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Roll With It #3
Rolling On
In this heartfelt companion to Jamie Sumner’s acclaimed and beloved novels Roll with It and Time to Roll, Ellie finds herself faced with first love and learning to let go.
It’s the very end of eighth grade and all everyone can talk about is high school—everyone except Ellie Cowan. Ellie wants to freeze time. Middle school was epic. She moved to Oklahoma, made her best friends, won a baking championship, quit a beauty pageant, and dominated Putt-Putt golf in her wheelchair.
But now her feelings for her best friend Bert are starting to change. When did Bert get so cute? And why are all the other girls suddenly noticing, too? As if that isn’t enough to deal with, Grandpa’s health takes a turn for the worse. So what do you do when you don’t know how to hold on and when to let go?
It’s the very end of eighth grade and all everyone can talk about is high school—everyone except Ellie Cowan. Ellie wants to freeze time. Middle school was epic. She moved to Oklahoma, made her best friends, won a baking championship, quit a beauty pageant, and dominated Putt-Putt golf in her wheelchair.
But now her feelings for her best friend Bert are starting to change. When did Bert get so cute? And why are all the other girls suddenly noticing, too? As if that isn’t enough to deal with, Grandpa’s health takes a turn for the worse. So what do you do when you don’t know how to hold on and when to let go?
221 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2024
16 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Sumner
17 books334 followersJamie Sumner is the author of the critically-acclaimed middle-grade novels, Roll with It, Tune It Out, and One Kid's Trash. Her forth middle-grade novel The Summer of June hits shelves on May 31st, 2022 with Atheneum Books for Young Readers. She is also the author of the nonfiction parenting books, Eat, Sleep, Save the World and Unbound.
She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com
She has also written for the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as other publications. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee. Connect with her at Jamie-Sumner.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 30, 2024
Nice to be back with BookFamily:)
Can I adopt em all??
Sweet, funny, heartfelt, touching and some sad moments that had me bawling and remembering
Some good messages in this story without being heavy handed.
I hope there's at least a few more books in this series 🙏 🙂
Can I adopt em all??
Sweet, funny, heartfelt, touching and some sad moments that had me bawling and remembering
Some good messages in this story without being heavy handed.
I hope there's at least a few more books in this series 🙏 🙂
August 6, 2024
Jamie Sumner's "Rolling On (Roll With It)" is a middle-grade novel that closes out a trilogy of books inspired by her son with cerebral palsy yet centered around a young girl, Ellie, whose adventures first began with 2019's acclaimed "Roll With It" followed by "Time to Roll." In "Rolling On," Ellie is a now 13-year-old wrapping up the final days of middle school and hesitantly moving toward high school with a BFF, Bert, who's suddenly become really attractive and a grandfather whose health seems to be rapidly declining.
In other words, life is changing for Ellie.
The real shame here is that "Rolling On" is my introduction to Ellie, though there's little doubt I'll journey my way back and catch the other two books in the trilogy. Sumner's writing is often fueled by her life as a parent of child with a disability, though she has a wonderful knack for weaving a tapestry of normalcy rather than the usual maudlin, cutesie storytelling that far too often accompanies disability themes.
I am a writer myself, and yes with significant disabilities, and I sometimes approach these types of stories with more than a little hesitation. However, accepting that this is a middle-grade novel and not really targeting adults life myself, "Rolling On" is an absolute charmer and Ellie's winning presence makes it clear that while being a wheelchair user is a huge part of her life it's not the only thing that defines her.
There's baking.
There's family.
There's Bert.
There's Coralee.
There's a whole lot more. Ellie's a refreshingly fleshed out character who is also a very real, very authentic wheelchair user.
Sumner has written for adults and children. Sumner has written both fiction and non-fiction. While I'm in my early stages of following her writing, it's clear that she writes with candor and compassion and dignity for her characters. In an interview I read with her, she talked about the importance of making sure she had her family's permission when she writes about them, acknowledging that there are family stories that are off-limits and more universal experiences that often end up in her writing.
The same is very true with "Rolling On," a breezy and enjoyable novel that features appealing characters and familiar, relatable storytelling. As noted, Sumner avoids unnecessary histrionics and instead grounds her writing in identifiable experiences that will likely resonate with children with and without disabilities.
If there's a side benefit here, it may very well be that "Rolling On" makes disability a lot less scary and makes it clear that those of us with disabilities aren't really that much different from everyone else in our big feelings and common life experiences.
There's an awful lot to love about "Rolling On" and for those seeking disability-centered storytelling for the middle-grade crowd, this is an absolutely wonderful place to start.
Okay. Okay. Start with the first book. Or the second. Or maybe this one? Ah, whatever. Just read all three.
In other words, life is changing for Ellie.
The real shame here is that "Rolling On" is my introduction to Ellie, though there's little doubt I'll journey my way back and catch the other two books in the trilogy. Sumner's writing is often fueled by her life as a parent of child with a disability, though she has a wonderful knack for weaving a tapestry of normalcy rather than the usual maudlin, cutesie storytelling that far too often accompanies disability themes.
I am a writer myself, and yes with significant disabilities, and I sometimes approach these types of stories with more than a little hesitation. However, accepting that this is a middle-grade novel and not really targeting adults life myself, "Rolling On" is an absolute charmer and Ellie's winning presence makes it clear that while being a wheelchair user is a huge part of her life it's not the only thing that defines her.
There's baking.
There's family.
There's Bert.
There's Coralee.
There's a whole lot more. Ellie's a refreshingly fleshed out character who is also a very real, very authentic wheelchair user.
Sumner has written for adults and children. Sumner has written both fiction and non-fiction. While I'm in my early stages of following her writing, it's clear that she writes with candor and compassion and dignity for her characters. In an interview I read with her, she talked about the importance of making sure she had her family's permission when she writes about them, acknowledging that there are family stories that are off-limits and more universal experiences that often end up in her writing.
The same is very true with "Rolling On," a breezy and enjoyable novel that features appealing characters and familiar, relatable storytelling. As noted, Sumner avoids unnecessary histrionics and instead grounds her writing in identifiable experiences that will likely resonate with children with and without disabilities.
If there's a side benefit here, it may very well be that "Rolling On" makes disability a lot less scary and makes it clear that those of us with disabilities aren't really that much different from everyone else in our big feelings and common life experiences.
There's an awful lot to love about "Rolling On" and for those seeking disability-centered storytelling for the middle-grade crowd, this is an absolutely wonderful place to start.
Okay. Okay. Start with the first book. Or the second. Or maybe this one? Ah, whatever. Just read all three.
September 14, 2024
5 stars
This is a wonderful finale to an exceptional trilogy, but what would be even BETTER is if this series continued on indefinitely. I'm not willing to let Ellie or the rest of her friends and family go, and that is an obvious testament to the power of these books!
Ellie is BACK, and we're with her now at the end of middle school. Change is afoot! In some ways, this is very sweet and exciting, and in others, it's devastating. On the devastating front, readers become aware immediately that everyone's beloved grandfather is declining. He is in a care facility, and it's painful to watch him interact with his family and participate in behaviors that are so out of character. While this plotline is tough to read, like everything else in this series, it's handled in an honest but age-appropriate manner. The other major throughline is Ellie's changing relationship to her long-time pal, Bert. She is right at that age, and she now has to grapple with a friendship that may turn into something more or be altered (perhaps not for the better) for the long run. Like the events relating to Ellie's grandfather, this is yet another life scenario that the vast majority of the target audience will not only enjoy reading about but will also benefit dramatically from knowing of in general.
Ellie is an outstanding character whose gumption, love of baking, and devotion to her friends and family make her shine. She - and this whole series - are a combined bright light in recent middle grade efforts, and I look forward to recommending this work to my students (and in an ideal world, learning soon that this is not, in fact, the end of this series)!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a wonderful finale to an exceptional trilogy, but what would be even BETTER is if this series continued on indefinitely. I'm not willing to let Ellie or the rest of her friends and family go, and that is an obvious testament to the power of these books!
Ellie is BACK, and we're with her now at the end of middle school. Change is afoot! In some ways, this is very sweet and exciting, and in others, it's devastating. On the devastating front, readers become aware immediately that everyone's beloved grandfather is declining. He is in a care facility, and it's painful to watch him interact with his family and participate in behaviors that are so out of character. While this plotline is tough to read, like everything else in this series, it's handled in an honest but age-appropriate manner. The other major throughline is Ellie's changing relationship to her long-time pal, Bert. She is right at that age, and she now has to grapple with a friendship that may turn into something more or be altered (perhaps not for the better) for the long run. Like the events relating to Ellie's grandfather, this is yet another life scenario that the vast majority of the target audience will not only enjoy reading about but will also benefit dramatically from knowing of in general.
Ellie is an outstanding character whose gumption, love of baking, and devotion to her friends and family make her shine. She - and this whole series - are a combined bright light in recent middle grade efforts, and I look forward to recommending this work to my students (and in an ideal world, learning soon that this is not, in fact, the end of this series)!
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
November 22, 2024
Read for class.
It's weird to read a book when it's the end of the series, but it's still easy enough to understand the plot. Ellie is a fantastic protagonist and the book deals with some tough subjects - first love, changes from middle to high school, loving someone with Alzheimers, and death of a beloved family member. It's a short but great read that is perfect for readers of contemporary stories.
It's weird to read a book when it's the end of the series, but it's still easy enough to understand the plot. Ellie is a fantastic protagonist and the book deals with some tough subjects - first love, changes from middle to high school, loving someone with Alzheimers, and death of a beloved family member. It's a short but great read that is perfect for readers of contemporary stories.
September 2, 2024
Thank you to Atheneum Books & Net galley for this ARC! I loved Ellie and her creative and stubborn personality. She loves to bake and spend time with her adorable family that includes her mom, stepdad, Mema, and grandpa.
Their story of support and love through her grandpa’s struggle with Alzheimer’s is heartwarming and moving. Throughout the story, I also loved her friendships, though few, as they depicted what true friends do for each other, even in hard moments.
There is a bit of a romance as she and her friend, Bert, both have feelings that evolve into more than a friendship, but it is very subtle and age appropriate. His support, along with her friend Coralee, is steadfast and unwavering through a couple of hard life changes.
I would recommend this book for 4th grade and up.
Their story of support and love through her grandpa’s struggle with Alzheimer’s is heartwarming and moving. Throughout the story, I also loved her friendships, though few, as they depicted what true friends do for each other, even in hard moments.
There is a bit of a romance as she and her friend, Bert, both have feelings that evolve into more than a friendship, but it is very subtle and age appropriate. His support, along with her friend Coralee, is steadfast and unwavering through a couple of hard life changes.
I would recommend this book for 4th grade and up.
August 13, 2025
Wow. This is a book that takes one through all the feels. If I reviewed it with emojis, there would be laughing ones because many scenes, especially the ones involving Coralee, are hilarious. There would be heart-eyed ones, for the passages where Ellie feels the “fish-swishy thing” any time she’s around Bert. Definitely some yum-faced ones, for all the delicious sounding food that’s mentioned (recipes, please, Jamie!) Sadly, this novel would need some crying emojis, and some cracked heart ones;(no spoilers, but have Kleenexes at hand). And finally, many, many heart emojis, because this book is full of love and sweetness from cover to cover!
I’m a huge fan of the tv show “The Waltons” from the 70’s. The “flavor” of this novel somehow reminded me of some favorite episodes, particularly those that featured scenes with the feisty but loving grandparents. Mema and Grandpa now hold a special place in my heart, right next to Zeb and Esther Walton!
It was a bittersweet feeling I had upon finishing this last book in the series. I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends, people that I’m sure glad that I got to spend time with! Thanks, Jamie!
Loved this quote! (Pg. 80)-“Sometimes it feels like the world is split into two kinds of people: the ones who tear things down and the ones who build them up.”
I’m a huge fan of the tv show “The Waltons” from the 70’s. The “flavor” of this novel somehow reminded me of some favorite episodes, particularly those that featured scenes with the feisty but loving grandparents. Mema and Grandpa now hold a special place in my heart, right next to Zeb and Esther Walton!
It was a bittersweet feeling I had upon finishing this last book in the series. I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends, people that I’m sure glad that I got to spend time with! Thanks, Jamie!
Loved this quote! (Pg. 80)-“Sometimes it feels like the world is split into two kinds of people: the ones who tear things down and the ones who build them up.”
December 23, 2024
It’s always nice to visit the world of Bert, Ellie, and Coralee. Loved this book even through the sad.
June 25, 2024
E ARC provided by Netgalley
**Spoilers**
It's now January of Ellie's 8th grade year, and things are changing as she and her classmates prepare for high school in their small town of Eufala, Oklahoma. Her best friend, Bert, has just returned from a Kentucky Young Environmentalists camp at Brighton Academy, and Ellie is surprised that she is starting to think that he is... cute. Bert, whose family runs the local Food and Co. grocery and has thirteen children, is very engaged with environmental issues, especially those concerning vegan diets and organic crops and excited to tell others about it. Coralee is still in the picture, and enjoying Ellie's baked goods, since Susie is always on a diet. Ellie still gets to visit her grandmother and grandfather at the Autumn Leaves senior living facility, although they have had to move up several levels of care as her grandfather's dementia has worsened. Hutch is still a supportive stepdad, and Ellie has made peace with her father, stepmother, and their new family. When she finds out that Bert is applying to go to high school at Brighton Academy, she is angry, and wishes that life would just stay as it always has been. After her grandfather has an incident in the kitchen where he threw things out of cabinets and injured himself slightly, the facility meets with the grandmother, mother, and Ellie to explain that it would be better for him to go into the secure health unit where he can have constant care. Ellie is very upset, and the grandmother demands that he be kept with her, since they haven't spent a night apart in 60 years. When Ellie's grandfather runs away and calls her from the lake, demanding to know who has stolen his boat, he has to be retrieved, and ends up in the hospital with slight hyperthermia. When he dies, Ellie is devastated. Her grandmother faces her new situation with stoicism, and Hutch offers to build a mother-in-law suite onto the trailer. Ellie has to come to terms with the fact that many things in her life will change, and there is nothing that she can do about it but to keep going.
Strengths: This wraps up Ellie's story (Roll With It and Time to Roll) nicely, and I appreciated that the covers were all similar in style, with different colors to differentiate them. Ellie continues writing letters to famous cooks and food companies (her letter to the Campbell company about green bean casserole is especially nice), and faces a lot of challenges that will resonate with middle school readers. I also liked the fact that while she had different feelings for Bert, she also realized that he was very passionate about his new interests, and that going to Brighton Academy would be the best thing for him.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ellie and the grandmother had not been so dead set against the grandfather going into nursing care, even if he couldn't take his favorite chair and have instant coffee whenever he wanted. The fact that he wandered off did, in fact, kill him, which is a good lesson that sometimes being in a nursing home insures a person's safety.
What I really think: This is a good conclusion for fans of the series, or for readers who enjoyed other books about a variety of middle school issues like Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.
**Spoilers**
It's now January of Ellie's 8th grade year, and things are changing as she and her classmates prepare for high school in their small town of Eufala, Oklahoma. Her best friend, Bert, has just returned from a Kentucky Young Environmentalists camp at Brighton Academy, and Ellie is surprised that she is starting to think that he is... cute. Bert, whose family runs the local Food and Co. grocery and has thirteen children, is very engaged with environmental issues, especially those concerning vegan diets and organic crops and excited to tell others about it. Coralee is still in the picture, and enjoying Ellie's baked goods, since Susie is always on a diet. Ellie still gets to visit her grandmother and grandfather at the Autumn Leaves senior living facility, although they have had to move up several levels of care as her grandfather's dementia has worsened. Hutch is still a supportive stepdad, and Ellie has made peace with her father, stepmother, and their new family. When she finds out that Bert is applying to go to high school at Brighton Academy, she is angry, and wishes that life would just stay as it always has been. After her grandfather has an incident in the kitchen where he threw things out of cabinets and injured himself slightly, the facility meets with the grandmother, mother, and Ellie to explain that it would be better for him to go into the secure health unit where he can have constant care. Ellie is very upset, and the grandmother demands that he be kept with her, since they haven't spent a night apart in 60 years. When Ellie's grandfather runs away and calls her from the lake, demanding to know who has stolen his boat, he has to be retrieved, and ends up in the hospital with slight hyperthermia. When he dies, Ellie is devastated. Her grandmother faces her new situation with stoicism, and Hutch offers to build a mother-in-law suite onto the trailer. Ellie has to come to terms with the fact that many things in her life will change, and there is nothing that she can do about it but to keep going.
Strengths: This wraps up Ellie's story (Roll With It and Time to Roll) nicely, and I appreciated that the covers were all similar in style, with different colors to differentiate them. Ellie continues writing letters to famous cooks and food companies (her letter to the Campbell company about green bean casserole is especially nice), and faces a lot of challenges that will resonate with middle school readers. I also liked the fact that while she had different feelings for Bert, she also realized that he was very passionate about his new interests, and that going to Brighton Academy would be the best thing for him.
Weaknesses: I wish that Ellie and the grandmother had not been so dead set against the grandfather going into nursing care, even if he couldn't take his favorite chair and have instant coffee whenever he wanted. The fact that he wandered off did, in fact, kill him, which is a good lesson that sometimes being in a nursing home insures a person's safety.
What I really think: This is a good conclusion for fans of the series, or for readers who enjoyed other books about a variety of middle school issues like Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
Note to readers & librarians: The books in this 3 part series, Roll With It (#1), Time to Roll (#2), and Rolling On (#3), can all be read as stand alone books; however, there will be a loss of connection to the 3 main characters and their growth from book 1 to 3. Therefore, it is recommended to read them in order when possible.
In this sad-happy heart warming conclusion to Sumner’s trilogy, Ellie and her two best friends Coralee and Bert are in the 8th grade and facing all sorts of change in their lives. Bert is coming off a fantastic summer of an academic camp at Brighton Academy among fellow science nerds and without bullies Cole and Jackson, Coralee is adding new skills to her pageant plans and Ellie’s grandfather’s Alzheimer’s is progressing rapidly, baking is becoming even more important to her future and, between fretting about the first two issues, she is realizing that her feelings about Bert may be leaning towards a new kind of “like.”
What real life is represented in all of Sumner’s books! But watching these friends deal with what life hands them and still keep their friendship strong has been a delight. Ellie tackles everything with the tenacity that enabled her to live a full life while using a wheelchair and dealing with the fragile health of one born with cerebral palsy. Her determination is admirable and may inspire others facing significant circumstances in their own lives. Coralee is joyful, fearless and stands up for herself and her friends. Bert stays true to his passions, supports his friends and chooses to ignore the school bullies. Middle grade readers are sure to connect to at least one in the trio and should prepare for tears at the end.
Highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and the bully-violence is not exaggerated or graphic. Representation: step-parents, working middle class, cerebral palsy/use of wheelchair, positive grandparent relationships, Alzheimer’s and its heartaches.
In this sad-happy heart warming conclusion to Sumner’s trilogy, Ellie and her two best friends Coralee and Bert are in the 8th grade and facing all sorts of change in their lives. Bert is coming off a fantastic summer of an academic camp at Brighton Academy among fellow science nerds and without bullies Cole and Jackson, Coralee is adding new skills to her pageant plans and Ellie’s grandfather’s Alzheimer’s is progressing rapidly, baking is becoming even more important to her future and, between fretting about the first two issues, she is realizing that her feelings about Bert may be leaning towards a new kind of “like.”
What real life is represented in all of Sumner’s books! But watching these friends deal with what life hands them and still keep their friendship strong has been a delight. Ellie tackles everything with the tenacity that enabled her to live a full life while using a wheelchair and dealing with the fragile health of one born with cerebral palsy. Her determination is admirable and may inspire others facing significant circumstances in their own lives. Coralee is joyful, fearless and stands up for herself and her friends. Bert stays true to his passions, supports his friends and chooses to ignore the school bullies. Middle grade readers are sure to connect to at least one in the trio and should prepare for tears at the end.
Highly recommended for libraries serving grades 4-7. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and the bully-violence is not exaggerated or graphic. Representation: step-parents, working middle class, cerebral palsy/use of wheelchair, positive grandparent relationships, Alzheimer’s and its heartaches.
October 24, 2024
I absolutely loved everything about this third and final book in the Roll With It trilogy. Here are five of my favorite things:
💌 Ellie writes letters to some of her favorite chefs/baking experts. They are a combination of a thank you for a recipe she has tried and loved and a diary entry. Ellie can come bake for me anytime.
👵👴 Her Memaw and Pawpaw are still two of her favorite people. As they age, things change and there are some bittersweet moments that reflect life changes many kids are also dealing with.
🧑👱♀️ Ellie's best friends Bert and Coralee are there for her. Ellie finds her feelings for Bert give her new feelings in her tummy. While Bert provides the scientific know-how, Coralee is good for a Dolly Parton moment -- one of my favorite scenes in the entire book! 🐮
👩🌾 I learned about silvopasturing which is a farming practice that combines trees and grazing livestock in the same area. The method is being promoted by some climate healers. Sounds a lot like a good old fashioned Iowa farm to me. Maybe we were onto something.
📚 The cover of this one (and the other two Ellie books) are so inviting and convey much about the cast of characters inside. Love each one of them!
Grandpa taught me that life is a whole lot of holding on and then letting go until you can hold on again.
If you haven't tried a Jamie Sumner book yet, I highly recommend Roll with It. Thank you to Atheneum Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
💌 Ellie writes letters to some of her favorite chefs/baking experts. They are a combination of a thank you for a recipe she has tried and loved and a diary entry. Ellie can come bake for me anytime.
👵👴 Her Memaw and Pawpaw are still two of her favorite people. As they age, things change and there are some bittersweet moments that reflect life changes many kids are also dealing with.
🧑👱♀️ Ellie's best friends Bert and Coralee are there for her. Ellie finds her feelings for Bert give her new feelings in her tummy. While Bert provides the scientific know-how, Coralee is good for a Dolly Parton moment -- one of my favorite scenes in the entire book! 🐮
👩🌾 I learned about silvopasturing which is a farming practice that combines trees and grazing livestock in the same area. The method is being promoted by some climate healers. Sounds a lot like a good old fashioned Iowa farm to me. Maybe we were onto something.
📚 The cover of this one (and the other two Ellie books) are so inviting and convey much about the cast of characters inside. Love each one of them!
Grandpa taught me that life is a whole lot of holding on and then letting go until you can hold on again.
If you haven't tried a Jamie Sumner book yet, I highly recommend Roll with It. Thank you to Atheneum Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2024
I liked this final installment in Ellie's world better than the second one, but not quite as much as the first (although all three are worth the read, especially for middle grade kiddos). Her baking continues to be a key feature of the way she communicates and processes her own emotions, although there are fewer of her notes / letters to others in them, which feels a bit more realistic. She also has more of the typical ups and downs of early teens, with her first crush coming into play alongside uncertainty of what the future might hold in terms of friendships as high school looms. As if that weren't enough, the family wrestles with what to do with Grandpa as his dementia progresses, and Ellie (and Mema to a lesser extent, at least in terms of the book's focus) struggles with what it means to be a family if they aren't all together...and later with grief and what that looks and feels like in the midst of everything else. Her wheelchair becomes less of a focus and more of just part of her, which both feels right and also a little strange after the heavier focus in the last two books. In any case, Ellie and her friends are worth getting to know throughout the series, and it does feel like a good place to end their story.
August 20, 2024
Eighth grade has almost come to an end for Ellie and her friends and Ellie just wants everything to stay the same. Bert is her best friend, but she is beginning to have these butterfly like feelings toward him. Also, Bert is noticeably different after he went to camp and made a bunch of smart new friends and is now considering applying to the boarding school. And Grandpa's dementia may be getting worse, but Ellie knows that her Grandpa is still in there. Ellie and her friends are all facing many changes but are hopeful that they will face them together. This book is written from the POV of a character with a disability, but the disability is definitely not the focus of the story. A great middle grades book that those facing life changes may enjoy.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGally. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGally. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
January 29, 2025
I could have sworn I read the first two but alas I did not however I did just read this third/companion novel and while I know there were a few things I missed along the way having not read the first two, there's also so much that works as a standalone and is classically middle school-- friendships, navigating a possible relationship, and the generational story- in this case that her grandpa is not doing well.
She's an avid baker (which I loved) and has cerebral palsy. She's loving her new location and leaning into being the best she can be however life events are getting in the way and she's desperately trying to find a solid foundation to stand on when everything else is shifting.
It's a tried-and-true story about keeping a positive attitude and focus on goals to help through the tough times.
She's an avid baker (which I loved) and has cerebral palsy. She's loving her new location and leaning into being the best she can be however life events are getting in the way and she's desperately trying to find a solid foundation to stand on when everything else is shifting.
It's a tried-and-true story about keeping a positive attitude and focus on goals to help through the tough times.
January 9, 2025
Book 3 in series
Ellie, CoraLee, and Bert are about halfway through 8th grade and looking ahead to high school, although Ellie is dreading it. Bert has gone to a STEM camp over winter break and loved it. He's even thinking about applying to that school to get away from the bullies. Ellie, in addition to dealing with her angst about the transition to high school, is also dealing with the hardship of having her beloved grandparents in assisted living. Her grandpa especially is declining as the Alzheimers/dementia worsens. Baking continues to be her coping mechanism.
CW: bullying
Ellie, CoraLee, and Bert are about halfway through 8th grade and looking ahead to high school, although Ellie is dreading it. Bert has gone to a STEM camp over winter break and loved it. He's even thinking about applying to that school to get away from the bullies. Ellie, in addition to dealing with her angst about the transition to high school, is also dealing with the hardship of having her beloved grandparents in assisted living. Her grandpa especially is declining as the Alzheimers/dementia worsens. Baking continues to be her coping mechanism.
CW: bullying
April 25, 2025
I have loved Ellie, Coralee, and Bert since Jamie Sumner's first book and this one was no different. Now they are in their last semester of middle school and everything seems to be changing. Bert may be leaving, Ellie's grandpa is having more memory issues, and high school is quickly approaching. And Ellie suddenly thinks Bert is cute! Through it all, Ellie, Coralee and Bert are friends that care about one another and are always there for each other. These are such heartfelt books with great characters and a sweet story of family and friends and what you do for those you love.
Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!
October 20, 2024
Ellie is nearing high school, thinks Bert (a bff) is cute, and worried that Bert wants to attend a school 750 miles away. Her life has gotten so good and is now changing. Her grandfather’s dementia is advancing and that is scary. She reacts like a teenager: with fierceness and bristles. This is the last of the trilogy, but the story could go on to follow a long distance romance as Bert goes to Brighton and Ellie goes to the local high school.
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November 22, 2024
Rolling On is a great coming of age story that focuses on the time in between, when you're not really a child anymore but you're also not grown. With new found feelings for her friend and the loss of her grandpa, there is a lot going on in Ellie's life. You experience her highs and her lows, and honestly, it's hard not to love her even when it's messy. Great read, great lessons.
Thank you Simon Kids and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
Thank you Simon Kids and Simon Audio for the gifted copies.
August 1, 2024
So many changes are happening to Ellie as she begins 8th grade. Could she be having feelings for her best friend, Bert? What happens when she finds out a secret of his? Grandpa, who has Alzheimer’s, has been having some difficulties lately, and Ellie hopes they don’t put him into a full time care facility. Ellie still loves baking until something happens that makes her stop for good. Will she find her love for baking again?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2025
The last and final book of this Ellie series and I’m sad it has come to an end. I love how Jamie shows how someone with a disability is just an ordinary person with the same dreams and wishes. She gets that middle grade angst down on the page so well. Keep writing Jamie! Every book is a treasure you give us!
January 10, 2025
saw this at the library and got it because i like the author and love the disability representation. i enjoyed sumner’s approach to talking about her grandpa but i think there could still be lots to add.
October 30, 2024
What a beautiful & heartwarming book
November 3, 2024
Ellie experiences many challenges as a friend, grandchild and baker. “Being a kid is just one whiplash moment to another.”
December 18, 2024
This book was really good. It was a good ending to the series. The ending was a bit sad. I reccomend it if you read books 1 and 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2025
It was a bittersweet ending to a great trilogy! Seriously, have a box of Kleenex with you the whole way through. I really dug that Ellie had a crush on Bert. Super sweet part.
January 17, 2025
Love these books--see https://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/202... for details!
March 3, 2025
Jalapeños for now 💔
March 19, 2025
I loved this entire series. It had so much heart.
March 23, 2025
I liked the outcome, but the beginning made it hard to stick with. This was a 3.75 rounded down to a 3 because it was not a 4.
April 16, 2025
I love this author.I cried happy and sad tears. She gets to the heart of the characters.
July 18, 2025
4.5! Love this series...disability rep but with real stories and dealing with real issues everyone faces!
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