The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird

Tabitha Baird #1

by Arabella Weir

When 13-year-old Tab Baird starts at a new school, she's determined to be the coolest, most popular girl there - whatever it takes. She adjusts her school skirt so it's just the right length. She has enough attitude to make it into the in-crowd. She even gets the attention of the hottest guys. But it's not easy being uber-cool. No one must find out that her mum, brother and her have moved into her gran's house, so she tries to persuade Gran to pose as a house-keeper. And if anyone discovers her mum's blog - about her teenage daughter - it'll be the ultimate in social death.

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens

213 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2014

About the author

Arabella Weir is a Scottish comedian, actress and writer. She played roles in the comedy series The Fast Show and Posh Nosh, and has written several books, including Does My Bum Look Big in This? Weir has also written for The Independent and The Guardian and the latter's Weekend magazine. In 2006, she voiced an alternative third incarnation of the Doctor for Big Finish's Unbound audio range.

Reviews

[Maddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A cringey and forced diary-account of a girl trying to make friends at her new school. The language used had me rolling my eyes and I couldn't help but snort as the 'goodbye forever' text towards the end. For a thirteen year old girl, Tabitha was surely behaving like Karen from the first few series of Outnumbered.

Also, the mother and daughter relationship was pitiful. Blogging about how terrible your daughter is for the whole wide world to read is the worst idea ever. And to think she hasn't seen it? Even more ridiculous.

[Sand-Witch · Rating 1 out of 5]

No offense to fans of this book, but i thought it was quite awful. The main character just seemed so ughh and way too desperate for attention. I immediately hated her. Not gonna finish this book. And i was only like 25 pages in.

[Alessia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It so funny of it’s feelings and how it describes the teachers. I would really recommend this book as it is so fun and relaxing to read because the author puts you in the shoes of the character. By that way you understand better of what the character is feeling. It is one of the best books I have ever read

[Samantha (A Dream of Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book about thirteen year old Tabitha Baird who at the beginning of the story finds herself having to start at a new school and get used to living in her Gran's house with her mum and younger brother. Luckily Tabitha does it all with a smile...most of the time!

This was such a funny, light-hearted and entertaining read. Arabella Weir has created a fantastically irrepressible character who I enjoyed laughing along with, as well as seeing how she extricates herself from one muddle after another. You can't help but like Tabitha. She has a great narrative voice and the book is told in diary style so we get to hear all about her misadventures, both at school and at home.

I liked the fact that although she has some big adjustments going on in her life, she is a pretty positive and upbeat person. Her Dad's no longer living with them because he's an alcoholic but she still tries to give him a chance, even when things start to go wrong. There's a good mix in the book of more serious matters, as well as plenty of humour which I think readers will enjoy.

I have to admit that I adored Basil too, her Gran's westie dog, who is always being made to wear ridiculous knitted outfits. Luckily Basil comes in handy when Tabitha comes across a gorgeous boy also out dog walking which leads to her trying to engineer a proper meeting.

Luckily, there is set to be another book in the series called 'The Endless Trials of Tabitha Baird' which I'm sure will have me laughing out loud as much as this one did.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started reading this literally 3 months ago it put me in a reading slump and the way she treated grace at the end made me want to punch her shes just so attention seeking 🙄

[Shelby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine a thirteen year old protagonist written by a 9 year old. 🙄

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find my review on my blog here (& below):

http://elementaread.blogspot.co.uk/20...

‘The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird’ by Arabella Weir is a middle-grade novel about a thirteen year old girl starting a new school. This is the first in a new series about this character. I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program to review.

Tabitha Baird, known as Tab to her friends, is a teenager from a broken home. The story starts on her first day at her new school. Tab’s father is an alcoholic who has lost all their money and her parents have split up. Tabitha, her mum and her ten year old brother Luke, have moved in with her Gran in London.

Tabitha is nervous about starting her new school. She was previously at Greyfriars, a posh private school, but is now forced into a local comprehensive Heathside Academy (HAC). Tab is determined to fit in, make friends and be popular. She thinks the only way she will get friends is to be daring and wind up the teachers.

From not fitting in at Greyfriars, Tab soon becomes the most popular girl at HAC and has two great friends, Emz and A’isha. She also meets a dreamy older boy while she is walking her Gran’s dog. But soon her pranks and cheek get her into big trouble and Tab is threatened with moving in with her dad, which would mean going back to Greyfriars…

This was such a fun read! The chapters are set out like the pages of a diary and the book is written in the first person from Tabitha’s point of view. It really feels like it has been written by a thirteen year old girl. The language is simple (great for younger readers!) and the author uses abbreviations like ‘obvs’ for ‘obviously’ and ‘geddit’ for ‘get it’. The way Tab acts with her family is spot on for a lot of teenage girls. She’s sulky, stroppy, moans about her mum and thinks her brother is disgusting, but by the end of the book she learns that she really loves her family, which I think is a really nice moral.

The diary format also leaves space for little illustrations and fun fonts on the chapter headings.

I thought this was such a great book for both children and adults. I would recommend it to people of the younger generation looking for a quick, fun read :)

[Kulsuma · Rating 3 out of 5]

'When 13-year-old Tab Baird starts at a new school, she's determined to be the coolest, most popular girl there - whatever it takes. She adjusts her school skirt so it's just the right length. She has enough attitude to make it into the in-crowd... But it's not easy being uber-cool. No one must find out that her mum, brother and her have moved into her gran's house, so she tries to persuade Gran to pose as a house-keeper. And if anyone discovers her mum's blog - about her teenage daughter - it'll be the ultimate in social death.'-Synopsis

The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird was a funny and quick read. There were some hilarious moments in the book that had me laughing out loud. I felt like I was in the head of a real 13 year old! Perfect for younger readers, the story follows Tabitha's day-to-day life as she solves all-important problems that crop up around her.

The story definitely has a serious element. It begins straight after Tabitha's parents separate and she, her mum and her brother move in with her grandma. There's also the issue of her dad being an alcoholic. I think all these serious situations were handled realistically in the book but I would have liked to know if these matters were resolved. It didn't feel resolved to me by the end of the book. Also, at times, I felt that Tabitha went out of character as she said things I didn't think were in keeping with her character. I would have liked to have seen some of her mum's blog posts in detail. I think it would have been funny to read.

In her previous school, Tabitha didn't have any proper friends, so she is working hard to change this in her new school with some funny results! (Not so funny for the teachers it has to be mentioned!) I loved Tabitha's grandma. I thought she was laugh-out-loud funny and slightly batty! Also, there is the issue of Snap Dog Boy- a boy she meets while walking her grandma's dog and starts to fancy. Can she get him to like her? Overall, a funny story with serious elements perfect for young teens.

Thank you to LoveReading for my copy!

[AmandaEmma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I will keep this short to avoid spoilers

I just finished this this weekend and it was hilarious. I found Tabitha and her little brother, Luke, so weird and funny that this is a book you can't help but enjoy and, at times, laugh out loud - which means that this book is not bus- or train reading material, unless you like when people look at you funny.

This book is definitely targeted towards a younger age group but I found it funny nonetheless. Tabitha is this quirky character that have a hard time finding her place and ends up being the class clown and a real brat at her new school. I could definitely recognize myself in Tabitha sometimes, specifically about not fitting in and being bullied.
My favorite thing about this book is probably the relationship between Tab and Luke, it is so real and funny, it doesn't feel fake - which I generally think relationships between siblings often feel in books.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Tabitha and her two new friends Emz and A'isha. I liked that A'isha was a muslim, just to get some diversity in there, and I enjoyed that they were there for each other even though they're not that old. I also really liked the part where they befriend the 'nerd' Grace, she was really cool and I liked that they all thought she was a nerd and then at the end finds out that she's actually pretty cool.
The ending is perfect - a real 'feel-good' ending.

I flew through this book and I laughed quite a few times. All in all I think it was great, but at the same time it was missing something.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think every girl, regardless of whether they are now 13, or remember those years, will relate to this book quite well. Especially if they were a bit weird and awkward (cough)me(cough).

Tabitha is an immensely likeable character, I found her very witty and quirky, even when she was being a real brat at her new school there was still humour there, and she was still a great character.

The main thing that stood out for me about this book was the diversity. It was done well, which isn't something I usually see. A'isha is a Muslim character, but she isn't adhering to stereotype and she also isn't offensively rejecting her faith. In fact her religion is brought up very few times, and when it is it's her making some very realistic observations about her father who is a very traditional Muslim. She never became that token Muslim character, she just was.

I absolutely whizzed through this book. I laughed out loud so many times, and I think it's a definite reread.

I rated this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Luna's Little Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was having a particularly awful day and needed something to cheer me up. The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird was the book to do it.

Tab never really fitted in at her old school, so while she might not be thrilled about the circumstances leading to her mum, little brother and her moving in with Tab’s grandmother she wants to fit in at Heathside Academy. Things start out well, Tab makes friends but determined not to lose her status means she had to come up with more daring ideas.

The Rise and Rise of Tabitha Baird is quite a short book but Arabella Weir knows how to bring characters to life. It’s not just Tab that’s leaping of the page. My favourite was Tabitha’s grandmother and not just because of the knitted dog outfits and talking to Basil. She’s also wise and provides support for Tab.

“Such fun!” says Miranda Hart. Agreed says I.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 3 out of 5]

For tweens. A story told in diary-style about life through the eyes of a 13 year old British girl. It's an easy read and illustrates the thoughts a middle school-aged female very well. Most of the characters are spot on (with the teenaged exaggerations included), although the mother's obsession with her daughter's weight kind of diminished the story a little. By the end of it, mom moved on to other things and redeemed herself (maybe dad will in the next book). Overall, a decent read for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries.

Net Galley Feedback

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

My 15 yr old granddaughter started to read this book virtually as soon as it dropped through my letterbox. Although I haven't had the chance to read it myself yet, I am basing this review on what my granddaughter had to say. She said that she loved it and it was the best book that she had read for a long time. She is now wanting the next book!

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't my thing - I like middle grade books, but I think even at the time I was the right age for this, it probably wouldn't have been my thing. But I'm sure it will work better for others - I feel like it would work for Jacqueline Wilson fans and Louise Rennison fans.

[Louise Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really really good! It made me laugh and I can certainly say I could relate to some of the characters in the book! Can't wait to read the next book!!!