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More Trouble Than It’s Worth
From award-winning author Lisa Moore Ramée comes the companion to A Good Kind of Trouble, a heartfelt and powerful sequel about coming of age, social justice, and the trials of friendship and competition, in which Shayla will learn the true definition of “personal best.”
After a hard seventh grade year full of misunderstandings, face plants, and bullies, all Shayla wants is a hassle-free summer. Her ticket to a summer of fun? Joining the club track team! However, Shayla struggles to fit in with new friends, to set a personal best that will secure her a spot in the exclusive Junior Olympics and reluctantly earns the title of “Prank Queen.”
But Shayla discovers that sometimes trying so hard to stay out of trouble ends up making things a whole lot worse. Will she risk new friendships by owning up to a big mistake? And is she ready to speak out against another social injustice? In this powerful and heartfelt follow-up to A Good Kind of Trouble from acclaimed author Lisa Moore Ramée, Shayla will learn the true definition of personal best.
After a hard seventh grade year full of misunderstandings, face plants, and bullies, all Shayla wants is a hassle-free summer. Her ticket to a summer of fun? Joining the club track team! However, Shayla struggles to fit in with new friends, to set a personal best that will secure her a spot in the exclusive Junior Olympics and reluctantly earns the title of “Prank Queen.”
But Shayla discovers that sometimes trying so hard to stay out of trouble ends up making things a whole lot worse. Will she risk new friendships by owning up to a big mistake? And is she ready to speak out against another social injustice? In this powerful and heartfelt follow-up to A Good Kind of Trouble from acclaimed author Lisa Moore Ramée, Shayla will learn the true definition of personal best.
- GenresSocial Justice
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 22, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Book 2️⃣ in the A Good Kind of Trouble world by @leeseray
🏃🏾♀️
After a difficult seventh-grade year, Shayla is ready for a drama-free summer and joins a club track team with hopes of qualifying for the Junior Olympics. But new friendships, competitive pressure, an unexpected reputation as the “Prank Queen,” and a mistake she needs to own up to prove that staying out of trouble isn’t always the same as doing what’s right.
🏃🏾♀️
It was so good to see Shayla again. I especially like that track provides the backdrop for a story that’s really about friendship, accountability, and figuring out when you need to speak up, even when it might cost you something. Shayla is growing up and learning that doing your best isn’t just about winning or avoiding mistakes. This was a heartfelt middle grade story with an important message that never forgets its characters are still kids. This title releases September 22!
CW: bullying, racism, social injustice
A Good Kind of Trouble is probably one of my top middle grade reads ever so my expectations were too high for this. On its own it's a great middle grade book, but as a sequel to Shayla's story, I wanted more.
🏃🏾♀️
After a difficult seventh-grade year, Shayla is ready for a drama-free summer and joins a club track team with hopes of qualifying for the Junior Olympics. But new friendships, competitive pressure, an unexpected reputation as the “Prank Queen,” and a mistake she needs to own up to prove that staying out of trouble isn’t always the same as doing what’s right.
🏃🏾♀️
It was so good to see Shayla again. I especially like that track provides the backdrop for a story that’s really about friendship, accountability, and figuring out when you need to speak up, even when it might cost you something. Shayla is growing up and learning that doing your best isn’t just about winning or avoiding mistakes. This was a heartfelt middle grade story with an important message that never forgets its characters are still kids. This title releases September 22!
CW: bullying, racism, social injustice
A Good Kind of Trouble is probably one of my top middle grade reads ever so my expectations were too high for this. On its own it's a great middle grade book, but as a sequel to Shayla's story, I wanted more.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Shayla has made a lot of changes to her activities in A Good Kind of Trouble (2019), and is now fully invested in the track team. She's not all that confident in her running skills, and doesn't feel as comfortable with teammates Tyra and Neema as she does with her best friends Julia and Isabella, so helps them with various pranks that they want to carry out. The pranks make her uncomfortable, but she is assured that there won't be any that cause any undo damage or distress. They are things like hiding another team's running shoes. Shayla really wants to qualify for the Junior Olympics, because she feels it will help her to fit in, and she will feel successful, like her older sister Hana. When she notices that a teammate has a picture of a relative who died on her shirt, Shayla thinks about all of the problems in her city, and wants to shed light on the plight of murdered women of color. Not only that, but the girl has had her stuffed rabbit stolen as a prank, and her sister was the one to give her the rabbit. Shayla is also concerned about her mother's grandmother, Mama Dear, who lives in an area of Los Angeles that has had some problems ever since the South Central LA freeway went in, and the 1965 riots occurred. Will she be able to navigate difficult friend relationships, qualify for the Junior Olympics, and keep her family safe?
Strengths: I love learning about Black history, and would like to see Ramée do a fictional book at the 1965 Watts riots from Mama Dear's perspective; English's It All Comes Down to This (2017) and Woods' When Winter Robeson Came are the only other book I can think of that covers this event. Shayla is a typical middle schooler, who sometimes knows what she wants (qualify for the Junior Olympics) and sometimes struggles with how to run her own life! It's great to see that even though she has some anxiety about things, she keeps trying, and also that her parents are both there to support her. There are some good track details, although as a former coach I had some issues with the pranking that went on! Ramée has a very readable style, and the book moves quickly.
Weaknesses: Seven years is a long time in the middle grade world (Shayla would have graduated from high school two years ago!) , but I'm sure some readers will be glad of this continuation of Shayla's story. The first book hasn't circulated as well as expected in my school library (it is 384 pages long, and looks a bit daunting), so my purchase of this will depend on how far I can stretch my budget.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Draper's Blended, Marks' From the Desk of Zoe Washington or Giles' Take Back the Block.
Shayla has made a lot of changes to her activities in A Good Kind of Trouble (2019), and is now fully invested in the track team. She's not all that confident in her running skills, and doesn't feel as comfortable with teammates Tyra and Neema as she does with her best friends Julia and Isabella, so helps them with various pranks that they want to carry out. The pranks make her uncomfortable, but she is assured that there won't be any that cause any undo damage or distress. They are things like hiding another team's running shoes. Shayla really wants to qualify for the Junior Olympics, because she feels it will help her to fit in, and she will feel successful, like her older sister Hana. When she notices that a teammate has a picture of a relative who died on her shirt, Shayla thinks about all of the problems in her city, and wants to shed light on the plight of murdered women of color. Not only that, but the girl has had her stuffed rabbit stolen as a prank, and her sister was the one to give her the rabbit. Shayla is also concerned about her mother's grandmother, Mama Dear, who lives in an area of Los Angeles that has had some problems ever since the South Central LA freeway went in, and the 1965 riots occurred. Will she be able to navigate difficult friend relationships, qualify for the Junior Olympics, and keep her family safe?
Strengths: I love learning about Black history, and would like to see Ramée do a fictional book at the 1965 Watts riots from Mama Dear's perspective; English's It All Comes Down to This (2017) and Woods' When Winter Robeson Came are the only other book I can think of that covers this event. Shayla is a typical middle schooler, who sometimes knows what she wants (qualify for the Junior Olympics) and sometimes struggles with how to run her own life! It's great to see that even though she has some anxiety about things, she keeps trying, and also that her parents are both there to support her. There are some good track details, although as a former coach I had some issues with the pranking that went on! Ramée has a very readable style, and the book moves quickly.
Weaknesses: Seven years is a long time in the middle grade world (Shayla would have graduated from high school two years ago!) , but I'm sure some readers will be glad of this continuation of Shayla's story. The first book hasn't circulated as well as expected in my school library (it is 384 pages long, and looks a bit daunting), so my purchase of this will depend on how far I can stretch my budget.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Draper's Blended, Marks' From the Desk of Zoe Washington or Giles' Take Back the Block.
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May 23, 2026I remember really enjoying the first one and this one just didn't do it for me. I felt the pacing was really off. A lot of this focuses on track, but in the second half, starts to focus more on black people being killed (by each other? by gangs? never really specified) and it not getting proper investigations, which didn't really feel like it was what the book was about, and not even really a b plot, either. It was just there and honestly don't think it got the time it deserved. It feels like the Track series but just not as good :(
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
But things don’t go exactly how she imagined. Shayla has trouble fitting in with her new teammates, she’s working hard to beat her best time so she can qualify for the Junior Olympics, and somehow she even ends up being called the “Prank Queen” — a nickname she definitely didn’t ask for.
Soon Shayla realizes that trying too hard to avoid trouble can sometimes create even bigger problems. Now she has to decide: will she tell the truth about a mistake she made, even if it might upset her new friends? And when she sees something unfair happening, is she brave enough to speak up?
I really enjoyed this book because Shayla never gives up, even when things get tough. She has a lot of challenges—new teammates, big goals, and mistakes she has to face—but she keeps trying her best. That shows real perseverance, and it makes you want to cheer her on. I also enjoyed the social justice aspect.
One of my favorite parts was her journal. At the top of each entry, she writes a quote, and then she thinks about how it connects to her day. Sometimes the quote fits perfectly, and sometimes she realizes she didn’t quite live up to it, but she always reflects honestly. Those moments help you understand what she’s feeling and how she’s growing.
Overall, the journal quotes and Shayla’s determination make the story inspiring and fun to read. It reminds you that even when you mess up, you can learn from it and keep moving forward.
Soon Shayla realizes that trying too hard to avoid trouble can sometimes create even bigger problems. Now she has to decide: will she tell the truth about a mistake she made, even if it might upset her new friends? And when she sees something unfair happening, is she brave enough to speak up?
I really enjoyed this book because Shayla never gives up, even when things get tough. She has a lot of challenges—new teammates, big goals, and mistakes she has to face—but she keeps trying her best. That shows real perseverance, and it makes you want to cheer her on. I also enjoyed the social justice aspect.
One of my favorite parts was her journal. At the top of each entry, she writes a quote, and then she thinks about how it connects to her day. Sometimes the quote fits perfectly, and sometimes she realizes she didn’t quite live up to it, but she always reflects honestly. Those moments help you understand what she’s feeling and how she’s growing.
Overall, the journal quotes and Shayla’s determination make the story inspiring and fun to read. It reminds you that even when you mess up, you can learn from it and keep moving forward.
September 23, 2026
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.
This book was a very solid sequel to the first book. Shayla continues to do a lot of growth in this book and I really enjoyed this continuation to her story. Shayla is a great character and very well developed. There is a good amount going on and a great amount of focus on school life and track. There is some discussions on social justice that are well written for the younger age group. The narrator was great as well. She is very engaging.
This book was a very solid sequel to the first book. Shayla continues to do a lot of growth in this book and I really enjoyed this continuation to her story. Shayla is a great character and very well developed. There is a good amount going on and a great amount of focus on school life and track. There is some discussions on social justice that are well written for the younger age group. The narrator was great as well. She is very engaging.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Shayla is a fully realized, nuanced character and I was happy to return to her world for another book. Lisa Moore Ramee does such a good job of dealing with big real world issues in a way that is accessible to kids. The fast-paced nature of the book will also make this appeal to many young readers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews