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The Nerviest Girl in the World
A feisty girl from a family of ranchers lands a job as a daredevil stunt girl in the early days of silent film.
Pearl lives on a ranch where her chores include collecting eggs and feeding ornery ostriches. She has three older brothers, who don't coddle her at all. And she knows a thing or two about horses, too.
One day, Pearl's brothers get cushy jobs doing stunts for this new form of entertainment called "moving pictures." They're the Daredevil Donnelly Brothers, a Death-Defying Cowboy Trio. Before she knows it, Pearl has stumbled into being a stunt girl herself--and dreams of becoming a star. The only problem is, her mother has no idea what she's up to. And let's just say she wouldn't be too happy to find out that Pearl's been jumping out of burning buildings in her spare time.
Pearl lives on a ranch where her chores include collecting eggs and feeding ornery ostriches. She has three older brothers, who don't coddle her at all. And she knows a thing or two about horses, too.
One day, Pearl's brothers get cushy jobs doing stunts for this new form of entertainment called "moving pictures." They're the Daredevil Donnelly Brothers, a Death-Defying Cowboy Trio. Before she knows it, Pearl has stumbled into being a stunt girl herself--and dreams of becoming a star. The only problem is, her mother has no idea what she's up to. And let's just say she wouldn't be too happy to find out that Pearl's been jumping out of burning buildings in her spare time.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 2020
53 people are currently reading
673 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Wiley
29 books380 followersMelissa Wiley is the author of The Nerviest Girl in the World, The Prairie Thief, Fox and Crow Are Not Friends, the Inch and Roly series, the Martha and Charlotte Little House books, and other books for kids. Melissa has been blogging about her family’s reading life and tidal homeschooling adventures at Here in the Bonny Glen since 2005. She is @melissawiley on Twitter and @melissawileybooks on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 15, 2021
A fun read, quite light hearted and enjoyable. Read it with my younger sister and we for sure recommend. Lots of laughter and she loved the illustrations.
June 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this book about making silent movies. I really liked Pearls character and felt she was very relatable. I liked the dynamic between her and her brothers, they would tease her mercilessly but when it came right down to it, they loved her and would protect her. I thought all of the characters were very realistic. Her parents reluctance to let her act but finally letting her do it rang very true for what parents would actually do.
I thought the whole bit about raising ostriches was really interesting and taking the feathers to "town" once a year. I had never really thought about people raising the birds for the feathers that women used to wear on their hats.
The only thing I didn't love was that the story started in the middle of the scene and then the book went back in time and I kept waiting for them to get back to that scene but it wasn't until near the end of the book.
Overall though, a nice clean book for kids. I would highly recommend that you read the authors note at the end. Really interesting and made the story seem even better when you know that's it's loosely based on real people.
If you enjoyed this book I would also recommend Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet which is also about a young girl making silent movies.
I thought the whole bit about raising ostriches was really interesting and taking the feathers to "town" once a year. I had never really thought about people raising the birds for the feathers that women used to wear on their hats.
The only thing I didn't love was that the story started in the middle of the scene and then the book went back in time and I kept waiting for them to get back to that scene but it wasn't until near the end of the book.
Overall though, a nice clean book for kids. I would highly recommend that you read the authors note at the end. Really interesting and made the story seem even better when you know that's it's loosely based on real people.
If you enjoyed this book I would also recommend Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet which is also about a young girl making silent movies.
March 22, 2020
Picked up an ARC of this middle grade novel at the Public Library Association conference, hoping it would be a good fit for my 9-year-old niece, and ended up really enjoying it myself.
A historical novel set in California in the 1900s, it follows young Pearl, who I think is 11 or 12. She lives with her parents, grandmother and three older brothers on a ranch in a small town near San Diego, and her main chores are caring for the ostriches they raise for eggs, feathers and meat. Ostriches are ornery, apparently. The focus of the story, however, is the early days of filming movies. Pearl’s older brothers get cast in a series of silent films by a film company shooting locally, and Pearl is fascinated. Soon, she’s acting in films herself, including doing stunts. She’s an engaging and relatable heroine who is fun to spend time with, and Wiley takes care to educate readers about how movies were filmed back then in an understandable way.
The plot is well paced, and the writing is notably strong, with some nice imagery. The characters all have distinct personalities, and their relationships feel authentic, particularly between Pearl and each of her brothers, as well as her rivalry with the girl from town who dreams of being an actress. Even the horses have their own unique personalities. The vocabulary will push young readers in a few places, particularly a few words that reflect the setting, but I really appreciated that Wiley doesn’t write down to young readers.
At the end, is an author’s note where Wiley explains the inspirations for this novel. The story is fictional, but she drew from actual history, including La Mesa, CA, early film star Pearl White, director Allan Dwan, Flying A Studios, as well as the lucrative ostrich farming industry of the early 1900s.
I enjoyed this much more than I expected, and hope my niece will like it as much as I did. An excellent novel for young readers to be entertained and learn some history.
A historical novel set in California in the 1900s, it follows young Pearl, who I think is 11 or 12. She lives with her parents, grandmother and three older brothers on a ranch in a small town near San Diego, and her main chores are caring for the ostriches they raise for eggs, feathers and meat. Ostriches are ornery, apparently. The focus of the story, however, is the early days of filming movies. Pearl’s older brothers get cast in a series of silent films by a film company shooting locally, and Pearl is fascinated. Soon, she’s acting in films herself, including doing stunts. She’s an engaging and relatable heroine who is fun to spend time with, and Wiley takes care to educate readers about how movies were filmed back then in an understandable way.
The plot is well paced, and the writing is notably strong, with some nice imagery. The characters all have distinct personalities, and their relationships feel authentic, particularly between Pearl and each of her brothers, as well as her rivalry with the girl from town who dreams of being an actress. Even the horses have their own unique personalities. The vocabulary will push young readers in a few places, particularly a few words that reflect the setting, but I really appreciated that Wiley doesn’t write down to young readers.
At the end, is an author’s note where Wiley explains the inspirations for this novel. The story is fictional, but she drew from actual history, including La Mesa, CA, early film star Pearl White, director Allan Dwan, Flying A Studios, as well as the lucrative ostrich farming industry of the early 1900s.
I enjoyed this much more than I expected, and hope my niece will like it as much as I did. An excellent novel for young readers to be entertained and learn some history.
November 11, 2020
This book was our fall RAR book club and was historical fiction set in Lemon Springs, CA in 1907 in the days of silent movies. It’s based off of a real stint girl named Pearl. The boys also liked this read aloud because she had plenty of brothers that were doing stunts as well. They lived on an ostrich farm and the ostriches were funny. Short chapters and cliff hangers made this a quick read. We will hear the author next week in membership and we are doing a drawing lesson and making biscuits with lots of jam and eggs (not ostrich eggs) to complete our book club experience.
September 9, 2020
Such a fun read! This was part of our ELA selections for this school year. We got a sneak peak of Melissa reading aloud from the book and couldn’t wait for it’s debut.
Pearl is a lovely lead character. Spunky and realistic. The writing style was filled with adventure and humor and kept us wanting more at the end of every chapter. We went down a rabbit trail on YouTube looking up the history of moving pictures and watched a movie about diving horses. Many many great historical tie ins.
Pearl is a lovely lead character. Spunky and realistic. The writing style was filled with adventure and humor and kept us wanting more at the end of every chapter. We went down a rabbit trail on YouTube looking up the history of moving pictures and watched a movie about diving horses. Many many great historical tie ins.
August 13, 2020
A fun story about the early days of film making. Readers will enjoy the quick pace and the illustrations. Skews more towards younger MG readers. As a fan of this particular era of the movies, I'm excited to see a book about it for younger readers. The afterword might be daunting to some readers but a great stepping off point for the kids who fall in love with the story.
March 30, 2021
I think it was a good book and I loved the strong girl protagonist. I didn't wow me. I think that the fact that it takes place in the past should have been a bit more evident, but I liked the element of moving pictures. Like I said, it didn't wow me, but it was pretty good.
May 26, 2020
4.5 stars - this is the kind of MG I love; it’s simple, easy to understand, and fun. I’d have loved this as a kid. I think a lot of other kids will love it, too.
March 22, 2021
A spunky preteen girl goes from ostrich rancher to stunt performer in turn-of-the-20th-century moving pictures.
April 11, 2024
This was a cute story. Lots of humor but also a neat picture into how “moving pictures” grew into what they are today.
August 13, 2021
This is a kids’ book I was pre-reading for my girls, but it was SO cute!!! The story was interesting about a young ranch girl gone (silent) movie stunt girl! ☺️ She was brave, hard working, loved her family...highly recommend for anyone 8 and up.
March 24, 2021
A fun take on a time long gone. Most of its historical aspect are spot on. This captivated my 10 year old who related to Pearl.
October 8, 2020
Read this book as part of our Brave Writer pandemic homeschooling.
This book gets two stars because that's the "it was okay" level. For the most part, there wasn't really anything wrong with this book, but there wasn't a lot that was really stand-out to me either. There was very little plot and it was quite slow. I had to cheerlead pretty hard for this book to keep my kids' attention while I was reading to them. I felt like this book barely started to get somewhere by the end of the book, when Pearl does the stunt that is also in the prologue of the book. If the ending of the book had happened 1/3 of the way in and we followed on from there to see Pearl do more interesting stunts and where it lead her and her brothers, it would have been more the book I was expecting.
This book gets two stars because that's the "it was okay" level. For the most part, there wasn't really anything wrong with this book, but there wasn't a lot that was really stand-out to me either. There was very little plot and it was quite slow. I had to cheerlead pretty hard for this book to keep my kids' attention while I was reading to them. I felt like this book barely started to get somewhere by the end of the book, when Pearl does the stunt that is also in the prologue of the book. If the ending of the book had happened 1/3 of the way in and we followed on from there to see Pearl do more interesting stunts and where it lead her and her brothers, it would have been more the book I was expecting.
January 8, 2023
Abby and I really enjoyed this book. We laughed a lot and she kept interrupting me to act out the scenes. When we finished we looked up The Perils of Pauline on YouTube and had a good laugh at that.
August 30, 2020
Good Fun, He Said Wistfully
This is an excellent read across the board -- feisty heroine, strong family values, gripping action, mellow good humor, an upbeat vibe, well balanced action, strong pacing, uniformly engaging characters. The heroine's voice is pitch perfect and the appealing girrrl power message is strong but subtle.
This is a fine complement to "Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen", another recently published book for the same readership that features another spunky, daring girl, and covers the same silent film making territory, although in New Jersey of all places, and with a little more streetwise tone.
I put "wistfully" in the caption because I wonder who will read this. Do kids know what silent films are? Do they recognize all of the settled western/cowboy conventions. I'm in western Colorado. The kids ride and tend horses; they go to rodeos. They do ranch chores. Outside of a few places, though, will stories about that sort of life resonate with a modern reader? I hope so. Because these are very good books, and kids should know about and experience such things.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This is an excellent read across the board -- feisty heroine, strong family values, gripping action, mellow good humor, an upbeat vibe, well balanced action, strong pacing, uniformly engaging characters. The heroine's voice is pitch perfect and the appealing girrrl power message is strong but subtle.
This is a fine complement to "Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen", another recently published book for the same readership that features another spunky, daring girl, and covers the same silent film making territory, although in New Jersey of all places, and with a little more streetwise tone.
I put "wistfully" in the caption because I wonder who will read this. Do kids know what silent films are? Do they recognize all of the settled western/cowboy conventions. I'm in western Colorado. The kids ride and tend horses; they go to rodeos. They do ranch chores. Outside of a few places, though, will stories about that sort of life resonate with a modern reader? I hope so. Because these are very good books, and kids should know about and experience such things.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
October 17, 2024
I read The Nerviest Girl in the World for a 2025 Intermediate Battle of the Books selection.
The story is about a girl named Pearl Donnelly, who lived in rural California around 1915 on an ostrich farm with her parents, grandmother, and three older brothers. Pearl is very much a girl of her rugged upbringing, learning to ride a horse at 3, because "it's safer than running barefoot around snake country." Things change quickly around her small community of Lemon Springs when a director from Flying Q Studios shows up to film some moving pictures, and begins casting some of the folks from town to make those movies more authentic, which leads to them being in increasingly daring roles, one of which required Pearl to dangle out of a hot air balloon.
Per author's notes, this is loosely based on the real community of La Mesa, CA and a production company that filmed around 100 movies there over the course of a year, many of which starred a young actress named Pearl White. Unlike the Pearl in the story, however, Pearl White came from a vaudevillian background, and wasn't found on the range, wrangling a spooked horse.
This is a middle grade, historical fiction book that does a lot of things well. I was able to talk to my son about a lot of the themes in the book, especially the expectation of girls. I liked this quote from Pearl: "Sometimes I wonder if Mr. Corrigan had only known one girl his whole life. Didn't he know we came in different varieties?"
This book was also great for vocabulary. Here are some of the terms we discussed and defined:
Contraption
Amiable
Glowered
Nonchalant
Spectacles
Chaparral
Petticoat
Guffaw
Exasperated
Gloat
Duck Soup
Metropolis
Contemptuous
Livery Stable
The story is about a girl named Pearl Donnelly, who lived in rural California around 1915 on an ostrich farm with her parents, grandmother, and three older brothers. Pearl is very much a girl of her rugged upbringing, learning to ride a horse at 3, because "it's safer than running barefoot around snake country." Things change quickly around her small community of Lemon Springs when a director from Flying Q Studios shows up to film some moving pictures, and begins casting some of the folks from town to make those movies more authentic, which leads to them being in increasingly daring roles, one of which required Pearl to dangle out of a hot air balloon.
Per author's notes, this is loosely based on the real community of La Mesa, CA and a production company that filmed around 100 movies there over the course of a year, many of which starred a young actress named Pearl White. Unlike the Pearl in the story, however, Pearl White came from a vaudevillian background, and wasn't found on the range, wrangling a spooked horse.
This is a middle grade, historical fiction book that does a lot of things well. I was able to talk to my son about a lot of the themes in the book, especially the expectation of girls. I liked this quote from Pearl: "Sometimes I wonder if Mr. Corrigan had only known one girl his whole life. Didn't he know we came in different varieties?"
This book was also great for vocabulary. Here are some of the terms we discussed and defined:
Contraption
Amiable
Glowered
Nonchalant
Spectacles
Chaparral
Petticoat
Guffaw
Exasperated
Gloat
Duck Soup
Metropolis
Contemptuous
Livery Stable
January 20, 2022
Set in the early 1900's, Pearl and her family are Californian ranchers of cattle, sheep, and ostriches. As such, her brothers are real life cowbows and know how to ride their horses hard and fall soft, just as their Papa had taught them. One day Mr. Corrigan brings his company, the Flying Q, to their small town of Lemon Springs. Mr. Corrigan is a director and he makes moving pictures (still silent movies at the time). From the very beginning, Pear'ls brother's get lassoed into being cowboys in Mr. Corrigan's westerns. It doesn't take long, when something completely unexpected happens on the set, for everyone to realize that the brothers' riding prowess runs in the family and that Pearl herself is as fearless and good at stunts as they are. Soon Pearl is roped into being part of the movies as well.
I really liked Pearl's feisty, courageous, and honest character. She does't get why the main female characters in the movies are always so helpless and have to wait to be rescued. She'd much rather jump into action and save herself. There is also some friend drama in Pearl's life too as she navigates her working relationship with another girl her age who just seems to always be jealous of Pearl and mean to her. She works out her feelings and thoughts in an honest way and ultimately comes to a healthy conclusion. At the end of the book, the author explains how both Pearl and Corrigan were inspired by real people in the silent movie industry in California at the time.
I really liked Pearl's feisty, courageous, and honest character. She does't get why the main female characters in the movies are always so helpless and have to wait to be rescued. She'd much rather jump into action and save herself. There is also some friend drama in Pearl's life too as she navigates her working relationship with another girl her age who just seems to always be jealous of Pearl and mean to her. She works out her feelings and thoughts in an honest way and ultimately comes to a healthy conclusion. At the end of the book, the author explains how both Pearl and Corrigan were inspired by real people in the silent movie industry in California at the time.
July 14, 2020
*This book was given to me by the author to give an honest review in return*
Now I don't read many middle-grade books but this one I enjoyed. It was such an easy and fun read that younger reader will enjoy. You follow the story of Pearl in 1900s California where she learns about how movies are made when she lives on a farm. The writing was great and it was well-paced. I loved the setting of this book and the storyline.
The characters in this book I enjoyed. It was nice to follow a kid protagonist since many books these days don't write about a younger protagonist in their books. It was nice to see what goes into a child's mind and how she thought about how the movies were being created. Pearl developed a lot from being brave, confident, and finding what she loves. The minor characters were also enjoyable to read like Pearl's brothers, Pearl's grandma, and Mary. Mary is counted as a minor antagonist but develops throughout the story. I didn't really feel connected with the story but I did enjoy them.
I did enjoy this book and the reason I gave it only 4/5 stars is because of how I didn't feel connected with the characters that much and since I don't read many middle-grade books, I thought it was a little short and would like to know more about the story even though it was well developed and everything. I do recommend this book and I think it's a good book to read!
Now I don't read many middle-grade books but this one I enjoyed. It was such an easy and fun read that younger reader will enjoy. You follow the story of Pearl in 1900s California where she learns about how movies are made when she lives on a farm. The writing was great and it was well-paced. I loved the setting of this book and the storyline.
The characters in this book I enjoyed. It was nice to follow a kid protagonist since many books these days don't write about a younger protagonist in their books. It was nice to see what goes into a child's mind and how she thought about how the movies were being created. Pearl developed a lot from being brave, confident, and finding what she loves. The minor characters were also enjoyable to read like Pearl's brothers, Pearl's grandma, and Mary. Mary is counted as a minor antagonist but develops throughout the story. I didn't really feel connected with the story but I did enjoy them.
I did enjoy this book and the reason I gave it only 4/5 stars is because of how I didn't feel connected with the characters that much and since I don't read many middle-grade books, I thought it was a little short and would like to know more about the story even though it was well developed and everything. I do recommend this book and I think it's a good book to read!
July 14, 2021
Pearl is very interested when her older brothers quit the ranch and start riding their horses for a Mr. Corrigan making moving pictures in their small Southern Californian town. Her goal is to get through her ostrich and horse chores as fast as possible each day on the ranch so she can go watch the film making process. And then one day, Pearl accidentally ends up in a movie herself.
Melissa Wiley has created a very memorable voice for Pearl. She practically leaps off the page, she's been written so vividly. And watching the early days of the movie-making process through her eyes is exceedingly entertaining. The funniest bits, though, are probably Pearl's descriptions of ostriches. I don't think I'll ever look at an ostrich the same way again. This is a great read for those kids who think historical fiction is boring. I assure you, they won't be bored. And there's a great note in the back of the book about which bits of this are historical fact, so readers also get to learn a fair bit of movie making history along the way. If you are looking for a great read aloud, this is a stellar choice for that too. Highly recommended.
Notes on content: No language issues (unless you consider durn a naughty word). No sexual content. There's some tricky stunts that could result in horrible injuries, but the worst anyone suffers is a bashed up nose.
Melissa Wiley has created a very memorable voice for Pearl. She practically leaps off the page, she's been written so vividly. And watching the early days of the movie-making process through her eyes is exceedingly entertaining. The funniest bits, though, are probably Pearl's descriptions of ostriches. I don't think I'll ever look at an ostrich the same way again. This is a great read for those kids who think historical fiction is boring. I assure you, they won't be bored. And there's a great note in the back of the book about which bits of this are historical fact, so readers also get to learn a fair bit of movie making history along the way. If you are looking for a great read aloud, this is a stellar choice for that too. Highly recommended.
Notes on content: No language issues (unless you consider durn a naughty word). No sexual content. There's some tricky stunts that could result in horrible injuries, but the worst anyone suffers is a bashed up nose.
Read
January 28, 2021Mini Review: This was a delightful MG book! I really enjoyed reading about Pearl and her family, and their stunts. Learning a little about the early days of movies was also interesting. Even though I obviously know movies haven't been around that long (the early 1900s really weren't that long ago, though with technology it's easy to forget that), it's so weird to think of a time when "moving pictures" was considered new, and how fascinated people were with them, and how they were such a novelty back then. I honestly can't imagine not having movies and TV now, they have such a huge impact on our world. As an adult I quite enjoyed reading this book, and I know when I was around Pearl's age, I would have absolutely loved it! I also quite liked the illustrations. Definitely recommend trying this MG book! :)
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.
I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.
June 25, 2021
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa about her first two books, Carmen Sandiego tie-ins, for my fansite (she is, incidentally, about the nicest person ever), and when she mentioned that this book was inspired by learning her own then-hometown had briefly been the center of the movie business, I knew I had to read it. The characterization is great, the prose clear, and the plot fun, making it a great kids' book for grown-ups (and, I assume, an even better kids' book for kids, though I'm not the best judge of that). My docking a star is because the story feels like it wants to go on longer but the book ends artificially; as a result, there's not much dénouement, and the heroine's relationship with her frienemy is oddly unresolved.
May 26, 2021
It's a great book, sure, it's anticipating and uses grammar and words well, but there's a few problems:
1. There's NO REAL STORYLINE! Ok, so in the book she accidentally shows that she's talented on a horse, so the movies are like WOW we need her, so they take her into it and she becomes a star. Honestly? Books like Harry Potter and the Green Ember don't have a short, not easy to figure out story line like that!
2. It's too closely related to real life. This is technically a real life story with some changes, it's pretty much non-fiction but not quite.
3. The characters are not clear. When I first started reading this book, I only thought Pearl had TWO brothers: Ike and Frank, Bill isn't clearly told about. I didn't realize he was even a character until the end.
1. There's NO REAL STORYLINE! Ok, so in the book she accidentally shows that she's talented on a horse, so the movies are like WOW we need her, so they take her into it and she becomes a star. Honestly? Books like Harry Potter and the Green Ember don't have a short, not easy to figure out story line like that!
2. It's too closely related to real life. This is technically a real life story with some changes, it's pretty much non-fiction but not quite.
3. The characters are not clear. When I first started reading this book, I only thought Pearl had TWO brothers: Ike and Frank, Bill isn't clearly told about. I didn't realize he was even a character until the end.
April 26, 2022
An exciting adventure based on some historical events, The Nerviest Girl in the World, takes us back to the earliest beginnings of the motion picture industry. Using simple cameras, techniques, and actors, most reels were completed in one day, many times with only one take.
Pearl and her brothers are hired as stunt people. Their experience as ranch and farm hands gave them the ability to pull off some pretty amazing stunts. Of course, they are thrilled, where the parents, are not so much.
Lots of snarky, sassy dialogue from Pearl as she navigates her entry into filmdom with The Perils of Pauline!
Includes Author's Note (a must-read), Acknowledgements, and Bibliography.
Pearl and her brothers are hired as stunt people. Their experience as ranch and farm hands gave them the ability to pull off some pretty amazing stunts. Of course, they are thrilled, where the parents, are not so much.
Lots of snarky, sassy dialogue from Pearl as she navigates her entry into filmdom with The Perils of Pauline!
Includes Author's Note (a must-read), Acknowledgements, and Bibliography.
August 9, 2020
This was a fun MG book! I live in Southern California and have actually been hot air ballooning in the area of the book so it was particularly fun to read about Pearl's adventures! My students love books with action and adventure and this has plenty of both!
Educator Notes: As a 4th grade teacher in CA I am always looking for historical fiction set in California so this will be an excellent addition to my collection! Also, this book would be a great tie in for a unit on storytelling and I can envision some great projects for the students to do after reading the book related to creating their own movie shorts.
Educator Notes: As a 4th grade teacher in CA I am always looking for historical fiction set in California so this will be an excellent addition to my collection! Also, this book would be a great tie in for a unit on storytelling and I can envision some great projects for the students to do after reading the book related to creating their own movie shorts.
September 5, 2020
What a fun spin on history.
Pearl is a girl who lives on an ostrich farm in a small town. Her older brothers all work as stunt men in the big motion pictures. Her whole world changes the day she unexpectedly gets her own big break.
I loved that this was just a feel good book. Pearl was such a fun character, it's easy to love her. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. I loved the portrayal of a part of history I'm not too familiar with. This was just a fast fun book I couldn't get enough of.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
Pearl is a girl who lives on an ostrich farm in a small town. Her older brothers all work as stunt men in the big motion pictures. Her whole world changes the day she unexpectedly gets her own big break.
I loved that this was just a feel good book. Pearl was such a fun character, it's easy to love her. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. I loved the portrayal of a part of history I'm not too familiar with. This was just a fast fun book I couldn't get enough of.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
September 10, 2020
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
I was thrilled to receive this book. I always love the Brave Writer book recommendations, and Melissa is part of the team. My daughter is reading the next level of books, but we still wanted to read this one. She did an excellent job. I loved how it started with Pearl doing a stunt scene in the prologue and then backed up to tell how she got there. It was an interesting perspective on early movie making and ranching.
I was thrilled to receive this book. I always love the Brave Writer book recommendations, and Melissa is part of the team. My daughter is reading the next level of books, but we still wanted to read this one. She did an excellent job. I loved how it started with Pearl doing a stunt scene in the prologue and then backed up to tell how she got there. It was an interesting perspective on early movie making and ranching.
December 4, 2020
Read this separately but together with my eleven year old daughter. We both loved it. Some paraphrased quotes I don't want to forget:
"I didn't want to die from an overabundance of hand sweat."
"I can watch any old baby blubber. Why pay five cents to see Mary Mason crying?"
"Ostriches make a great audience, if you're telling the right kind of story."
I already took the book back to the library and did not do those quotes justice. But this was a really fun book. It will inspire you to want to make a silent movie and do all your own stunts.
"I didn't want to die from an overabundance of hand sweat."
"I can watch any old baby blubber. Why pay five cents to see Mary Mason crying?"
"Ostriches make a great audience, if you're telling the right kind of story."
I already took the book back to the library and did not do those quotes justice. But this was a really fun book. It will inspire you to want to make a silent movie and do all your own stunts.
February 19, 2024
Here's a middle grade novel that moves, like its titular protagonist, at the speed of film. Young ranch girl Pearl's brothers are hired to ride as cowboy extras in the latest Flying Q Studios movie filming in her small town of Lemon Springs, California at the turn of the 20th Century. So, Pearl inevitably gets involved in making of early silent films featuring young girls in peril. Melissa Wiley plunged me into the world of early, seat-of-the-pants silent filmmaking so completely, it's like I dove into the plot from a three-storey window. Great fun!
August 25, 2020
Sooo fun and light-hearted. It has kind of old-fashioned feeling; it reminds me of historical fiction I might have read in the early 90s. Timeless feeing. Pearl is a very appealing character and I like that even Mary Mason turns out to have appealing qualities. Background info about the early days of movies is worked in fairly naturally and the ostriches are a nice touch. Lack of diversity is the overwhelming concern. The past was not entirely populated by white people.
November 23, 2020
We LOVED this book! Melissa Wiley hit it out of the park with this fantastic, fun book. The main character and her family get involved with the filming of movies. Particularly westerns - they needed real cowboys who can do stunts and this family fit the bill. It's a funny, laugh out loud book. We learned a lot about motion pictures. We even watched a silent film of this era and really enjoyed it. We also learned a bunch about ostriches.
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