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Jada Jones #1
Rock Star
Fans of Princess Posey and Ivy and Bean will enjoy engaging with science-loving Jada Jones in this easy-to-read chapter book.
When Jada Jones's best friend moves away, school feels like the last place she wants to be. She'd much rather wander outside looking for cool rocks to add to her collection, since finding rocks is much easier than finding friends. So when Jada's teacher announces a class project on rocks and minerals, Jada finally feels like she's in her element. The only problem: one of her teammates doesn't seem to like any of Jada's ideas. She doesn't seem to like Jada all that much, either. Can Jada figure out a way to make a winning science project and a new friend?
The early chapter book bridges between leveled readers and chapter books for fluent readers adjusting to the chapter book format. At about 5,000 words, with short chapters and two-color art on almost every page, it will appeal to this unique reader. The two-color art throughout will help readers transition from the familiar four-color art of leveled readers and ease them into black-and-white chapter books.
When Jada Jones's best friend moves away, school feels like the last place she wants to be. She'd much rather wander outside looking for cool rocks to add to her collection, since finding rocks is much easier than finding friends. So when Jada's teacher announces a class project on rocks and minerals, Jada finally feels like she's in her element. The only problem: one of her teammates doesn't seem to like any of Jada's ideas. She doesn't seem to like Jada all that much, either. Can Jada figure out a way to make a winning science project and a new friend?
The early chapter book bridges between leveled readers and chapter books for fluent readers adjusting to the chapter book format. At about 5,000 words, with short chapters and two-color art on almost every page, it will appeal to this unique reader. The two-color art throughout will help readers transition from the familiar four-color art of leveled readers and ease them into black-and-white chapter books.
96 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2017
34 people are currently reading
662 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Starling Lyons
52 books114 followersKelly Starling Lyons is an award-winning author whose 17 titles for children span easy readers, picture books, chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, and series. For more than a decade, Lyons has been creating inspiring books that center Black heroes, celebrate family, friendship and heritage and show all children the storyteller they hold inside. Her acclaimed titles include Going Down Home with Daddy, Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations, Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, Tiara's Hat Parade and the Jada Jones chapter book series. Her new easy reader series with illustrator Nina Mata, Ty's Travels, debuts September 1. The first book, All Aboard, earned a starred Kirkus review.
Lyons counts Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Best of the Year and state award lists, Junior Library Guild selections, a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor among the accolades her books have received. Two of her books, Hope's Gift and Going Down Home with Daddy, have represented the states of North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, at the National Book Festival's Parade of the States.
Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a team dedicated to raising awareness of Black children's book creators, a Raleigh-Durham co-ambassador for The Authors Guild, and a teaching artist who visits schools, libraries, conferences and festivals nationwide. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children where she facilitates a book club for boys that salutes literary treasures from Black authors and illustrators of today and the past. Learn more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.
Lyons counts Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Best of the Year and state award lists, Junior Library Guild selections, a Caldecott Honor and a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor among the accolades her books have received. Two of her books, Hope's Gift and Going Down Home with Daddy, have represented the states of North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, at the National Book Festival's Parade of the States.
Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a team dedicated to raising awareness of Black children's book creators, a Raleigh-Durham co-ambassador for The Authors Guild, and a teaching artist who visits schools, libraries, conferences and festivals nationwide. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and children where she facilitates a book club for boys that salutes literary treasures from Black authors and illustrators of today and the past. Learn more at www.kellystarlinglyons.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
August 3, 2021
I truly believe that my reading challenge list is going to get interesting as I begin to log more of the children chapter book series I'm reading. Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons was quick, fun read that children and parents/guardians will enjoy
While scrolling through my Hoopla account searching for new reads, I thought it might be interesting to check out some children chapter book series. I didn't realize that Kelly Starling Lyons had this one so I decided to check it out on audio. These books do include illustrations; however, I will refrain from commenting on the artwork since I listened to the audiobook. The story focuses on a young Jada Jones as she begins school without her best friend. As she begins school she feels awkward and has a hard time fitting in especially when she talks more about her love for and experience in rock collecting. What I enjoyed so much about this book is not only the representation, but also the fact that it tackles so many issues that school age children face including making new friends, handling interpersonal conflict, adjusting to change, and even compromising/having an open mind the variety of ways in which problems can be solved. There was even a strong emphasis on communication which I absolutely loved and adored because it's an element that even adults struggle with. I honestly would recommend this chapter books series for students who are transitioning into reading more difficult text. It's also a great read a loud to have between caregivers and children.
While scrolling through my Hoopla account searching for new reads, I thought it might be interesting to check out some children chapter book series. I didn't realize that Kelly Starling Lyons had this one so I decided to check it out on audio. These books do include illustrations; however, I will refrain from commenting on the artwork since I listened to the audiobook. The story focuses on a young Jada Jones as she begins school without her best friend. As she begins school she feels awkward and has a hard time fitting in especially when she talks more about her love for and experience in rock collecting. What I enjoyed so much about this book is not only the representation, but also the fact that it tackles so many issues that school age children face including making new friends, handling interpersonal conflict, adjusting to change, and even compromising/having an open mind the variety of ways in which problems can be solved. There was even a strong emphasis on communication which I absolutely loved and adored because it's an element that even adults struggle with. I honestly would recommend this chapter books series for students who are transitioning into reading more difficult text. It's also a great read a loud to have between caregivers and children.
August 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this story about our fourth-grade friend Jada.
Even though she was having a hard day, besties moving away is the worst for sure, Jada gives it her all to have a great day. She's trying to make new friends, navigating standing up for herself, working on a group project AND trying new things...
The author did a great job with sometimes tough subjects. I'll keep this in my pocket to recommend to all kids, not just the ones that like rocks.
Even though she was having a hard day, besties moving away is the worst for sure, Jada gives it her all to have a great day. She's trying to make new friends, navigating standing up for herself, working on a group project AND trying new things...
The author did a great job with sometimes tough subjects. I'll keep this in my pocket to recommend to all kids, not just the ones that like rocks.
January 23, 2022
I love finding early chapter books like this! The characters are delightful without feeling impossibly perfect. There's no brother-sister animosity, no boy-girl animosity. The inclusivity feels natural, not forced. The "drama" between Jada and one of the girls at school feels authentic and I so appreciate that it's not a typical "mean girl" situation and that Jada realizes she needed to see something from another person's perspective. Books that encourage empathy are so high on my list! The story also does a great job exploring Jada's feelings about her best friend moving to another state, her grief, and how will she fill that hole in her heart with someone new... it is done sensitively but without being depressing. The science aspect is not a huge focus here, but I did love that Jada's enthusiasm for rocks is so contagious and we do learn some geology tidbits throughout the book. My youngest, who is fairly picky about family read-alouds, really enjoyed this because he also loves rocks. Highly recommend and will check out the rest in this series.
September 19, 2017
Jada is exactly the kind of character I need in early chapter books for my elementary students! She's relatable, smart, and sends a positive message. Bonus points for having a black girl on the cover that many of my students will see themselves in. I will definitely be ordering the start of the series for my library, with the hope of more to come!
September 30, 2017
This is a fantastic transitional chapter book that I'm excited to add to my school library. Jada is a fourth grader whose best friend has recently moved away, the friend who shared her love of rock collecting, and now Jada dreads going to school without this friend by her side. It is a story of friendship and being true to yourself. I love that Jada is smart and loves rocks! She learns to not hide what she loves just because others might not think it's cool.
February 12, 2018
Jada Jones is a Realistic fiction book that has many different issues that are real in a young child's life. I really enjoyed reading this book. It has many different types of issues that are so real but with the issues there are solutions to the issues. This book helps children understand that there can be a solution to an issue and how to go about it in a kind and loving way.
September 18, 2022
Growing up (and even now), I’ve always loved the books that center around school and friendships, starting with Junie B. Jones, moving quickly to Amber Brown and Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo, and later on the How I Survived Middle School, Candy Apple, Main Street and Star Sisterz series. As a kid I never considered how most of the portrayals of these characters and all of their friends were white. Rock Star is the first book like this that I’ve read featuring primarily black characters. As such, this book is a great example of incidental representation and a good mirror book for black students, as well as a mirror and window book for kids (especially girls) struggling with friendships or fitting in.
This book also incorporates male/female friendships (slightly), which is something that needs to be normalized at the target demographic age.
I am very grateful to have a copy of this book and definitely plan on using and featuring it in my classroom.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books.
This book also incorporates male/female friendships (slightly), which is something that needs to be normalized at the target demographic age.
I am very grateful to have a copy of this book and definitely plan on using and featuring it in my classroom.
Read my full review on my Goodreads account for children's books.
July 6, 2019
I truly enjoyed reading “Rock Star”, which is the first book in the “Jada Jones” chapter book series by Kelly Starling Lyons. This short and engaging story features a passionate main character, some facts about earth science, and great messages about patience, loss, kindness and friendship.
The main character Jada is a smart and creative fourth-grader. She loves rocks and knows everything about them. So when her science teacher announces a unit on rocks and minerals and an upcoming rock fair, Jada is happy. Almost. Her best friend Mari, with whom Jada shared her passion for rocks, has just moved away, and without Mari, Jada feels lost. That is, until she decides to follow her mother’s advice and tries to make new friends by showing other kids how awesome rocks could be. But making new friends doesn’t appear easy, as one of her classmates seems to do everything to impede Jada’s efforts.
This engaging story with two-color illustrations and a cute list of Jada’s rules for being a rock star will be loved by all budding geologists, whose pockets are always full of rocks.
The main character Jada is a smart and creative fourth-grader. She loves rocks and knows everything about them. So when her science teacher announces a unit on rocks and minerals and an upcoming rock fair, Jada is happy. Almost. Her best friend Mari, with whom Jada shared her passion for rocks, has just moved away, and without Mari, Jada feels lost. That is, until she decides to follow her mother’s advice and tries to make new friends by showing other kids how awesome rocks could be. But making new friends doesn’t appear easy, as one of her classmates seems to do everything to impede Jada’s efforts.
This engaging story with two-color illustrations and a cute list of Jada’s rules for being a rock star will be loved by all budding geologists, whose pockets are always full of rocks.
January 10, 2019
very cute science chapter book.
Read
April 4, 2019As a fan of rocks, I was particularly thrilled to read about another girl who also loves rocks! This kind, fun tale of finding one's way to new friendships is a gem. <3
December 24, 2023
So cute! This is the first in series about a girl named Jada who loves rocks. Her best friend has moved away and this book explores her navigating new friendships and doing a rock project.
December 31, 2021
I'm so here for reading anything with Girls and STEM!!!!!
October 3, 2017
Yes! Thank you for this series, Kelly Lyons! Jada is going to delight young readers and will appeal to many ages. I'm looking forward to more Jada books in the future!
June 30, 2022
Growing up (and even now), I’ve always loved the books that center around school and friendships, starting with Junie B. Jones, moving quickly to Amber Brown and Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo, and later on the How I Survived Middle School, Candy Apple, Main Street and Star Sisterz series. As a kid I never considered how most of the portrayals of these characters and all of their friends were white. Rock Star is the first book like this that I’ve read featuring primarily black characters. As such, this book is a great example of incidental representation and a good mirror book for black students, as well as a mirror and window book for kids (especially girls) struggling with friendships or fitting in.
This book also incorporates male/female friendships (slightly), which is something that needs to be normalized at the target demographic age.
The words are also large print and with an adequate amount of spacing, so struggling readers would still be able to use decoding strategies that they use with picture books with similar features. The layout is very conducive for advanced readers at the first through third grade levels, as well as for intermediate or struggling readers at the intermediate and upper elementary grades.
Concerns that I have: though all the characters are supposedly black, this is hard to tell through the images as they are primarily black and white with minimal shading to indicate skin tone. The cover image of Jada clearly depicts a black girl, but races are never explicitly stated. With this illustration style, the biggest clues are the hair, which is drawn as cornrows and afros. This book also centers around experiences traditionally common to girls but not boys. This would need to be overcome by a lot of discussion on friendships and hobbies in order to help it appeal to students of all genders.
I could see this used in a first or second grade class as a read aloud, or in intermediate and upper grades as a book club choice. It can bring about good discussion about how we’re different or similar to our friends and classmates in our interests, which can go even further into social studies skills and curriculum about our place in a group and in the world.
Over the summer I was working in a YMCA summer learning classroom as an assistant teacher, where my lead teacher was an outspoken black woman. She runs Armor Down Girls, a book club with young girls to help with reading, self-image, confidence, and life skills. This is one of the books they’ve used in that group, and she gave me a copy to start to build for my future classroom. I read this in September and a few times since then, and I really enjoy looking at it as similar to the books I liked as a kid, but the more diverse representations. I used Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons for my realistic fiction annotations for my children's literature course.
I am very grateful to have a copy of this book and definitely plan on using and featuring it in my classroom.
This book also incorporates male/female friendships (slightly), which is something that needs to be normalized at the target demographic age.
The words are also large print and with an adequate amount of spacing, so struggling readers would still be able to use decoding strategies that they use with picture books with similar features. The layout is very conducive for advanced readers at the first through third grade levels, as well as for intermediate or struggling readers at the intermediate and upper elementary grades.
Concerns that I have: though all the characters are supposedly black, this is hard to tell through the images as they are primarily black and white with minimal shading to indicate skin tone. The cover image of Jada clearly depicts a black girl, but races are never explicitly stated. With this illustration style, the biggest clues are the hair, which is drawn as cornrows and afros. This book also centers around experiences traditionally common to girls but not boys. This would need to be overcome by a lot of discussion on friendships and hobbies in order to help it appeal to students of all genders.
I could see this used in a first or second grade class as a read aloud, or in intermediate and upper grades as a book club choice. It can bring about good discussion about how we’re different or similar to our friends and classmates in our interests, which can go even further into social studies skills and curriculum about our place in a group and in the world.
Over the summer I was working in a YMCA summer learning classroom as an assistant teacher, where my lead teacher was an outspoken black woman. She runs Armor Down Girls, a book club with young girls to help with reading, self-image, confidence, and life skills. This is one of the books they’ve used in that group, and she gave me a copy to start to build for my future classroom. I read this in September and a few times since then, and I really enjoy looking at it as similar to the books I liked as a kid, but the more diverse representations. I used Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons for my realistic fiction annotations for my children's literature course.
I am very grateful to have a copy of this book and definitely plan on using and featuring it in my classroom.
July 30, 2017
THIS BOOK ROCKS!
Very excited that author Kelly Starling-Lyons has once again brought “Black Girl Magic” to the bookshelves. I am especially grateful for books that show children of color in roles and activities that are not traditionally shown in books or the media in general. My 7-year old daughter, an avid rock collector (and reader), did not see others who look like her in the field of geology and definitely did not see it in books. While she reads everything from the Harry Potter series to the Magic Treehouse books, she loved reading about a character she could relate to in more ways than one.
According to my daughter, the overall message she received from the book was the importance of friendship and how collecting rocks wasn’t just about looking at rocks but rock collecting being a unique way to find friends. As explained to me by my daughter, Jada, the main character, is sad when her best friend Mari moves away. Mari was a fellow rock collector, so it makes things extra hard for her. My daughter liked the fact that Jada was able to make new friends even if they didn’t collect rocks. Now that she is entrenched into chapter books, Jada Jones: Rock Star was perfect for her reading level. She’s a bit of an advanced reader for her age and grade (7/rising 2nd grader), but she had no issues reading it nor was it “too easy” or “babyish” for her. The illustrations were well done and realistic and a great accompaniment to the story. The only critique she had was that she would have liked it to be “more adventurous,” but overall she enjoyed it and is looking forward to more books in the series. Personally, any budding geologist or anyone looking for a book with a strong female lead would enjoy it.
July 23, 2017
Definitely adding this to my elementary libraries! This young rock collector faces the challenge of her best friend moving away & is worried she will now be friend-less. Her fun, caring, creative and not-afraid-to-get-a-little-dirty spirit is admired by most of her classmates, but even when she faces hurdles, she doesn't give up. I can't wait to share Jada with students!
August 13, 2017
I read this book over the span of a week with my 6 and 8 year old children. We really enjoyed this book and you can see our complete review of the book at my blog here: https://raisingreaderssite.wordpress....
August 16, 2017
This was a really cute little beginning chapter book. It is well written, and fun and features a main character who is a girl of color whose really into science! (Review is based on an advance uncorrected galley)
June 28, 2017
Nice story about friendship.
July 20, 2017
Review to come!
July 30, 2017
A wonderful diverse transitional chapter book. A good read for showcasing girls who like science!
March 8, 2024
The book is great in my opinion. I rated it 3 stars because the book is very sad. Jada’s BFF moved away.
October 2, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from the cover to the end. The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover which displayed a young girl of ethnic descent. I thought this was a great introduction to the book and found the illustrations to be an added bonus as well. This book is a realistic fiction book that chronicles the attempts, struggles, and final successes of attaining new friendships and maintaining old ones. In this book, Jada (the main character) is heartbroken because her best friend Mari has moved across the country. Jada is then left with her feelings of loneliness and must now try to make friends with other classmates who, initially, do not share her same interests.
I found the illustrations to be culturally relevant as they showed people of color in various ways and in diverse roles. Jada's teacher and all of her friends were people of color and each one was portrayed in a positive light. I thought this was a plus because so often people of color are portrayed in negative ways. Lyons (the author) even does a good job of portraying the antagonist, Simone, in a way that makes change inevitable. I think this book would be excellent to introduce to 3rd-grade students as a read aloud and an excellent way to incorporate multicultural literature into the classroom culture. Students of color would be able to relate to the story and other students would be able to see life through the lens of a minority. This is especially important due to the fact that not often are students allowed or given the opportunity to see the world from such a viewpoint. All in all, this book was a good read and shows readers the importance of patience, the joy and friendships that can be found through compromise, and the triumph of kindness.
I found the illustrations to be culturally relevant as they showed people of color in various ways and in diverse roles. Jada's teacher and all of her friends were people of color and each one was portrayed in a positive light. I thought this was a plus because so often people of color are portrayed in negative ways. Lyons (the author) even does a good job of portraying the antagonist, Simone, in a way that makes change inevitable. I think this book would be excellent to introduce to 3rd-grade students as a read aloud and an excellent way to incorporate multicultural literature into the classroom culture. Students of color would be able to relate to the story and other students would be able to see life through the lens of a minority. This is especially important due to the fact that not often are students allowed or given the opportunity to see the world from such a viewpoint. All in all, this book was a good read and shows readers the importance of patience, the joy and friendships that can be found through compromise, and the triumph of kindness.
June 25, 2018
When a best friend moves away, it can be difficult to make new friends. For Jada, her best friend Mari moved away. Mari was kind and sweet and most importantly, she loved rocks just as much as Jada. During recess they would search for new rocks and add them to their collections. They also loved telling each other rock jokes. But when Mari left Jada wondered if she would ever make friends who loved rocks too.
When Jada’s teacher assigns the class a rock project, she thinks this will be the perfect group project to make new friends. She is asked to join Lena and Simone. Although Simone is not happy about it, especially since Lena is her best friend, Jada thinks this may not be such a good idea. The group project had a bumpy start. Simone wanted to decorate rocks with eyelashes and glamour, but the project required learning facts about rocks. It will be up to Jada to try and bring the group together by doing both, but how?
Author Kelly Starling Lyons has created a great read about friendship. The story teaches readers how to compromise, by sharing what they love and be willing to try new things. Simple illustrations depict the characters and show action. Easy to read short snappy chapters make this a great early chapter book for any eager reader. Teachers and parents can use this as a read-a-loud to open up discussion about friendship, compromise and hobbies. The back page has a great list on how to be a rock star.
When Jada’s teacher assigns the class a rock project, she thinks this will be the perfect group project to make new friends. She is asked to join Lena and Simone. Although Simone is not happy about it, especially since Lena is her best friend, Jada thinks this may not be such a good idea. The group project had a bumpy start. Simone wanted to decorate rocks with eyelashes and glamour, but the project required learning facts about rocks. It will be up to Jada to try and bring the group together by doing both, but how?
Author Kelly Starling Lyons has created a great read about friendship. The story teaches readers how to compromise, by sharing what they love and be willing to try new things. Simple illustrations depict the characters and show action. Easy to read short snappy chapters make this a great early chapter book for any eager reader. Teachers and parents can use this as a read-a-loud to open up discussion about friendship, compromise and hobbies. The back page has a great list on how to be a rock star.
January 29, 2018
Lyons, Kelly Starling Jada Jones: Rock Star, 86 pages. Penguin Random House (Penguin Workshop), 2017 $0 (no price listed). Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: G.
Jada Jones used to love going to school until, part way through fourth grade, her best friend moves away. Now Jada realizes that everyone else already has a best friend and she’s not sure where she fits in. When her teacher announces that they will be learning about rocks for their next science unit, Jada can hardly wait to get started. She and her best friend loved to collect rocks together. Maybe she can use her love of rocks to do well in science and help her make some new friends at the same time.
The first in a series, this book introduces the reader to an everyday hero, Jada Jones. Jada is a strong, likeable character without being bossy, rude, or silly like some other heroes or heroines in other children’s books. The plot is simple without being condescending to the young audience. It would be a good book to use as a read aloud to discuss what it means to be a friend. It would also be good for young readers who are reading on their own and want a book that is more than three chapters but is not too long.
EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE. LMA, future elementary school teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Jada Jones used to love going to school until, part way through fourth grade, her best friend moves away. Now Jada realizes that everyone else already has a best friend and she’s not sure where she fits in. When her teacher announces that they will be learning about rocks for their next science unit, Jada can hardly wait to get started. She and her best friend loved to collect rocks together. Maybe she can use her love of rocks to do well in science and help her make some new friends at the same time.
The first in a series, this book introduces the reader to an everyday hero, Jada Jones. Jada is a strong, likeable character without being bossy, rude, or silly like some other heroes or heroines in other children’s books. The plot is simple without being condescending to the young audience. It would be a good book to use as a read aloud to discuss what it means to be a friend. It would also be good for young readers who are reading on their own and want a book that is more than three chapters but is not too long.
EL (K-3), EL - ADVISABLE. LMA, future elementary school teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
April 4, 2019
Nice realistic fiction story about Jada Jones, a 4th-grader whose best friend (and rock-finding recess buddy) has moved across the country. The books starts Monday morning, the first day of school without Mari, and Jada really has the blues. Although this made me wonder what happened on days when Mari was sick, it definitely evoked the discomfort students can have when their best friend is not at school. Jada's dad tries to get her to smile (cringe), but she doesn't really manage it. Throughout the course of the story, Jada finds friendly people but also a jealous one, Simone, who is afraid that her best friend Lena's kindness toward Jada is a threat. Jada ends up taking some steps to be friendly with Simone as well as Lena, and all ends up getting resolved. One instance of "lame" being used to describe something not cool (which is not cool). Best for ages 8-10.
July 8, 2019
This was a great early chapter book. The text was easy to decode and there was a central problem. The problem is relatable to 4th grade girls (the age of the characters in the book-- trust me, I've spent a lot of time in classrooms where students are trying to negotiate with classmates to solve problems during group projects!) The book also offered depth that some easier chapter books don't offer. Jada struggles with internal and external conflict. Themes of friendship and developing a growth mindset/trying something new are easily identifiable and offer students things to think about and discuss. This book also has diverse characters and girls who "rock" at science. Can't wait to share with some of my students!!
October 31, 2017
Lyons creates a likeable character in Jada Jones. She hits just the right note of spunk without being sassy to adults, and just the right note of vulnerability without being weak. Jada is an African-American 4th grader who appeals to young readers. She has her struggles but her stories promote good values such as believe in yourself, say no to drama, and try to fix your mistakes. Most of all, her stories show that to have a friend, one must be a friend.
Lyons’ books are delightfully illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton in these easy-to-read chapter books. Readers in 1st-3rd grade will enjoy meeting Jada and her friends!
Lyons’ books are delightfully illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton in these easy-to-read chapter books. Readers in 1st-3rd grade will enjoy meeting Jada and her friends!
July 23, 2018
3.5 stars
4th grader Jada is returning to school without her best friend, who has moved away to Arizona. She tries to befriend some other kids, and is excited to be working on a group project with two girls on her favorite topic: Rocks! However, things don’t go quite as planned. Jada is resilient through, and through determination and a little compassion she is able to succeed.
Really enjoyed this. Dealt with bullying and girl fighting in a good way without being too didactic or preachy. I like that Jada has a different interest. And because I’m weird I always like it when the cover picture matches the character descriptions in the book. Good series! Would definitely recommend.
4th grader Jada is returning to school without her best friend, who has moved away to Arizona. She tries to befriend some other kids, and is excited to be working on a group project with two girls on her favorite topic: Rocks! However, things don’t go quite as planned. Jada is resilient through, and through determination and a little compassion she is able to succeed.
Really enjoyed this. Dealt with bullying and girl fighting in a good way without being too didactic or preachy. I like that Jada has a different interest. And because I’m weird I always like it when the cover picture matches the character descriptions in the book. Good series! Would definitely recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews