Kickturn

by Brie Spangler

Lindy has gotten used to life on the road in her parents refurbished school bus. But when the bus breaks down in San Jose, will she finally get to meet her skateboarding idol—and maybe the chance to put down roots, too? This illustrated coming of age novel explores the importance of trying new things and the community you find when you do.

Lindy doesn't love living a nomadic life with her influencer parents in their renovated RV-school bus—but she's used to it. They travel from national park to national park, where her mom creates #yogalife content. Lindy is supposed to be homeschooling, but really, she’s watching her favorite skateboarder on YouTube, day to night.

When the bus breaks down in San Jose, Lindy happens to meet a few local girls who want to take her to a real, live skate park. And when they do, Lindy immediately falls in love. With skateboarding. With having friends that aren’t her cat. With staying in the same place for a little while.

Lindy’s parents want to get back on the road as soon as the bus is fixed—but Lindy is willing to do anything to get them to stay. Even if that means sabotage. Will they ever be able to put down roots? And will Lindy’s parents ever forgive her if they do?

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary, Juvenile

192 pages, Hardcover

Published June 17, 2025

About the author

Author/illustrator of children's picture books and YA novels, Brie Spangler loves to draw and write stories and drink massive amounts of caffeine, but not quite Dave Grohl "Fresh Pot!"/require hospitalization levels. Writing down the ideas in her head was scary as a kid, so she turned to making pictures instead. Brie worked as an illustrator for several years before she began to write and immediately became a frothing addict. BEAST is her debut novel. Hit her up on twitter! @BrieSpangler

Reviews

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

An illustrated MG novel about finding your community and putting down roots.
🛹
Lindy hates living on a bus. Her mom is a full time social media influencer and her dad is on sabbatical making it easy for them to live a nomadic life creating content. Lindy isn’t a fan and hasn’t been for a while. She has no friends, she’s failing fifth grade and wants her parents to see her as more of a content booster. When their bus breaks down in San Jose, Lindy gets to see what it would be like if she lived in one place, making friends and finding a new hobby like skateboarding, but when it’s time to pull up stakes again, what will she do to stay put?
🛹
This was a super quick read, great on audiobook that really shows the other side of living in an influencer household. It also shows just how much kids crave consistency in their upbringing. We need more books about skateboarding (as well as volleyball, softball, etc.) This book is out now by @drawbrie

CW: emotional abandonment

I wanted Lindy to be a bit older and the book read older too, but it’s on par with DoaWK fans.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a simple and good book about what it is like to be part of an Influencer family. The overall story is good, but it reads quite young. If the main character would have been a couple of years older, I think the book would have wider appeal. Many middle schoolers won't want to read it when they find out the main character is only 10.

[Cress · Rating 2 out of 5]

None of the elements really felt fleshed out well. There was not enough skateboarding, nor did we see enough of the girls friendship.

My main problem, though was that there really wasn’t that much discussion about how Lindy’s parents lifestyle negatively impacted her. It was a problem throughout the whole book and then got resolved in five minutes. I also just hate influencer parents. No child should be put online. Wether that’s Lindy in her parents dumb content (we know how detrimental “van life” influencers are to their children) or Carter being exploited for her skateboarding prowess. There definitley wasn’t enough discussion there about a 7 year old having sponsorships and being shown online in that way.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Lindy and her parents have a nomadic lifestyle, traveling the Southwest in a converted school bus (a "skoolie") so that her mother can post pictures of herself doing yoga poses, spreading love and lifestyle advice. Her father, a formr software engineer, helps, and Lindy is often called upon to model clothing sent by sponsors, since posts featuring her do well on the analytics. Lindy is tired of this lifestyle, and lonely for friends her own age. She spends a lot of time watching the skateboarder and social media star Kentucky Jones while neglecting her homeschooling material, which she finds difficult, especially since her parents don't seem to offer much support. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, California, it's not an easy fix, and the family rents a house while waiting for the repairs to be done. Lindy meets Dasha and May at a convenience store, and the two invite her to skateboard with them. They show her the ropes, and May even loans her a board. Lindy enjoys having a more private room, and warm shower, and some friends. She also takes to skateboarding in a big way, and her parents often accompany her to the skate park, where she also meets Carter, a seven year old social media influencer who can do a lot of skate tricks that Lindy can't even imagine. When the group finds out that Kentucky Jones is coming to San Jose, they are super excited to meet their idol. The bus takes a while to be fixed, but eventually is road worthy once again, and Lindy's parents inform her that they will be moving on. Unhappy to be leaving, Lindy sabotages the bus. When her parents find out, they are angry, and a bit perplexed that Lindy is no longer enjoying life on the road. She pleads her case for staying, which is bolstered by the fact that she is failing all of her online classes. Lindy gets her way, and the family decides to stay in San Jose.
Strengths: There need to be a lot more books about skateboarding, as well as volleyball and track. It's interesting to see parents who are social media influencers; Weissman's So Over Sharing is another one to look at. Lindy's desire to stay in one place and make friends is understandable, and it's great to see her connect with girls her age while also developing a hobby. Bonus: both of Lindy's parents are alive!
Weaknesses: This was a little younger than I had hoped; the font looks hand drawn, ala Wimpy Kid, and the interior illustrations do support Lindy being in late elementary school. I just wish that she had been older. I also wish that the parents had paid more attention to Lindy; at a minimum, they should have checked her progress in school.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed other books about families on the road, like Gemeinhart's The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, Goebel's Alpaca My Bags, or Hawes' Big Rig.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindy’s parents are influencers, or at least they think they are. Instead of a van-life, they have decided on a refurbished school-bus-life, and are traveling around getting shots at various national parks, as Lindy’s mother does yoga, and other healthful things. Lindy’s father sold his company and house to fund this trip, that has been going on for two years.

And at first Lindy was ok with traveling…until she wasn’t. But she just didnt’ know how to tell her parents. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, California, she happens to meet two kids practicing their skateboards outside a gas station shop, where she has been sent to buy stuff for her mother.

Lindy has secretly been watching YouTubes of skateboarding, admiring it, but never getting the chance to skate, and now she is given the opportunity to try it, with these girls. And she realizes she wants to do nothing but skateboard now.

I liked how the story, told in first person, from Lindy’s point of view, shows just how desperate she is to get back to a “normal” life. How this is what she craves. And it makes her do things she shouldn’t just to stay in San Jose, with these new friends.

I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go with this, and it seemed as though it would run out of room before it got there. I did enjoy it though, and totally got the desperation that Lindy felt, and how she would do anything to continue to skateboard, and be with her new friends.

It is a quick read, and I read it in one night, because I really wanted to know what would happen.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out the 17th of June 2025.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

In KICKTURN, Lindy’s family lives a nontraditional life, traveling from spot to spot in a repurposed school bus, stopping to give her influencer mom a chance to capture her perfect moment, then moving on. Lindy has tired of this lifestyle, feeling lonely and struggling with online school. When the bus breaks down and forces the family to take a break in San Jose, Lindy meets a group of girls who introduce her to skateboarding. She instantly falls in love with the sport and becomes close with her new friends. When the bus is ready to get back on the road, Lindy takes drastic action in hopes of being able to stay where she finally feels at home.

The journal style text accompanied by illustrations adds an authentic feel to Lindy’s story. There’s plenty of information about skateboarding to fill in readers who may be unfamiliar with the sport. While readers may not be able to relate to Lindy’s nomadic lifestyle or her influencer parents, they will be able to relate to her feelings of disconnect with her parents as she comes into her own. The supportive friend group shines here, as they coach and celebrate each other through challenging situations. At under 200 pages, the length will draw the interest of some reluctant readers, too.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

10yo Lindy travels with her family in a converted school bus through the national parks in the west. Her mom makes internet content, her dad does the filming and Lindy watches youtubes of her favorite skateboarder rather than working on her home schooling assignments. But when the bus breaks down in San Jose, Lindy makes a couple of friends who teach her how to board, and Lindy really wants to stay and live a normal life off the road. Then, when the girls find out the their idol Kentucky Jones is coming to San Jose, Lindy is willing to do almost anything to keep them from moving on, even if it means sabotaging the bus.
I liked the conflict. Lindy unable to get her parents to see her and her problems - lots of 10 year olds feel that way. The ending ties up a bit too quickly and neatly for my taste. Spangler who is also an illustrator has filled Kickturn with great pictures but also fun skateboarding content, additional “scenes” and informative instructional panels. The print is large (14.25 point) and with all the illustrations, some full page and multi page, Kickturn is a deceptively quick read for a 4th-5th grader looking for exciting skateboard action and a nice coming of age story.

[Lauren Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kickturn reminded me of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise.

In Kickturn, Lindy and her parents live on a bus, traveling between National Parks across the Western U.S. Her mom documents their lifestyle by creating yoga content. This once felt exciting to Lindy—but now feels lonely and inauthentic. When the bus breaks down, the family finds themselves temporarily stuck in San Jose. For the first time, Lindy experiences life off the road, makes new friends, and discovers a passion for skateboarding.

This younger middle grade novel has a diary-style format with charming illustrations. The skateboarding theme adds a fun and energetic vibe. Lindy makes some crummy choices, and her parents can be pretty frustrating, but that adds to the realism. It’s a quick, engaging read that would resonate with many readers—especially those who enjoy stories about self-discovery, family dynamics, and finding your own path.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

MG
Contemporary
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lindy lives with her parents on a skoolie (school bud turned RV) as they travel all over the west coast for Lindy’s influencer mother’s social media content but Lindy is tired of their isolating lifestyle and wants nothing more than to sleep in a house, go to a brick and mortar school, and make real friends. When their skoolie breaks down in San Jose, Lindy finally gets a taste of the life she dreams of, but will her parents agree or compromise?

This is an illustrated middle-grade coming-of-age novel about a girl whose life changes when her parent’s skoolie breaks down in San Jose. Lindy struggles with an isolating lifestyle but is able to find her passion in life and great friends that share the same hobby.

A fast, fun read, perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to ride a skateboard!

[Liz Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kickturn is fun coming of age story that I think a lot of kids will find something they can relate to in. The main character Lindy growing up isolated from her peers on a school bus to want-to-be influencer parents who seem more concerned with the content they’re making and their audience than their child feels very timely. Lindy felt like a very relatable character, albeit at times with an impressive vocabulary for a failing fifth grader. I loved the genuine friendships the characters had and the consistent positivity they expressed toward one another. I really appreciated how this book highlighted the importance of families having emotionally honest conversations with one another.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexa Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read with some illustrations about Lindy, who has been living the dream--traveling the country on a school bus with her parents. She's doing online school and seeing amazing things. Only she's really lonely and can't tell her parents. She's been watching a YouTube star skateboard, and she gets her chance to try it herself with a chance meeting of another kid wearing the same tshirt as a gas station. The other kids are so generous, they teach her to skate and bring her into the fold but it feels organic. But then...it's time to leave and Lindy doesn't want to. Her parents still won't listen so she makes some very poor decisions, but it helps the family to figure out next steps. THere's a lot packed into this slim, easy to read novel.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

10-year-old Lindy and her influencer parents travel the country in a school bus. Lindy's parents are obsessed with making content and getting back on the road. Lindy is lonely, struggling in online 5th grade, and doesn't know how to tell her parents. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, Lindy meets friends and learns to skateboard. Written in a diary style with plenty of illustrations, this will be a quick read that will hopefully hook even reluctant readers.

Students will like this book if they are interested in skateboarding, realistic fiction, family struggles, influencer lifestyles. I'd like to highlight this book alongside The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and Roller Girl

I received a free review copy of this book for my library in exchange for a review

[Lianna Kendig · Rating 3 out of 5]

60/100 or 3.0 stars

The artwork, even though my copy was not final artwork, is the highlight of this story. The arc copy that I had did not have a lot of the artowrk at all to look at, which was unfortunate. (It does not impact my rating at all, though). It is a very quick read. I do think if the tartget auidence likes to skate then this will be a book I can see them loving. The writing style was okay, but I would only try another story by this author for the artwork, as that was very well done...and the only reason I gave it three stars instead of two stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every time I see Spangler's name, I think of the picture book Peg Leg Peke and then I read the book. I really enjoyed Gemma Hopper and was excited to read this.

It wasn't bad but it didn't do much more for me than that. I thought the illustrations - particularly the realistic ones of skateboarding tricks - were a welcome addition to the book. The story didn't grab me a lot, and I never felt particularly connected to the characters. This made it hard to buy the conversion of the parents at the book's end.

Meh. I could take or leave this one.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindy has been living with her influencer parents on a refurbished school bus for the past two years. She is tired of the nomad life, traveling from national park to national park while her mother gets yoga shots for her social media feed. Lindy is failing the fifth grade and lonely. When the bus breaks down in San Jose, Lindy gets a little taste of what it is like to be settled down in one place with friends and a hobby. Will her parents listen to her pleas to stay in one place?

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great middle grade book about skateboarding and family. I also love the short length that will appeal to my students that aren’t up for a lengthy book. Definitely adding it to my wish list for my middle school library.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this bk abt Lindy living w parents on old school bus. When it breaks down they stop, she meets new friends who teach her skateboarding. She wants to stay and stop traveling. Will they? Cool illus.

[Callie Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Main character reads as older than 10 but still very annoying and immature. Writing is extremely basic, even for a tween audience. The art is cute but seems to be used to pad the page count rather than to assist in telling the story.

[Larakaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captures the spirit of skateboarding very well. Avoids stereotypes. Loved the drawings and explanations.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think will be popular. Skating, there are images and pictures in the book, and it looks like it's been written on notebook paper. Tweens will love the format and the story.