The Newspaper Club

The Newspaper Club #1

by Beth Vrabel, Paula Franco (Illustrator)

Learn what it means to be a journalist in this fun, fast-paced new middle grade series about a club of kid reporters by an award-winning author.



Nellie Murrow -- the daughter of two (former) newspaper reporters -- was named after one of the fiercest journalists who ever lived. When she moves to sleepy Bear Creek, Maine, rumors of vandalism and attacks at the only park in town are keeping her saddled to the house.




Some townspeople say the attacks are gang recruitments. Others blame a vagrant spotted on the hiking trails around town. But when Nellie thinks like a reporter, none of those explanations make sense. Something is happening at the park, but what? All of the fake online news and rumors are clouding the truth.




Nellie wants to break the story -- and break free from the front yard -- but she can't do it alone. She needs a whole club if she's going to start the Cub Report , the town's first independent newspaper. Creating a newspaper from scratch is going to be tough; but for Nellie, making friends is even harder.





Starred Kirkus Review

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Contemporary, Family

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

Beth Vrabel is the author of Cyblis-nominated Caleb and Kit, ILA award-winning A Blind Guide to Stinkville, JLG-selection A Blind Guide to Normal, and The Reckless Club and Pack of Dorks series. She can't clap to the beat nor be trusted near Nutella. Beth loves traveling around the country to meet with young readers and writers, sharing a message of grit, resiliency and heart.

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.5 stars ✰

“Journalists aren’t afraid to talk to people even if they’re powerful, important, or really, really cool. Reporters are brave in their pursuit of their story. The secret is to look confident, even if you aren’t.

Fake it until you make it, Nellie.”

With clever wit and sharp, engaging dialogue, The Newspaper Club takes a look into the world of journalism through the eyes of eleven-year-old Nellie Murrow. It is an enlightening and entertaining Middle-Grade novel filled with good quips between suspects and fun laughs shared with friends and a helpful heap of emotions for family that makes it definitely worth the while.

“The truth was, maybe I did want to have a friend, a real friend, one that I made myself.

Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared, Nellie. It means you can be scared and do what you need to do anyway.”

It was a quick and enjoyable read, for sure. It's never easy moving to a new place like Bear Creek with your mother; especially when you're uprooted from not only your home, but a place that was your sanctuary - your comfort, your happy place. 🤍🤍 For Nellie, it had always been the newsroom, where her father worked. Add to that, she's never been the best at making friends, especially when she has to be forced to be best friends with her mother's best friend's daughter.

But, through the power of friendship, and the aim to write a newspaper that they can call their own, Beth Vrabel brings together a group of misfits - who each bring a little to the table with their individual talents and a little bit more into Nellie's lonesome heart. 🥺🥺

“Oh,” I whispered. “So, you want to be my friend?”

“For someone who is supposed to be so smart you can be really not smart sometimes,” Min said. “And I’m not your friend. I’m your very best friend in the whole world.”

Nellie was a very head-strong character, whose personality, at times, did grate at me. Very assertive, very domineering, very committed to her ideas for the newspaper, but very passionate in her skills as a reporter. And that is what makes her such a good journalist - that she didn't back in the face of her interrogations. ✍ I liked how adamant she was in making sure everything was done correctly - to a fault - how she pushed everyone's buttons to piece the clues together, and eventually solve the mystery.

But, under all that confidence in getting to the truth, it's actually very hard to be comfortable with people her own age and being an actual friend. She grew as a person - that she finally accepted that it was possible to have friends, and still be true to her own interests. She didn't always have to be on top of everything - it never hurt to let others share the burden of your goals and open up your heart to others, as well.

“People pick up a paper because they want the news, and your job as a reporter is to give it to them as quickly and clearly as possible,” Dad says. “Don’t make it complicated for the reader. Just lay the story out there.”

The writing was very straightforward, simple, and still engaging. It's a short book, but it quickly pulls you into the mystery that the little band of cub reporters hope to uncover the truth of, and introduced a limited cast of characters that captured colorfully the quiet joys of a small community. It also portrayed the emotions of a young girl really well - the little stirs of the heart for a potential crush, the comforting nature for a mother's own problems, and the heartening hope for finding peers who can share in your dream with you. Towards the end, there is one moment that just tugged at my heart strings. 🤧 I especially enjoyed the last moment of the book - it was very hectic, very fast-paced, but very true to what Nellie hoped to always be. 👍🏻

And for younger readers, it is a very helpful look into the world of reporting. 📰📰 It was sad to note that the newspaper seems to be a dying form - that people aren't interested in picking up a paper to find the news - even the local news, for that matter. In a digital world, where everyone is on their phone for even the scope for everything, I think, kids will appreciate the little helpful hints to write good articles or even what it takes to be an investigative reporter. And for Nellie's cub reporters, it may have been their first issue, but the star is on the horizon for the potential of bigger scoops to uncover in the future. ✨✨

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley

This was an endearing story that left a warm feeling in my heart.

I really liked how the personality of Nellie, the main character, comes through straight up from the first pages. It's how much she's trying to fit the idea of a journalist that she's got in her mind, based on what she learned growing up with journalist parents, coupled with her strictly A-type overachiever personality. It is a delight to read.

Nellie's personal hero is Nellie Bly, the journalist she's been named after, and she's trying to live up to the name. At the moment, she's struggling with it and especially needs Nellie's legacy to hold her up, as her life has been turned somewhat upside down - their family's moved to a tiny town, her dad's working abroad in Asia and changing in ways Nellie didn't expect, her mom's holed up in the attic writing, and Nellie's got a tail - a neighbor kid whom she doesn't like, trying to hang out with her because their moms want them to be friends. Amidst all this, Nellie decides to take matters into her own hands and form a Newspaper Club - she will bring back her old way of life in the only way she knows how.

Pretty soon into the book, we understand that Nellie may not be the most reliable narrator. She's clearly not saying something about her dad, about her family - something that most people around her know or have figured out. But since Nellie is trying to lie to her own self about how things really are, so we don't really know the truth either. As the story progresses, we start to get an inkling about why Nellie has been uprooted from her old life.

In the end, this book is as much about coping with change as being lonely and different, unable to easily make friends. It's a very well written story, and it's heart-warming and quirky. I really enjoyed it! It has some serious themes that are very well expressed, but I won't share any more for fear of spoilers. Definitely worth it to read it and find out for yourself!

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

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[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Perseus Books and Running Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed this book. Our narrator is 11-year old Nellie, who recently moved with her mom to Bear Creek, Maine. Nellie's parents had both worked on a big city newspaper and Nellie wants to recapture the fascination and love she had of the paper here in this small community. One day the community is shaken by vandalism at the community park and the entire park is shut down until the crime is solved. Nellie and a group of friends start their own paper to try and solve the vandalism as well as reporting on other stories from Bear Creek. The book is designed for middle school readers and does a superb job of teaching the basics of news reporting, the different positions on a newspaper, as well as preaching the Who? What? When? Why? and How? questions reporters should ask, but which in our current society are sadly lacking. By starting the paper, making friends, finding and reporting on the culprit of the vandalism, the book teaches us great lessons about the newspaper profession as well as helping Nellie come face to face with the truth as to why she and her mother moved to Bear Creek. The negative has to do with Nellie's rather over-aggressive attitude and her lecturing of her new found friends. But it certainly was a major deterrent to the overall enjoyment of this book.

[Wendi Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nellie and her mom have just moved to a small town in Maine called Bear Creek. Moving is not the only change in Nellie's life - her mom has stopped being a newspaper reporter and is now writing a novel at home, and her father is in Asia, at least according to Nellie. Nellie is supposed to be instant BFFs with the daughter of her mom's college friend, but instead she decides to follow in her reporter parents' footsteps, and starts a newspaper club.

By recruiting other kids for the club and solving a town mystery that has eluded even the police, Nellie is able to come terms with the realities of her new life. This book deals with grief and loss, as well as a thought-provoking discussion about news and the future of newspapers everywhere.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: death of a parent (in the past), grief

3.5 stars.

This is a sweet little middle grade mystery, and it definitely hit harder than I anticipated. I really enjoyed the developing friendships and Nellie's struggles to adapt to her new town. She's a tenacious character and I really enjoyed the way she pours all her energy into finding out what's really going on in the town's park. The mystery element had a slightly ridiculous but also enjoyable ending that I definitely didn't see coming and it was a lot of fun.

But at the same time, it felt a little TOO short and a little too infodumpy about journalism and reporting? Hopefully the second book in the series settles into its groove a little more.

[Marzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right in time for Spring Break and kids needing a good read, The Newspaper Club gives us the story of Nellie Murrow (hat tip to Edward R. Murrow), an eleven-year-old girl who has recently moved from NYC with her mother to tiny Bear Creek, Maine. Nellie's family were newspaper people. Her father was news director for a city newspaper (every real city should have at least two newspapers!) and her mother was a crime scene investigative reporter. Nellie, being raised around the news, is determined to be a reporter or maybe even the publisher of a newspaper. She's always looking for stories and when things seem to be going wrong in the only place in Bear Creek she enjoys, the park, she's determined to find out what's going on. Unfortunately, that means she's likely going to need the help of her nemesis, Min Kim-Franklin, daughter of her mother's best friend. Mrs. Kim-Franklin is a bit too overprotective of Min and Nellie (did I mention she was named after the amazing Nellie Bly?) is pretty sure Min is only her friend because she's been told to be. Nellie, who misses her father a lot (more on that later), has trouble making friends. Her dad has given her a lot of good advice about it though, and in no time, thanks to forming a local newspaper when the one run by grownups is going out of business, Nellie has a bunch of colleagues and friends. There's Thom, the boy that lives across the street, Gloria, the daughter of the local diner owner, shy Charlotte who actually knows the difference between the Chicago and MLA style guides, and Gordon, who is a burgeoning professional photographer at only twelve. Oh, and then there's Min, who is the layout person extraordinaire, and who gives their paper its name, The Cub Report. Together they are going to solve the mystery of what's going on in their park, publish a newspaper, and help Nellie deal with some of her recent life changes.

The Newspaper Club introduces children to important journalistic processes and terminology in an era in which the news, whether in print, social media, or on the radio, or TV, is being called into question. While we might guess what's going on in some of The Cub Report's stories about the park or Miss Julia, Nellie Murrow teaches children about fact-checking and getting those five questions answered- who, what, where, when, and why. And meanwhile, as the reader grows closer to Nellie's true story - Vrabel kind of buries the lede there... - we begin to see that Mrs. Kim-Franklin was so right about Bear Creek being the right place for Nellie and her mom.

A sweet middle-grade novel that is highly instructive, too.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Netgalley

Nellie Murrow has moved from the big city to a small town since her mother was downsized from her newspaper job and her father is working in Asia. Her mother's best friend, Ms. Kim-Franklin, lives there, and Nellie is supposed to be friends with her daughter, Min, who is a year younger, given to wearing a lot of ruffles, and rather annoying. She meets another new neighbor, Thom, who lives nearby with his mothers, and soon decides that she needs to start a newspaper club? Why? She has ink in her blood, due to her parents' connections, and after a visit to the local newsroom on a day where they are laying off a lot of staff, she feels that someone needs to investigate the attacks happening at a local park. She and her friends are the only ones available. Nellie gets to know her friends and her new town in the process, and slowly comes to terms with why she and her mother have really moved to Bear Creek.
Strengths: I love Vrabel's writing, and this had a retro feel I loved, because Nellie and her friends are DOING things, and not just playing video games all day. Nellie's anxiety about moving to a new place was not crippling, and she even managed to make peace with Min. The Paula Franco illustrations are a nice touch. I also appreciated championing the importance of local news reporting; I grew up with the Youngstown Vindicator, and also spent time in Detroit (home of the News and Free Press), so know how very important newspapers are. I not only subscribe to the Columbus Dispatch, but gave my daughter a subscription as well. I read the paper every day, so Vrabel's note at the back about being a reporter was very interesting.
Weaknesses: This fell more on the elementary side of Vrabel's writing for me, with Pack of Dorks, instead of on the older side, with The Humiliations of Pipi McGee, Caleb and Kit, a Blind Guide to Normal, and Bringing Me Back.
What I really think: I'm debating. My students have no interest in the newspaper (I've tried, believe me!), and this was on the younger side. I would definitely buy this for an elementary library and will look forward to the other books in the series.

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starred Kirkus review by Beth Vrabel is a perfect class read aloud!

Nellie and her mom just moved to the town of Bear Creek, Maine. It's a big change to switch from the city life to that of small town, and it's never been easy for Nellie to make friends. But her dad told her that stories are all around her, and she finds one the day that drama hits the local park when things start to go missing. She's determined to get to the bottom of the story and write an article about it like any good budding investigative journalist. She doesn't anticipate she's going to have company with her research, though, but sometimes stories surprise you and have a way of unfolding right before your eyes.

I've always enjoyed the author's books, and this one is no exception. What I liked most is that it's a great book for a younger middle grade audience (the main character is 11), and a mystery that needs to be solved by the newspaper club created by Nellie. The small town characters, like the local police officer Chief Rodgers, and the ice cream shop owner Miss Juliet, brought the community to life and helped Nellie start to find her place in it. I loved watching Nellie open her heart a little bit as the book progressed, and seeing a relationship develop between her and Miss Juliet. There was a lot of newspaper language and vocabulary for young readers to learn, and enough detail to inspire a young writer to start their own.

I loved that this is the first book in a series, with THE CUB GETS THE SCOOP coming out in September 2020 (and there's a sneak peek of the first few chapter at the end of this book).

[Anjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the narrative style, and when I saw a new book by the author, I had to pick it up. It was a great decision as I immediately realised. It was a rapid read, I read it in one sitting thins morning between breakfast and lunch. Considering it is a book aimed at pre-teens, I should not really pat myself on the back too hard about being so quick.

Despite its size, it packs a punch. It has all the ingredients that make for a great read, great characters, a unique storyline, lots of feelings and a smooth but entertaining narrative voice. Nellie is a cub reporter, she has never seen herself as anything else since both her parents were reporters and talked to her as (almost) one adult to another. She is resenting her move to the middle of nowhere - Bear Creek and a sudden shift in lifestyle. Nellie did not have many close friends previously and is a chronic overthinker whose parents have helped streamline the thinking, but it is still there. She has her own hurts to bear but is starting to learn that others may have many layers as well. She finds a case to investigate, a role to play in setting up a newspaper and making friends along the way. There are parts of the story that adults may find obvious but is hidden well enough to surprise younger audiences, or at least I feel that would be the case. Nellie is such a flawed protagonist, intelligent but not all-knowing as she learns slowly but surely, an example that can help children see beyond themselves without sounding even the tiniest bit preachy. I do not want to describe her gang of friends because I think it is a crucial part of the story itself.

It is a very concise plot, and I was overjoyed (to say the least) when I saw that there is a sequel in the works in the series. I would highly recommend it to anyone of any age to read. I felt refreshed after I set it down and that in itself is a rarity. 

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and one of the author's previous work.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huge thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for this ARC!

I loved and read Beth Vrabel's The Humiliations of Pipi McGee last year, and thought it was such a fun and fantastic middle grade novel. Humour and character connection is definitely a strong point for Vrabel, so I was excited to dig into her lastest book, The Newspaper Club.

The Newspaper Club focuses on Nellie Murrow, a talented and up-and-coming journalist, who comes from a long line of news writers and enthusiasts. With rumours of vandalism swirling around Bear Creek, townspeople have become concerned about the safety of their small town. Nellie decides that the larger newspapers aren't going to look into this situation, she will!

This book is adorable and spunky. Nellie is such a fun heroine! She is inquisitive, clever, almost Harriet the Spy-esque in terms of her abilities. She's not afraid to speak her mind and seek the truth, something she feels all good reporters should be able to do. When Nellie starts to realize that this story is bigger than her, she creates a club that encourages other children to be apart of.

This is a fantastic story about community engagement and loving your town. There is civic pride, and I love that Nellie is a character who chooses to ask for help because she recognizes that this story is bigger than she can handle on her own. There are strong themes of friendship and camaraderie. While the mystery element is core to the plot, I feel like this book is more about just building relationships and strengthening community.

The Newspaper Club is a fun and fast romp into media. It's book that you can easily read in a day because it's just so charming and entertaining.

[Kristen Coppola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic middle-grade read. I'm a sucker for anything to do with newspapers or journalism, and this book totally delivered. There is journalism jargon scattered and defined throughout. Vrabel even included a glossary at the end! The Newspaper Club is heart-felt, smart, and funny. It's a tale of friendship, flexible thinking, and grief. I highly recommend it to educators with students who struggle to make friends or have a growth mindset in social situations.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love children’s lit with an accurate and positive look at newspaper journalism.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received a digital review copy of THE NEWSPAPER CLUB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Beth Vrabel is one of my all time favorite contemporary authors. Having read and enjoyed all of her books, it’s hard not to consider her a favorite. And she delivers every single time.

While THE NEWSPAPER CLUB may not have been as good as BRINGING ME BACK and CALEB AND KIT, it was still a great start to what seems to be a promising series.

Another thing Beth Vrabel always delivers on is the diversity in her books. Every single one of her books feature some kind of diversity and I think it’s something that should be recognized more often.

Will I be purchasing this in March? Possibly.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel lets us see how a young girl makes new friends by doing something she loves.
Can Nellie start a newspaper and make friends at the same time?
Nellie Murrow
Nellie Murrow is only eleven years old and knows what she wants to be when she grows up. It doesn't help that she has already started to do her job since her parents used to take her to work with them. Nellie Murrow wants to be an investigative journalist one day and even further intends to run her own newspaper. Once she and her mom make it to Bear Creek, Maine, Nellie has always had difficulty making friends, which is even worse now.

Well, until she stumbles upon a story that needs to be published; however, the only newspaper in town won't hear what she has to say. Nellie then decides to start her own newspaper club with other kids that she will train to help her out. Unknowingly, Nellie has created a great group of friends for herself in this new town without even trying. Nellie is a great main character. Even if she is a bit rough around the edges, that sometimes comes with the territory of being a genius. Not only that, though, but she is trying.


The Story
Nellie Murrow and her mom have moved to Bear Creek, Maine, to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city, especially when her father isn't in the picture anymore. She is vehemently against this move even if her mom has talked her into how this will be a big adventure for them. Her mom is squirreled away in the house, writing a romance book and leaving Nellie to play with Min next door.

Min is the daughter of one of Nellie's sorority sisters, and Nellie doesn't quite get along with her. Nellie meets her various new friends throughout the book on the way to start their newspaper and gathering clues to what is happening at the park. I figured there was a connection between a clue they uncovered and the park. Sadly, I couldn't figure out what it was until Nellie started to unravel it, and I discovered I was right.
Five Stars
The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel is a fantastic story of getting young kids into the love of reading a newspaper and seeing what it takes to make a newspaper happen. I love how Nellie takes every one of the club members under her wing to help them find their place at the club. Not only that but how Nellie thinks she would never belong in Bear Creek while finding her place in said town. Ms. Vrabel has done a great job starting this series, and I can't wait to see where Nellie and the other Cub Reporters go in future installments.


The Newspaper Club Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Newspaper Club by Beth Vrabel.

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've done it. I've found the perfect book for my mystery summer reading camp. I know I'm biased, being a former journalist, but I loved The Newspaper Club. It was full of such fun and endearing nostalgia, a high-quality and interesting local mystery (which relates to the camp I'm assembling), and a believable and down-to-earth story and character arc for Nellie Murrow, the main character. And, of course, I loved that Nellie was named after Nellie Bly, who was also one of my biggest journalism inspirations in my early days of reporting.

Nellie is a bit of a loner, a gifted child who moved to a new, much smaller town, and she struggles to make friends until she gathers her skills and her strengths in journalism—her parents both worked as journalists—and begins to unravel the current town mystery in the local park. Along the way, of course she finds answers but she also begins to discover friendship as well, which is of course a wholesome and poignant trajectory for a kid's story.

Beth Vrabel's experience as a journalist was all so real, funny, and understandable for not only me as a former journalist but also, I imagine, for people who don't know the language or the methods—she helpfully includes journo terms in bold in the context that Nellie talks about them, and she includes a glossary in the back. The writing was clear and entertaining, and frankly full of small-town humor and charm the whole way through. I can see perfectly how this book will connect to the activities I am planning and the storyline I am creating for this camp, and now I'm so excited to have my book choice solidified. Full steam ahead from here!

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Newspaper Club is a terrific tribute to journalism and newspapers, and a fun new series for young readers - and writers! After Nellie, the daughter of journalists, moves to the tiny town of Bear Creek, the local newspaper shuts down, taking no interest in the mysterious happenings at the local park. Nellie is personally invested in the park reopening, and with the help of new friends, starts a newspaper herself. I loved the newspaper vocabulary (and glossary) included, and the ways that each of Nellie's new friends brings their own unique gifts to the news staff. I'm glad this is a series, as I want to know more about these characters. Vrabel hints at much more beneath the surface of these kids, so I am hopeful that they will get closer treatment in future books. This was Nellie's story. Narrated in first person, we get hints along the way that our narrator may not be 100% reliable. When Nellie is finally ready to be honest with herself (and the reader) it is a quietly emotional moment - and while this is an important plot point, Vrabel does not overdramatize it or make it the climax of the story. I was happy that Nellie got to be a hero, because despite her unhappiness, I liked her and could see a good heart underneath her gruffness.
I teach 3rd graders, so I love finding books that are accessible in length, while still delivering an engaging plot, emotional connections, and excellent examples of friendship, persistence, creativity, and community. This is one of those books, and I look forward to sharing this series with my students.

[Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't have much to say about this book. the plot is nice and simple - 11-year-old nellie, a young reporter-in-training, has moved to a sleepy little town in maine called bear creek and is inspired to start her own newspaper to cover rumours at the park after the town newspaper closes down. along with the main themes of mystery and journalism, the story also focuses on the element of friendship, as nellie's group of friends work together with her on their newspaper.

the story itself had a pretty light-hearted feel, except for a few sudden moments in conversation referring to nellie's dad. something that kinda didn't feel right was the way nellie treated min - by the end of the book, she had warmed up to her and didn't seem as aggressive, but the way she'd refer to min as a "baby" among other insults kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

overall, this book is a good read for ages 8-12, and possibly even younger. there aren't many big, dramatic plot twists, and aside from a few moments, it's a light, quick read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short chapter book. Nellie, the main character is 12-years-old but I think 3rd graders would love this. Nellie and her mom are new to Bear Creek, a small town in Maine. They have moved from the big city because her father is on assignment in China. There's a bit of mystery involving some vandalism at the neighborhood park and also why her dad is in Asia. Nellie's parents are newspaper people and she has it in her blood. When the town's small press is closing she and some new friends decide to start their own newspaper. Lots of information throughout about how to do a newspaper club yourself. Also the author has more information for how to start your own newspaper club on her website.Themes of grief and community develop. It's kind of a slow start but stick with it because it eventually all makes it worth it.

[Sue Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading The Newspaper Club and can easily see why it would be a series for Middle School readers. Nellie moves with her mother to a small community and is completely bored. She has a hard time making friends until she discovered a mystery in a local park and sets off to find the answers. Since her parents were newspaper people, she did what seemed natural and decided to report about her findings.

Once she found out the the local newspaper was shutting down, she sent out a call for young kids, like her, that might like to join a club. Before long, she had editors, photographers, and reporters. This leads them all on a journey to set up their own paper. Before long, they have established "the Cub Report". Not only does this book go into what they discover but it shows how friendships began.
It's an engaging book.

[Dontreadlikethem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moving to a uneventful small town can be hard, especially when your best friend has already been picked for you. Nellie misses the big city but more importantly the hub-bub of her parent's newsroom. Nellie dreams of being a reporter when she grows up but for now editor-in-chief of an independent paper run by kids will do. She is surrounded by some pretty cool characters like the boy across the street who daydreams on the barn roof. Unfortunately, we never get to learn more about these characters. Her mother even remains a mystery. I hope this book can help create a new group of journalists by exposing them to this story. Whether you believe journalism is dying or not we still have to get the next generation intrigued if we want it to thrive. The glossary at the back of the book will help readers learn all the terms of the newsroom. This cute story will leave readers on the hunt for their local scoop.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC was provided by Perseus Books, Running Press through NetGalley.

This was a super cute middle grade read, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel. Like Cub (another 2020 MG book about journalism), this was surprisingly accurate in terms of how the industry works. It's definitely for younger readers, but the terms and concepts are easy to understand/not watered down.

I really like how this tackled grief, and the mystery reminded me a lot of what I would read when I was younger. The characters were so cute and I can't wait to see what crime they take on next.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very fun chapter book is about a girl named Nellie, who wants to be a newspaper writer, just like her parents! She and her mom have moved to a small town to be closer to her mom's best friend. Nellie's dad is in Asia. There is a rash of vandalism in the local park, causing the local officials to close the park, Nellie and her friends decide to report on the story, except the local newspaper is closing due to budget cuts. So Nellie decides to open her own newspaper. This is a really fun story to read with interesting characters. Nellie's character was a little hard to like at first, but she totally won me over, as did her new friend Min, a ruffle wearing, dancing, heart drawing dynamo. I think the kids are going to like this one a lot.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a new school year, so there is a new stack of Sunshine State Young Readers Award program books to dive into. I failed by a few books in my personal challenge to read every SSYRA, SSYRAJr, and Florida Teens Read selection for the 2020/2021 school year, so I make no promises that I’ll be able to pull it off this year. The Newspaper Club gets this years list off to a promising start, however. I think, the rubric (the big five) for journalism has broad applicability for student writing. It is introduced clearly here with easy examples. And, while I think we get a lot of tell not show in terms of Nellie’s struggles establishing rapport with her peers, there’s still a lot of heart in her interactions.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very cute middle grade read. I loved that it revolved around teaching what journalism and reporting is, how newspapers work, and that the book included a glossary of terms at the back.

This story follows a group of neighborhood kids as they get together to help solve a mystery plaguing their park and keeping it shut down from visitors. The reader goes on a sleuthing adventure and sees locals being interviewed and questioned by the cub reporters as various story angles are chased down and written about. This story is about making friends, discovering your likes and hobbies, and learning how to become a diligent cub reporter who helps look out for the community. It also has a very subtle subplot of learning how to navigate change and loss that was done really well.

[Jaymie · Rating 5 out of 5]

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

This was an absolute delight! I want more of these kids, more of these stories! I loved the six main characters. Each one brings different skills, experiences and qualities to the team. And each of the kids seems to have a backstory begging to be told. And I am here for every story! The mystery here is age appropriate (vandalism/pranks), and the story also explores grief from the perspective of a couple characters. I can see this one inspiring kids to start their own newspapers! This would be a great read-aloud or book group choices. (LGBTQ+ references)

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main six characters are a true delight! Each of them is an integral part of the story with a story of their own. The story explores making friends, especially as it relates to a group of kids. It also explores grief in a tasteful and appropriate manner. The exploration of journalism is well done and accurate. This book reminds me of a series that my son read as a kid. This would make a great read-aloud or book club choice. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this opportunity.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book to learn the beginner terms and phrases of newspaper reporting and printing, while also watching kids participate. I like that the kids took their own initiative starting the Newspaper Club. It was refreshing to read about a group of kids who all seemed to get along, besides a few minor annoyances. No drama or bullying. Also nice to see grown ups who respected the kids, and looked out for them and remained responsible for keeping them safe. Early on in the book I knew there was “more to the story”, when it came to Nellie’s dad, but I wasn’t expecting what I found out. This is a good beginning to a series and I look forward to seeing where it goes.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the accessible length of this book for middle grade readers, and that there is sort of a newspaper mystery and a personal family mystery going on in the storyline.

Topics of grief, friendship, moving to a new home, family relationships, and opening up to share feelings - even when it’s really hard - are some of the important themes in this first book in what appears to be a series. There are also so many readers who would adore the idea of making their own newspaper - and this will be an excellent way to inspire those kids!

[Wendy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I guessed what was happening early on, but I was still in suspense until the reveal. What bothered me was the token diversity and a secondary character who is endlessly referred to as a baby and who is defined by wearing lots of frills and ruffles (she is one of the diverse-in-name-only characters). Do I think kids will enjoy it? Heck, yeah. Do I think it's one of the better books of the year? Probably not.

[wonderwomand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book for middle school age students. I blew through the book.

This novel is about a 11 year old Nellie Murrow who moves to a new town with her mother.

Loved how the author gave her character the names of Nellie (after Nellie Bly) and Murrow (after Edward Murrow) who were well known journalists.

The characters are likable.