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Just Like Jackie
For as long as Robinson Hart can remember, it’s just been her and Grandpa. Robbie knows they look like an odd pair, because her blond hair and pale skin don’t match his dark complexion—but those differences don’t mean anything to her. And though she wishes Grandpa would tell her more about the rest of her family, she’s learned over the years that he doesn’t like to talk about the past.
But Grandpa’s memory is starting to get bad, and Robbie’s worried that soon he won’t remember their family—including her—at all. She’s sure that he would get better if she could stay out of trouble, but it’s hard to keep her fists to herself when bullies like Alex Carter make fun of her for not having a mom or for looking so different from Grandpa. It’s up to Robbie to learn how to deal with her anger and to keep her family together—no matter what.
But Grandpa’s memory is starting to get bad, and Robbie’s worried that soon he won’t remember their family—including her—at all. She’s sure that he would get better if she could stay out of trouble, but it’s hard to keep her fists to herself when bullies like Alex Carter make fun of her for not having a mom or for looking so different from Grandpa. It’s up to Robbie to learn how to deal with her anger and to keep her family together—no matter what.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 2, 2018
66 people are currently reading
3558 people want to read
About the author
Lindsey Stoddard
6 books216 followersLindsey Stoddard was born and raised in Vermont where she helped boil sap in her grandpa's sugarhouse, skied the snowy mountains, and began her love for reading and writing. She taught middle school English for 10 years in Washington Heights, NYC to the most inspiring, creative kids. Their excitement about reading motivated her to pursue her other childhood dream, writing books. She now lives back in Vermont with her husband and two children. She received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of Just Like Jackie, Right as Rain, Brave Like That, Bea Is for Blended, and The Real Deal (10/25/22).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews
November 30, 2022
Robinson Hart will steal your heart in this book about a girl who loves cars, baseball, and her grandpa. When classmate Derek is having trouble at home, he bullies Robinson and she fights back. The school counselor models some great techniques for dealing with the tension including a Group Guidance exercise. A family tree class project is also a source of angst for many in the class. When the kids in the group work on theirs together with the counselor, they come up with some really creative ideas and bond with each other. I especially loved Robinson's. There are excellent baseball analogies and stats as well as some tips for tapping trees and making syrup. I was especially intrigued by the description of boiled eggs from the sap pot. Sounds yummy!
August 23, 2020
Jackie Robinson is one of my American heroes and last year in honor of the 100th anniversary of his birth, I focused on Jackie’s place in American history as well as keeping a civil rights bent to my reading. At this point, I know Jackie’s story well; however, I am always keeping an eye out for new books featuring him from a different angle. Recently, a GoodReads friend of mine Eileen reviewed what looked to be a charming middle grade children’s book. She is one of my go to sources on new books for my younger daughter, and, I was captivated by the title of this one. Just Like Jackie does feature Jackie Robinson but not from the perspective that I am used to. In this debut novel for middle grade readers, author Lindsey Stoddard introduces readers to a girl named for the baseball great while allowing kids to explore the definition of what is a family in the 21st century.
Robinson Hart is not your typical eleven year old girl. She is the best baseball player at her school and chooses to play third base like her namesake, the great Jackie Robinson (note, Robinson mainly played second base and only third toward the end of his career but I will forgive the author this technicality). On the cusp of adolescence, Robinson or Robbie has a lot of emotions boiling in her. Her only family is her maternal grandfather and while they are each other’s everything, at times Robbie grows envious of her classmates who live in loving, nuclear families with parents or stepparents and multiple siblings. None of these other kids possess the life skills that Robbie does: at age eleven, she is already a first rate mechanic, maple syrup producer, and can traverse the Appalachian Trail that abuts her backyard. She is her grandfather’s left hand and assists him with anything that needs assisting, which is becoming more and more frequent by the day. Robbie is a doer and a fighter, and one thing she definitely is not is a Robin. Some kids needle her with this unwanted nickname and at this juncture of her life, it is clear that our protagonist is a Robbie, not a Robin.
One day Robinson has been called Robin one too many times. This time the perpetrator is class bully Alex Carter, who we later find out has family issues of his own. Robbie punches him in the nose, and most of the class is actually relieved that someone would stand up to Alex, just not the school administration. Robbie is taken under the wing of Ms. Gloria, the school social worker who develops an intervention plan where Robbie thinks of baseball stats and Jackie Robinson quotes whenever she is feeling angry. This works for the most part, especially when her grandpa reminds her to think about what Jackie would do and own up to her name. Robbie feels most at home with her grandpa Charlie at his auto shop that he runs with his right hand man Harold. Robbie would rather be there than at school because grandpa has been more forgetful lately, jumbling words, misplacing his jacket and keys, and forgetting how to do simple tasks that have long been a part of his life. With Harold about to adopt a newborn baby, Robbie is needed at the garage more than ever because her grandpa is as dependent on her as she is on him. It is little wonder that Robbie would rather spend her time at the garage than at school.
Robbie’s emotions about her family history come to a head when her teacher assigns a family tree project that will presented at a parent open house. Most of her classmates have large extended families, but Robbie just has her grandpa. Her mother is dead and she never knew her father, so how can she complete this assignment, especially as her grandfather’s memory deteriorates by the day. Robbie comes up genius idea that she and three other students can finish their project in Ms. Gloria’s office rather than her classroom. They are in group intervention and all they talk about stays in the room. One of the kids is Alex the bully, and it is revealed that his home life is a difficult as Robbie’s at the moment, but they make a pact to finish their family trees even if they know that the project might not have as many branches as some of their classmates. Stoddard makes young and adult readers question what is a family, and has this reader revisiting the proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.” For Robinson Hart, these words hold true as she many people who love her, even if they are not officially her family.
In this stunning debut, Lindsey Stoddard examines many issues at the forefront of society while fleshing out her characters in a small amount of space. In a short time she visits LBTQ families, adoption, mental health issues and Alzheimer’s care, and education practices at a level that middle grade readers will understand while inserting an emotional balance that their adult family members will also appreciate. I was moved by the story of Robinson Hart. Her grandpa Charlie named her for the great Jackie Robinson because he knew that she would be a fighter for what is right in his mold. There are a number of current Major League Baseball players named for Robinson, but I think that Robinson Hart is my new favorite. As one who always has books about Jackie as well as quality books for my kids on my radar, Just Like Jackie turned out to be a winner.
✨ 4.5 stars ⚾️ 👱♀️👨🏽🦳 🍁 ✨
Robinson Hart is not your typical eleven year old girl. She is the best baseball player at her school and chooses to play third base like her namesake, the great Jackie Robinson (note, Robinson mainly played second base and only third toward the end of his career but I will forgive the author this technicality). On the cusp of adolescence, Robinson or Robbie has a lot of emotions boiling in her. Her only family is her maternal grandfather and while they are each other’s everything, at times Robbie grows envious of her classmates who live in loving, nuclear families with parents or stepparents and multiple siblings. None of these other kids possess the life skills that Robbie does: at age eleven, she is already a first rate mechanic, maple syrup producer, and can traverse the Appalachian Trail that abuts her backyard. She is her grandfather’s left hand and assists him with anything that needs assisting, which is becoming more and more frequent by the day. Robbie is a doer and a fighter, and one thing she definitely is not is a Robin. Some kids needle her with this unwanted nickname and at this juncture of her life, it is clear that our protagonist is a Robbie, not a Robin.
One day Robinson has been called Robin one too many times. This time the perpetrator is class bully Alex Carter, who we later find out has family issues of his own. Robbie punches him in the nose, and most of the class is actually relieved that someone would stand up to Alex, just not the school administration. Robbie is taken under the wing of Ms. Gloria, the school social worker who develops an intervention plan where Robbie thinks of baseball stats and Jackie Robinson quotes whenever she is feeling angry. This works for the most part, especially when her grandpa reminds her to think about what Jackie would do and own up to her name. Robbie feels most at home with her grandpa Charlie at his auto shop that he runs with his right hand man Harold. Robbie would rather be there than at school because grandpa has been more forgetful lately, jumbling words, misplacing his jacket and keys, and forgetting how to do simple tasks that have long been a part of his life. With Harold about to adopt a newborn baby, Robbie is needed at the garage more than ever because her grandpa is as dependent on her as she is on him. It is little wonder that Robbie would rather spend her time at the garage than at school.
Robbie’s emotions about her family history come to a head when her teacher assigns a family tree project that will presented at a parent open house. Most of her classmates have large extended families, but Robbie just has her grandpa. Her mother is dead and she never knew her father, so how can she complete this assignment, especially as her grandfather’s memory deteriorates by the day. Robbie comes up genius idea that she and three other students can finish their project in Ms. Gloria’s office rather than her classroom. They are in group intervention and all they talk about stays in the room. One of the kids is Alex the bully, and it is revealed that his home life is a difficult as Robbie’s at the moment, but they make a pact to finish their family trees even if they know that the project might not have as many branches as some of their classmates. Stoddard makes young and adult readers question what is a family, and has this reader revisiting the proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child.” For Robinson Hart, these words hold true as she many people who love her, even if they are not officially her family.
In this stunning debut, Lindsey Stoddard examines many issues at the forefront of society while fleshing out her characters in a small amount of space. In a short time she visits LBTQ families, adoption, mental health issues and Alzheimer’s care, and education practices at a level that middle grade readers will understand while inserting an emotional balance that their adult family members will also appreciate. I was moved by the story of Robinson Hart. Her grandpa Charlie named her for the great Jackie Robinson because he knew that she would be a fighter for what is right in his mold. There are a number of current Major League Baseball players named for Robinson, but I think that Robinson Hart is my new favorite. As one who always has books about Jackie as well as quality books for my kids on my radar, Just Like Jackie turned out to be a winner.
✨ 4.5 stars ⚾️ 👱♀️👨🏽🦳 🍁 ✨
October 13, 2017
This is a amazing book targeted for 8 to 12 year old's and I would have loved this as a child. As a adult i simple ADORE it. Laugh, cry, and relate to this wonderful gimps into the life of a struggling girl named Robinson aka Robbie. She doesn't have the best of tempers and when resident bully Alex doesn't leave her alone she punches him in the nose. Little did she know that this would be the start of when everything changes. Follow her through her struggles as she finds out that not everyone has a perfect family, or a big one either, but family can be what you make it not just what you have.
I truly hope you pick up this book no matter what your age because it is truly a beautifully done story and a great lesson for younger children about life not always being what you assume or see.
I truly hope you pick up this book no matter what your age because it is truly a beautifully done story and a great lesson for younger children about life not always being what you assume or see.
January 5, 2019
Fierceness and compassion move this story.
It can feel rare in children's lit, that educational and mental health professionals are shown to be competent and doing what is best for the situation. Often when a story needs a heavy, poor teaching or bad counseling stand as a foil. I appreciated that in this book everyone around Robbie is supportive, without solving her problems for her.
It can feel rare in children's lit, that educational and mental health professionals are shown to be competent and doing what is best for the situation. Often when a story needs a heavy, poor teaching or bad counseling stand as a foil. I appreciated that in this book everyone around Robbie is supportive, without solving her problems for her.
January 22, 2020
Another winner! Although this is the first book by this author, I read it after her latest book, Right as Rain. This book is written for 8-12-year-olds but can be easily enjoyed by teens and adults. This book covers many current issues but doesn't feel at all scattered. The story centers around Robinson, who is named for Jackie Robinson. All she has in this world is her Grandpa, and she knows nothing about the rest of her family. Her favorite things in the world are her Grandpa, Maple Day, baseball, and fixing cars. When her grandfather starts to show signs of Alzheimer's her world begins to fall apart as she tries to hold it all together on her own. In this book, she learns that life is not meant to be lived alone and that family is more than just genetics. This story covers bullying, illness, anger, racism, adoption, friendship, and family. I loved that the officials in the story were more than faceless bureaucrats and that she discovers there are many adults who want to truly do the best for the children. I found myself sobbing through much of the end, especially as I thought about my own dad, but it was an uplifting ending and is a book I can see reading again.
January 8, 2018
This beautiful story and powerful protagonist definitely made me tear up at least twice. The novel seamlessly weaves into its Vermont-embedded narrative considerations of family (and what that means), race, gender, Alzheimer's, and more - all through the lens of an inspiring fifth grader and her life with her grandpa.
October 26, 2018
Probably 3.5 stars. I liked this but did not love it - I think one of my main reservations is baseball as a theme. I can think of one student who is into baseball and yet it continues to be a predominant theme in children’s literature. As for the book itself, there was a lot to appreciate even if it didn’t totally win me over.
May 30, 2019
I went away to college at about the same time my grandfather went away to a facility that could care for him and his Alzheimer's. Visits with him were rough. In fact, I only visited him one time because instead of his grandson, he thought I was some buddy from the war he had been stationed with. It was one of the most awkward, saddest conversations I've ever been a part of. I had lost my grandpa for good even though he was physically sitting right next to me on a bench, patting my leg.
What a book, Just Like Jackie is! So many raw, tender moments mixed with gut-punching devestating ones. Robbie's voice is so true and reads exactly like a girl in her situation. This sounds like a real kid, with real struggles. Robbie struggles to control her temper, and struggles with taking care of her grandfather, and struggles with not knowing anything about where she comes from. Her relationships with teachers like Ms. Gloria, and adults like Harold, and kids like Derek and Alex, are so fantasically portrayed. I think Stoddard has taken great care in writing about Alzheimer's and how it would impact this unique family situation.
Speaking of writing, Stoddard's style is top notch. For a debut author, she really sticks to her guns and doesn't try to do too much with the text. The style and voice here is reminiscient of Jenni Holm's May Amelia and Turtle in Paradise. Robbie's narative is filled with awesome similies and metaphors that ring true to her character and interests. She loves baseball, working on cars, and collecting sap from trees to make syrup. This is her world and it's evident in the way she thinks through problems and relates to situations. They aren't crammed into the story in a writerly way. They are authentic to Robbie's voice:
"I don't know what my core is made of except maybe Grandpa's one-quarter, but it's not all syrupy sweet, that's for sure. It's not like the center of a perfect sugar maple. It's tight like a knotted piece of firewood, gnarled and hard to chop through."
"I want to tell Harold about how Grandpa wandered away Friday night and almost got lost up in the woods. And how I think Grandpa's check engine light is on and I don't know how to figure out what's wrong. But I hope it's something as easy as a missing gap cap. And that we can get a new one, on the house, and drive off all fixed."
"I want to laugh and point and say Who's tough now? but all I can do is stare because it's like watching a high-class, fully loaded BMW break down literally right in front of you. Lost brakes, locked steering wheel, wild swerving, and flat tires on wobbly rims. It's pathetic."
I can't say enough about this book. It hit me. Hard. But aside from my own personal reaction to the subject matter, the writing is strong and the story is great. I hope this finds a lot of readers. Robinson Hart is one of a kind.
What a book, Just Like Jackie is! So many raw, tender moments mixed with gut-punching devestating ones. Robbie's voice is so true and reads exactly like a girl in her situation. This sounds like a real kid, with real struggles. Robbie struggles to control her temper, and struggles with taking care of her grandfather, and struggles with not knowing anything about where she comes from. Her relationships with teachers like Ms. Gloria, and adults like Harold, and kids like Derek and Alex, are so fantasically portrayed. I think Stoddard has taken great care in writing about Alzheimer's and how it would impact this unique family situation.
Speaking of writing, Stoddard's style is top notch. For a debut author, she really sticks to her guns and doesn't try to do too much with the text. The style and voice here is reminiscient of Jenni Holm's May Amelia and Turtle in Paradise. Robbie's narative is filled with awesome similies and metaphors that ring true to her character and interests. She loves baseball, working on cars, and collecting sap from trees to make syrup. This is her world and it's evident in the way she thinks through problems and relates to situations. They aren't crammed into the story in a writerly way. They are authentic to Robbie's voice:
"I don't know what my core is made of except maybe Grandpa's one-quarter, but it's not all syrupy sweet, that's for sure. It's not like the center of a perfect sugar maple. It's tight like a knotted piece of firewood, gnarled and hard to chop through."
"I want to tell Harold about how Grandpa wandered away Friday night and almost got lost up in the woods. And how I think Grandpa's check engine light is on and I don't know how to figure out what's wrong. But I hope it's something as easy as a missing gap cap. And that we can get a new one, on the house, and drive off all fixed."
"I want to laugh and point and say Who's tough now? but all I can do is stare because it's like watching a high-class, fully loaded BMW break down literally right in front of you. Lost brakes, locked steering wheel, wild swerving, and flat tires on wobbly rims. It's pathetic."
I can't say enough about this book. It hit me. Hard. But aside from my own personal reaction to the subject matter, the writing is strong and the story is great. I hope this finds a lot of readers. Robinson Hart is one of a kind.
January 9, 2018
This debut novel is simply beautiful. Robinson is learning about what makes a family and how sometimes you get a family and sometimes you make a family, all while trying to help her grandpa who has been forgetting things a lot. She's trying to navigate school, friends and other kids who also have hard things going on in their lives. The characters in this book ars all so likeable. The relationship between Robison and her grandpa is sweet and tender. The other adults in her life are kind and supportive and she learns that she can count them to help her. As an elementary school librarian this book is going to be one of the first I purchase this year. I suspect it wont stay on the shelf long!
April 23, 2021
A lovely story. Though it's written for 8-12 year olds, adults will also get great enjoyment. Simply put, this is an important reminder of the power of love and that family is "something you get, but also something you make".
March 22, 2025
Beautiful younger middle grade book about anger management and a girl trying to cover up for her grandfather's dementia, as he is her sole caretaker. Such a tender story.
Source: school library hardcover
Source: school library hardcover
April 7, 2018
A deeply moving, beautifully told story of a girl and her grandfather. Perfection!
April 4, 2018
This book is so important. I’ll be recommending it to all of my middle grade readers.
September 4, 2019
The love in this book felt so real. Ended up being a happy ending.
April 20, 2023
[4.5 stars]
August 18, 2020
This is Lindsey's first book, which I just finished last night.
Robinson Hart is not your usual 5th grader, how many 5th grade girls are named for the GREAT baseball player, Jackie Robinson? How many can practically bust the nose of the 5th grade bully, Alex? How many live in a small town with a black grandfather, who have no knowledge of who her mother was? How many 5th grade girls can walk into their grandfather's auto repair shop and change the brake pads on a Toyota? Probably not very many.
Robinson and her grandfather, Charlie, have to face many obstacles together, one Robinson's temper, two Charlie's memory losses during conversations ---- the only hard-wired memories of Charlie's are those of working on automobiles, and making maple syrup when the sap is starting to run.
This story confronts not only the questions of race, and bullies, it also opens the door to gay marriage and parenthood. So diversity and inclusion are forefront in this story.
Robinson Hart is not your usual 5th grader, how many 5th grade girls are named for the GREAT baseball player, Jackie Robinson? How many can practically bust the nose of the 5th grade bully, Alex? How many live in a small town with a black grandfather, who have no knowledge of who her mother was? How many 5th grade girls can walk into their grandfather's auto repair shop and change the brake pads on a Toyota? Probably not very many.
Robinson and her grandfather, Charlie, have to face many obstacles together, one Robinson's temper, two Charlie's memory losses during conversations ---- the only hard-wired memories of Charlie's are those of working on automobiles, and making maple syrup when the sap is starting to run.
This story confronts not only the questions of race, and bullies, it also opens the door to gay marriage and parenthood. So diversity and inclusion are forefront in this story.
April 10, 2019
Loved this one too! "Respect the Wand" ~ love the magic of the talking wand....we could all benefit by using the wand lol!
June 9, 2018
A girl, a grandfather, Alzheimer’s, anger, friendship, support, mechanic shop. This story has it all. Beautifully told...
March 6, 2018
Set in rural Vermont, Just Like Jackie is about a young girl's connection with her grandfather. Robinson is all tomboy. I don't know if that term is even considered politically correct anymore given the current social climate but Robbie harkens back to characters such as Jo March and Scout Finch. Fists flying, sports loving, dress hating girls. Archaic as the term may be, it is the best way I can describe this spark plug.
Robinson has never known either of her parents; her father was never in the picture and her mother died just days after giving her birth. Raised by her grandfather, she learns the tools of his auto mechanic trade, how to extract and harvest maple from the trees on their property, and the career of her namesake, baseball's great Jackie Robinson.
But Robbie's grandfather's memory is fading. She attempts to protect his condition from questioning adults for fear she may betaken from him. As his behavior becomes increasingly alarming, her tough exterior begins to crack. Letting in friends and allowing others to help is terrifying but this novel demonstrates that it can also be extremely rewarding.
Robinson has never known either of her parents; her father was never in the picture and her mother died just days after giving her birth. Raised by her grandfather, she learns the tools of his auto mechanic trade, how to extract and harvest maple from the trees on their property, and the career of her namesake, baseball's great Jackie Robinson.
But Robbie's grandfather's memory is fading. She attempts to protect his condition from questioning adults for fear she may betaken from him. As his behavior becomes increasingly alarming, her tough exterior begins to crack. Letting in friends and allowing others to help is terrifying but this novel demonstrates that it can also be extremely rewarding.
July 15, 2018
Stoddard, Lindsey. Just Like Jackie. HarperCollins, 2018.
Robinson lives with her grandfather in Vermont. She loves helping him in his auto shop after school, tapping maple trees with him to make maple syrup, and being the one to squeeze the cheese sauce into the mac'n'cheese. She's his right hand man. But Grandpa has been forgetting things and mixing up his words a lot. Robinson isn't sure what to do. She thinks she can take care of her grandfather, but who will take care of Robinson?
This book is beautiful and sweet and everything that you could want from a middle grade book. Robinson gets in trouble at school because she fights back when she's bullied, but when she and her tormentor are placed in a group together by the guidance counselor, she sees that there's more beneath the surface. Harold, who is Grandpa's assistant at the auto shop, is at home with his husband and their new baby, so Grandpa is left to run the auto shop alone when Robinson is in school. Grandpa is African American, but Robinson is biracial and very light-skinned, so they get a lot of raised eyebrows when they go out into the world. There is a satisfying, nearly Disney-esque happy ending to the story, and the scary bits aren't too scary for middle grade readers. Recommended.
Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: a few instances of bullying; Robinson and her fellow groupmates say "effing" a couple of times along with other mild swears like "crap" and "suck."
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Read-Alikes: The Someday Birds, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, Fish in a Tree
Robinson lives with her grandfather in Vermont. She loves helping him in his auto shop after school, tapping maple trees with him to make maple syrup, and being the one to squeeze the cheese sauce into the mac'n'cheese. She's his right hand man. But Grandpa has been forgetting things and mixing up his words a lot. Robinson isn't sure what to do. She thinks she can take care of her grandfather, but who will take care of Robinson?
This book is beautiful and sweet and everything that you could want from a middle grade book. Robinson gets in trouble at school because she fights back when she's bullied, but when she and her tormentor are placed in a group together by the guidance counselor, she sees that there's more beneath the surface. Harold, who is Grandpa's assistant at the auto shop, is at home with his husband and their new baby, so Grandpa is left to run the auto shop alone when Robinson is in school. Grandpa is African American, but Robinson is biracial and very light-skinned, so they get a lot of raised eyebrows when they go out into the world. There is a satisfying, nearly Disney-esque happy ending to the story, and the scary bits aren't too scary for middle grade readers. Recommended.
Recommended for: middle grade
Red Flags: a few instances of bullying; Robinson and her fellow groupmates say "effing" a couple of times along with other mild swears like "crap" and "suck."
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars
Read-Alikes: The Someday Birds, The Benefits of Being an Octopus, Fish in a Tree
October 9, 2018
Well-written, well-developed characters. It doesn’t feel like an “issue” book because it’s all handled in an organic and story-based way. One of the things I like best about it (even though this is more of a didactic plus, I suppose, than a literary one) is that it’s really good at modeling. She’s dealing with a lot and wants to deal with it on her own, but she’s surrounded by adults who care about her and want to help—and who actually do help. If I were a kid, I think I’d feel a lot better about asking my guidance counselor for help after reading this book.
I also liked learning about the various things Robbie knew how to do. I now feel like I know how to change the oil on a car and harvest sap for maple syrup. I find that very satisfying in books, and particularly enjoyed that as a kid. That’s one of the things I loved the most about The Boxcar Children—they got to be competent at practical things I’d never be allowed to do.
I also liked learning about the various things Robbie knew how to do. I now feel like I know how to change the oil on a car and harvest sap for maple syrup. I find that very satisfying in books, and particularly enjoyed that as a kid. That’s one of the things I loved the most about The Boxcar Children—they got to be competent at practical things I’d never be allowed to do.
January 19, 2018
Loved @LindseyStoddard's debut: a MG #heartprintbook ❤️"You should hold close the people who push you to be the best version of yourself."❤️ Fell in love with the characters and the story. Tissues required. Grandpa and Robbie will remain with you.
January 22, 2019
I absolutely loved this book! There is something for everyone in this book. No matter who you are, you will find a character to relate to. This is a heartbreaking, beautiful story of family, aging and compassion. Will be booktalking this to the upper elementary students at my school.
May 14, 2018
Loved this book! It grabs you right away on page 1. I know my students will love this book.
January 3, 2018
I haven’t read a book that felt so much like my real childhood since Wish last year. I felt so close to Robbie who is being raised by her Grandpa Charlie. Robbie holds a lot of anger, especially when their teacher assigns a family tree project and the only person she has in her family is her Grandpa, or so she thinks. This story is one of realizing that just because you don’t have the “American Dream” family, doesn’t mean friends don’t become family and that those who raise you aren’t parents when they are. A definite heart print book that will stay with me forever. It’s out now, buy for your classroom. #BookVoyage
February 8, 2018
This book is a MUST read for teachers, families, librarians, and anyone who cares about children! Robinson, named for Jackie Robinson, lives in Vermont with her grandfather, her only family member as far as she knows. She works through lots of challenges with the help of a guidance counselor at school, along with some of her peers. I could not put this book down, such a strong first novel. Well done, Lindsey Stoddard. You have captured the actions and emotions of a young adolescent.
January 1, 2020
Robbie - never Robin - has a short fuse that gets her into trouble at school. School is stupid anyway, she has more important stuff do to, fix cars, make maple syrup, and take care of her Grandpa's tired memory..
This was a quiet, heartwarming middle-grade book that dealt with difficult emotions, opening up, and accepting others and oneself, flaws and all. Ms. Gloria is a counselor I strive to be. The ending was a bit too neat, but it's a great, soothing way to start a new year!
This was a quiet, heartwarming middle-grade book that dealt with difficult emotions, opening up, and accepting others and oneself, flaws and all. Ms. Gloria is a counselor I strive to be. The ending was a bit too neat, but it's a great, soothing way to start a new year!
January 19, 2019
Great voice, but some plot elements and character developments felt a little exposed--like I could see the author working behind the scenes.
Also a bit weird just in my 2019-Newbery-contender reading that this book is ALSO set in Vermont (/Small Spaces/) and ALSO includes group therapy (/Harbor Me/).
Also a bit weird just in my 2019-Newbery-contender reading that this book is ALSO set in Vermont (/Small Spaces/) and ALSO includes group therapy (/Harbor Me/).
October 16, 2018
Great concept and I really enjoyed the first few chapters. But there is a lot that isn't plausible and hard to ignore. Maybe I will pick it up another day. I have a good idea on how Just Like Jackie ends.
February 12, 2018
I have been in a reading rut lately, but I’m
back after stepping in to Robbie’s world. A stunning text. Teachers, parents, lovers of plain old beautiful stories...this is a book for all of us, and certainly a classroom library must!
back after stepping in to Robbie’s world. A stunning text. Teachers, parents, lovers of plain old beautiful stories...this is a book for all of us, and certainly a classroom library must!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 325 reviews