spokesperson for a running shoe line was a dream come true, until Riley discovered just how much her life would change. Not only is her schedule completely full, but if she wasn't receiving the shoes for free, she wouldn't be able to afford them. Yet girls try to do anything for a pair. Except for her friend Rusty, who doesn't even eat now that her dad lost his job. Can Riley use her fame for a purpose and secretly help Rusty buy food without her parents or softball team noticing?

Riley is the kind of child any parent would dream off. She hates the schedule, but obeys it. Takes her friend's struggles to heart. Respects her family. With a girl like Riley -- what could possibly go wrong? But Osborne surprised me with a mystery subplot that I did not see coming. The last part of the book is filled with action, an assassin, and a humorous pair of siblings.

Prepare for a cliffhanger ending, literally.

[Liz Cleland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek (Faithgirlz! / The Good News Shoes)
Riley realizes the importance of keeping her commitments when photo shoots and publicity events prevent her from playing softball. Riley deals a lot with friendships as her new commitments lead to conflict between Riley and her best friend, TJ, who doesn't understand her circumstance. Riley also meets (and helps) a new friend, Rusty, who is struggling financially because her dad is out of work. I appreciate this book of the series have its own complete plot aside from the main series plot. I also enjoyed some of the lessons that are demonstrated. However, there are several lies, some that Riley keeps from her parents. I would just caution you if you allow your children to read this. This is an easy read and appropriate for teenagers.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassandra's Review- The author did an amazing job of bringing her message to light in this book. My children are very excited about reading other books in this series. As a parent I love to find books that will provoke my children to interact and have a feeling of knowing and growth when they do. I think the book has a good tone and as a home school teacher I would incorporate this book into reading time for some of my older children. The book has a very easy to read vocabulary and so your kids will not have to run to a dictionary or ask you to explain it. Riley Mae is a down to earth character and that makes the story more in key with the kids as well.

The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book through Book Look Bloggers.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for an awesome book to share with a young reader or to read to a young person in your life - this book is an awesome choice. The story is appropriate for a young person, but interesting enough for the adult sharing it.

There is a really good mystery, twist to the story. The plot will keep your attention from the beginning until the end.

I liked that Riley Mae was into sports, her friends and God. She was very relatable to any young girl. She was very aware of other peoples feelings and needs. An attribute I would love to see passed on to others.

This series will be fun to collect to for a young person in your life.

More reviews at Ope's Opinions.com

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My almost 11 year old daughter loves this series. I think I learned about it on Goodreads and requested it at my library for them to purchase. My daughter read it faster than most items that we get in to the house, even those really likes. She just could not put the books down. I think 8-12 would enjoy this series.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!!!! kept me up all night!!

[Brindi Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

these are excellent books for young Christian girls!

[Jaymie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Faith pieces fit and aren't shoehorned in. Nice overarching story line to tie the series together. Looking forward to reading #2.

[Caroline Ndungu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am 9 years old. I thought this book was amazing because it talked about Riley Mae helping a girl named Rusty get food while keeping her shoe business going.