Girl Scouts: Maven Takes the Lead

by Yamile Saied Méndez

The first in a must-read middle grade series from Girl Scouts of the USA about a group of fifth graders with lots of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. This novel written by award-winning author Yamile Saied Méndez is perfect for readers who love The Babysitter's Club and American Girl's Girl of the Year series.

Maven wants to be known for something great.

She had been nervous about starting fifth grade after spending all summer with her little brother and baby cousins. So when her fifth-grade teacher announces a district-wide robotics competition, she jumps at the opportunity to be the class’s leader. Being in charge is better and cooler than playing make-believe, right? Many people doubt her, especially the boys in her class, but with the support of her friends and Girl Scout troop, Maven is determined to prove them wrong.

Then she goes overboard with her dedication to the competition, and she seems to be disappointing everyone—including herself. She begins to realize maybe being herself is what she needed to do all along.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) is a fútbol obsessed Argentine-American. She’s the mother of 5 kids and 2 adorable dogs. Yamile’s an inaugural Walter Dean Meyers Grant recipient, a graduate of Voices of our Nation (VONA) and the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Writing for Children program.
She’s represented by Linda Camacho, from the Gallt and Zacker Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Tabitha Kluka · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my daughters, who are Girl Scouts. the story was sweet and relatable, about a 5th grade girl learning what it means to be a good friend and work as a team for her class's robotics project. Maven has to learn about understanding her own strengths and weaknesses, accepting help, empathising with her peers, and sometimes prioritizing time with friends and family.

[Chloe Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was such a sweet read! as a part of the girl scout movement, i thought the author did a great job of portraying a modern girl scout, one who struggles with wanting to fit in while also staying true to herself, and who is only just beginning to navigate conflict in her relationships. i am excited to see if there are any more girl scout books that come out, and if they will explore the other three pillars that girl scouts have.

[SOYAMRG · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The first in a must-read middle grade series from Girl Scouts of the USA about a group of fifth graders with lots of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” – publisher blurb on Amazon

Fifth grader Maven is experiencing a lot of change this school year. Her best friend Gemma is now going to a new school, so she feels isolated until she befriends newcomer Sylvie and invites her to join her Girl Scout troop. Her life becomes complicated when she is intimidated into stepping into the role of leader for her classroom’s science project that seems to be morphing into a boys vs. girls project, her friendship with Gemma seems to be fraying due to the distance, and Gemma and Sylvie seem to be developing a friendship – without her.

Méndez has crafted this first of a series that features girls in their everyday lives and how the Girl Scouts can help build their character. Maven comes across as a bit self-absorbed and whiny at times, however by the end of the book, she is transformed to be much more self-assured and ready to be a team-player. Méndez is careful not to let the GS organization overpower the action of book, however it does play a strong supporting role with its emphasis on her character development and current emphasis on STEAM activities for girls.

Several publishing problems were noted:
p. 141 - 'full' is split as ""f"" on one line and ""ull"" on the next (3rd line from bottom of the page)
p. 147 - ""electronic (pencil) sharpeners"" - I suspect this should have been ""electric pencil sharpeners"" (8th line from top)
p. 147 - ""Yellowstone park"" - ""P"" should be capitalized if part of the name of the park (7th line from the bottom)

Is this series a gimmick or recruiting tool for the Girl Scouts? Hard to tell, but it is tastefully done and reflects my experience as a Girl Scout in the late 1960's-70's. Regardless, this is a solid choice for girls who enjoy Babysitter’s Club and American Girls series books.

An Optional Purchase for most libraries for grades 3-5. I would bump this up to Recommended purchase if you have an active GS troop in your area.

S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant
"

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘The first in a must-read middle grade series from Girl Scouts of the USA about a group of fifth graders with lots of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.” – publisher blurb on Amazon

Fifth grader Maven is experiencing a lot of change this school year. Her best friend Gemma is now going to a new school, so she feels isolated until she befriends newcomer Sylvie and invites her to join her Girl Scout troop. Her life becomes complicated when she is intimidated into stepping into the role of leader for her classroom’s science project that seems to be morphing into a boys vs. girls project, her friendship with Gemma seems to be fraying due to the distance, and Gemma and Sylvie seem to be developing a friendship – without her.

Méndez has crafted this first of a series that features girls in their everyday lives and how the Girl Scouts can help build their character. Maven comes across as a bit self-absorbed and whiny at times, however by the end of the book, she is transformed to be much more self-assured and ready to be a team-player. Méndez is careful not to let the GS organization overpower the action of book, however it does play a strong supporting role with its emphasis on her character development and current emphasis on STEAM activities for girls.

Several publishing problems were noted:
p. 141 - 'full' is split as "f" on one line and "ull" on the next (3rd line from bottom of the page)
p. 147 - "electronic (pencil) sharpeners" - I suspect this should have been "electric pencil sharpeners" (8th line from top)
p. 147 - "Yellowstone park" - "P" should be capitalized if part of the name of the park (7th line from the bottom)

Is this a gimmick or recruiting tool for the Girl Scouts? Hard to tell, but it is tastefully done and reflects my experience as a Girl Scout in the late 1960's-70's. Regardless, this is a solid choice for girls who enjoy Babysitter’s Club and American Girls series books. An Optional Purchase for grades 3-5; Recommended purchase if you have an active GS troop in your area.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maven is very nervous about starting fifth grade. She’s sure that when talk turns to what her classmates did over the summer, she’ll be branded uncool for the imaginative activities she designed for her little cousins. Her best friend Gemma won’t be there to buffer the newness, and Maven’s “scaries” have really amped up. Right away, Maven meets a girl who’s new to town, and before she knows it, she and Sylvie are friends. Maven invites Sylvie to Girl Scouts, and when Sylvie meets Gemma there, they hit it off right away. Maven must navigate the friendship threesome. Another challenge is the fifth grade robotics tournament. Maven volunteers to be the team leader, and feels the pressure there, especially since there’s an ugly boys vs girls vibe. When she recites the STEAM pledge at her Girl Scouts troop meeting, Maven realizes that she can face the challenge to learn something new.

This book is very much Maven’s inner journey: gaining the confidence to tackle new things: learning enough science to guide her class for the tournament, and believing that Sylvie can be her friend even if Sylvie is also friends with Gemma. The adults in Maven’s life are very supportive, including her troop leaders. I think her Papi gives her the best advice: that science and creativity go hand in hand, giving Maven the confidence to use her creative powers to imagine the robot she’d like to propose. I was pleased that Girl Scouting was a positive and confidence-building endeavor for her, and that it’s not overly prominent in the story. This realistic slice of life novel will resonate with creative kids who are nervous about science. Diversity: Maven is Latine, Gemma is Black, Sylvie is white.

Maven’s tension is pervasive. I feel that the author could have found more moments of joy or humor to balance it. Also, I wished that the teacher had been a bit more proactive about the boys’ bullying Maven because of her creativity.

[Atlanta · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a lifelong Girl Scout myself, I was excited to come across a new series brought about by Girl Scouts! This was an enchanting chapter book, accessible to most elementary readers, about leadership and communication. I'm excited to see more future books in the series and see how the other girls make a difference in their own ways as well.

Thank you to Girl Scouts and Harper Collins for the opportunity to review this book!

[sarah akins • smareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and author for an arc of this book! I am a former Girl Scout and read this to my current Girl Scout. This is a lovely, enchanting read, that my 8 year-old really enjoyed! We are looking forward to more if this becomes a series.

[Nawal Ciaramitaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is reminiscent of the Babysitters Club. I think it was a fun, light read. It's perfect for 2-5 grade girls. I felt it did a good job navigating the anxieties of being a young girl with friendship problems and a perfectionist personality type.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girl Scouts can bring so many wonderful experiences. The author is right in that science and creativity go together. Wish they had this book back when I was in the 5th grade like the protagonist.