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The Renegade Reporters
Ash and her friends are reporters. They were ready to lead their school news show, The News at Nine, sponsored by Van Ness Media, when an unfortunate incident involving a dancing teacher, an irresponsibly reported story, and a viral video got them kicked off the crew. So Ash, Maya, and Brielle decide to start their own news show, The Underground News. And soon they stumble on a big lead: Van Ness Media, the educational company that provides their school’s software, has been gathering data from all the kids at school. Their drawings, their journals, even their movements are being recorded and cataloged by Van Ness Media. But why? Ash and her friends are determined to learn the truth and report it.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Elissa Brent Weissman
12 books112 followersElissa Brent Weissman is an award-winning author of novels for young readers. Best known for the popular Nerd Camp series, she and her books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, NPR’s “Here and Now,” and more. Named one of CBS Baltimore’s Best Authors in Maryland, Elissa spent many years in Baltimore City, where she taught creative writing to children, college students, and adults. She currently lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and their two super cool nerds-in-training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
did-not-finish
April 19, 2023Heads up: This book has a main character (6th grade girl) with two dads. She has two younger siblings and they have both dad’s names (hyphenated).
I was interested in this book but was suspicious so I read the sample on Amazon (about three chapters). For those who see no problem in this content being in a middle-grade, please move along and don't waste either of our times.
search words: LGBT, gay, content, trigger.
I was interested in this book but was suspicious so I read the sample on Amazon (about three chapters). For those who see no problem in this content being in a middle-grade, please move along and don't waste either of our times.
search words: LGBT, gay, content, trigger.
January 25, 2022
Weissman's THE LENGTH OF A STRING was one of my favorite reads of 2021, so I was excited to read another novel by her. This one, her newest, is a fun, upbeat story on the very relevant topic of online privacy. It stars a likable trio of friends, all of whom are smart, skilled, and brave. Ash is easy to relate to, especially as she makes mistakes and learns how to both own up to them and learn from them. I love how the book presents Ash & Co. as capable, while keeping their actions/words realistic to their ages. The kids felt authentic to me. In addition, the book's plot moves along at a steady pace, which keeps the reader (or listener, in my case) engaged throughout. For all these reasons and more, I really enjoyed THE RENEGADE REPORTERS. I don't know if Weissman plans to make this a series; if she does, I would happily read more!
A note on the audio: Keylor Leigh does an excellent job with the narration of this book. Her voice is smooth and easy on the ear. I would absolutely listen to more audiobooks with her at the helm.
A note on the audio: Keylor Leigh does an excellent job with the narration of this book. Her voice is smooth and easy on the ear. I would absolutely listen to more audiobooks with her at the helm.
March 4, 2022
This was fun and cute and certainly a very original topic and hobby not often covered in middlegrade fiction -- the News, and more specifically, live TV news.
Ash, Maya, and Brielle are determined and precocious and feel like really authentic characters to me and enjoyed following them along their journey as they begin Underground News and band together as the "Renegade Reporters". This book is ultimately about friendship, trusting your gut, and believing in each other.
While this book did not personally affect me like Weissman's other work "Length of a String", I did really enjoy her latest installment to her overall canon.
Ash, Maya, and Brielle are determined and precocious and feel like really authentic characters to me and enjoyed following them along their journey as they begin Underground News and band together as the "Renegade Reporters". This book is ultimately about friendship, trusting your gut, and believing in each other.
While this book did not personally affect me like Weissman's other work "Length of a String", I did really enjoy her latest installment to her overall canon.
December 6, 2021
When Ash gets kicked off her school's news show, she becomes a renegade reporter—and makes a big discovery about technology and her fellow students' privacy.
September 20, 2022
This was pretty good and had some great relevant tech information for kids at a level they might understand. Maybe a little far fetched, but a great way to bring this information to young readers.
February 17, 2021
Coming August 2021 in hardcover, ebook, AND AUDIOBOOK!
November 28, 2024
Great middle grade example of making lemonade when life hands you lemons or finding the silver lining in your cloud!
Ash/Ashley and her best friend Maya have been a part of the school’s News at Nine daily broadcast since 2nd grade and earned the spots of anchor and videographer as 5th graders. A mistakenly filmed and posted video of a moment intended to be private resulted in loss of their positions and worse, loss of trust by their supervisor and other school staff. When watching their replacements as 6th graders becomes untenable, the duo determines to start on online news broadcast of their own and enlists the help of friend Brielle who will be doing double duty with News at Nine as well as the newly launched Underground News (aptly named as their studio is in Ash’s basement). The Renegade Reporters begin with a relatively ho-hum report on a stolen bike but things take a turn when they accidentally discover that the company sponsoring their school’s broadcast and providing all Baltimore schools with a variety of computer programs for use in the classroom is selling data about students’ work, location, computer usage and more. Can three 6th grades really break this important story in a way that can affect change?
Weissman’s book clearly raises the issues of acceptable use and online privacy where use of computers is concerned, but so many more relatable life situations are woven in as well. The friendship between Ash and Maya is one most middle grade students yearn for with honesty, support, helping each other be the best possible version of themselves exhibited throughout the book. Ash is forced to recognize her responsibility for the loss of the anchor job and takes steps to regain the trust she lost as well as recognize the value in a classmate who has been viewed as a rival for quite some time.
Excellent realistic fiction for grades 4-6 with no profanity, sexual content or violence. Representation: Ash lives with her two dads and a younger sister and brother; one of Ash’s dads is Jewish; Maya is Black.
Thanks, Elissa Brent Weissman & Penguin Books for providing me with a review copy for Read Your World.
Ash/Ashley and her best friend Maya have been a part of the school’s News at Nine daily broadcast since 2nd grade and earned the spots of anchor and videographer as 5th graders. A mistakenly filmed and posted video of a moment intended to be private resulted in loss of their positions and worse, loss of trust by their supervisor and other school staff. When watching their replacements as 6th graders becomes untenable, the duo determines to start on online news broadcast of their own and enlists the help of friend Brielle who will be doing double duty with News at Nine as well as the newly launched Underground News (aptly named as their studio is in Ash’s basement). The Renegade Reporters begin with a relatively ho-hum report on a stolen bike but things take a turn when they accidentally discover that the company sponsoring their school’s broadcast and providing all Baltimore schools with a variety of computer programs for use in the classroom is selling data about students’ work, location, computer usage and more. Can three 6th grades really break this important story in a way that can affect change?
Weissman’s book clearly raises the issues of acceptable use and online privacy where use of computers is concerned, but so many more relatable life situations are woven in as well. The friendship between Ash and Maya is one most middle grade students yearn for with honesty, support, helping each other be the best possible version of themselves exhibited throughout the book. Ash is forced to recognize her responsibility for the loss of the anchor job and takes steps to regain the trust she lost as well as recognize the value in a classmate who has been viewed as a rival for quite some time.
Excellent realistic fiction for grades 4-6 with no profanity, sexual content or violence. Representation: Ash lives with her two dads and a younger sister and brother; one of Ash’s dads is Jewish; Maya is Black.
Thanks, Elissa Brent Weissman & Penguin Books for providing me with a review copy for Read Your World.
October 4, 2021
I'd give this timely story about digital tracking a 3.5. After sixth grader Ashley Simon-Hochheimer loses her anchor job on her elementary school's morning broadcast, she decides to start her own new show with her friends Maya and Brielle. Maya is stinging from this loss since she's been involved with the broadcast almost since she started attending school. Plus, she feels some jealousy toward Harry, the new anchor. When he receives some unexpected attention from Van Ness Media, the company that provides software to the school, Ash decides to find out why he merited that attention. She and her friends stumble onto information that seems to indicate that the company is collecting and selling the information it gathers on the students to others. To determine whether their guess is right, they create a fake identity and email account, and surely enough, that account starts showing ads for products related to the person's expressed interests. The girls have to find ways to work around what happens next since they lose all access to their materials for supposed violation of the company's policy. Readers will applaud these renegade reporters for their investigative reporting and persistence as they work to reveal the company's deception. Having part of the story told as written directions for audio and video adds a layer of authenticity to the story.
October 15, 2021
When sixth grader Ash accidentally posts an inappropriate video of a teacher, she’s removed from her school’s morning news show. Ash and her friends Brielle and Maya decide to start their own news channel online, using their school software from Van Ness Media. Soon after starting their show, they discover that Van Ness Media has been selling data from students, despite claiming that they make ad-free software. Ash and her friends didn’t expect to stumble upon such an important new story, but they have to find a way to get it out in the world.
This story had an important message about digital fingerprints. Companies are constantly collecting and sharing data that we put out on the internet. Sometimes it is helpful, such as when you get a coupon for a store you were just in. But sometimes it’s creepy, when they can track where you live and work.
There were some details of the way companies gather and track our data that I wasn’t familiar with before reading this book. This is such an important story because it teaches kids the dangerous implications of using the internet. It also shows that kids can make a difference in the world, since Ash and her friends are the ones that discovered and reported on the story.
The Renegade Reporters is a great middle grade story!
Thank you Penguin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story had an important message about digital fingerprints. Companies are constantly collecting and sharing data that we put out on the internet. Sometimes it is helpful, such as when you get a coupon for a store you were just in. But sometimes it’s creepy, when they can track where you live and work.
There were some details of the way companies gather and track our data that I wasn’t familiar with before reading this book. This is such an important story because it teaches kids the dangerous implications of using the internet. It also shows that kids can make a difference in the world, since Ash and her friends are the ones that discovered and reported on the story.
The Renegade Reporters is a great middle grade story!
Thank you Penguin for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2021
I received an electronic ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group through NetGalley.
Ash and her friend Maya were removed as an anchor and cameraperson on their school news show for recording something that should have stayed private. They both quit the news program and decided to create their own news show - The Underground News. The third in the friends group stayed with both broadcasts. This is an interesting take on school news shows and commitment to reporting. When Ash and Maya stumble into the wrong room at a local educational software company, they discover something they should not have seen. From this, they do some well thought out research and investigation to break a major story about the company and its founder.
Weissman has created three unique friends who share a passion for journalism. Their personalities continue to develop as the story progresses. Readers see them respond, learn and change as they take on a far more serious topic than they've done before. The topic of internet privacy is pertinent for middle grade readers as so much of their time is spent online. This book should open discussions as families navigate constantly changing technology.
Ash and her friend Maya were removed as an anchor and cameraperson on their school news show for recording something that should have stayed private. They both quit the news program and decided to create their own news show - The Underground News. The third in the friends group stayed with both broadcasts. This is an interesting take on school news shows and commitment to reporting. When Ash and Maya stumble into the wrong room at a local educational software company, they discover something they should not have seen. From this, they do some well thought out research and investigation to break a major story about the company and its founder.
Weissman has created three unique friends who share a passion for journalism. Their personalities continue to develop as the story progresses. Readers see them respond, learn and change as they take on a far more serious topic than they've done before. The topic of internet privacy is pertinent for middle grade readers as so much of their time is spent online. This book should open discussions as families navigate constantly changing technology.
June 10, 2023
Ultimately didn't use this for middle school book talks because these 6th graders are in elementary school, and I think 4th and 5th would more likely pick it up.
Things I liked:
-The thoughtful discussion around data tracking and selling of info: are targeted ads a big deal? What about other uses of info?
-Thoughtful treatment on the ethics of reporting written at a kid's level
-The way the Jewish faith of Ash and Harry played seamlessly into the story, especially the great Yom Kippur scene
-The way Ash and Harry compete without a contrived romance at the end. Boy-girl friendship for the win
-Casual diversity: one character has two dads, nothing about that seems unusual
-The positive relationship with two teachers being regained at the end, Ash realizing they gave her consequences for good reasons and that her behavior was not great
Could have done without:
-The long play by plays of what's happening on camera, mostly rehashing things we know
-Enough with the dog poop thing already
Things I liked:
-The thoughtful discussion around data tracking and selling of info: are targeted ads a big deal? What about other uses of info?
-Thoughtful treatment on the ethics of reporting written at a kid's level
-The way the Jewish faith of Ash and Harry played seamlessly into the story, especially the great Yom Kippur scene
-The way Ash and Harry compete without a contrived romance at the end. Boy-girl friendship for the win
-Casual diversity: one character has two dads, nothing about that seems unusual
-The positive relationship with two teachers being regained at the end, Ash realizing they gave her consequences for good reasons and that her behavior was not great
Could have done without:
-The long play by plays of what's happening on camera, mostly rehashing things we know
-Enough with the dog poop thing already
August 1, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley & Penguin Group for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Renegade Reporters follows 3 kids who are determined to become professional reporters. They form their own investigative reporting team and discover something strange is afoot with the company that provides free digital programs to their school.
Honestly, it was a really enjoyable read. I thought how they explained data was really clear cut and understandable, even though it's a complicated topic.
The only problem I had was that the girls weren't distinctive enough in their personalities for the POVs to be interesting. This book focuses more on the process of investigative reporting moreso than the personal aspect of life, if that makes sense. It's fine, but the girls just didn't have individual personalities so I couldn't really tell them apart all that well.
A great story and an informative look into the process of investigative reporting.
Renegade Reporters follows 3 kids who are determined to become professional reporters. They form their own investigative reporting team and discover something strange is afoot with the company that provides free digital programs to their school.
Honestly, it was a really enjoyable read. I thought how they explained data was really clear cut and understandable, even though it's a complicated topic.
The only problem I had was that the girls weren't distinctive enough in their personalities for the POVs to be interesting. This book focuses more on the process of investigative reporting moreso than the personal aspect of life, if that makes sense. It's fine, but the girls just didn't have individual personalities so I couldn't really tell them apart all that well.
A great story and an informative look into the process of investigative reporting.
January 21, 2022
One of the things I love about middle grade books is young people learn and grow it’s never unpleasant. This is just that.
Ash learns to be humble, accepts responsibility when she made/makes a mistake. I loved her tenacity to not give up on her dream of being a reporter (anchor woman). The ability to even have that chance is great. Kids now have amazing opportunities and I hope they make the most of it.
Now what I didn’t care for is some of the writing. Each member of the news team obviously have names, but the author would use their names in one sentence and then she would use their title (anchor, camerawoman etc) in the next sentence. I didn’t understand that part, but overall it was a good read.
Ash learns to be humble, accepts responsibility when she made/makes a mistake. I loved her tenacity to not give up on her dream of being a reporter (anchor woman). The ability to even have that chance is great. Kids now have amazing opportunities and I hope they make the most of it.
Now what I didn’t care for is some of the writing. Each member of the news team obviously have names, but the author would use their names in one sentence and then she would use their title (anchor, camerawoman etc) in the next sentence. I didn’t understand that part, but overall it was a good read.
March 31, 2024
Okay, so to start, let's start with our narrator.
Ash was bratty and self-centered, and while that annoyed me, I can acknowledge her behavior was normal for a kid her age. Still, her rivalry with Harry was honestly ridiculous and made me want to throw something at her.
Second, the plot.
Everything was just conveniently given to them? Maria Van Ness should know the power of even a single tiny video. Someone could find it, someone big, and she'd be ruined, but they get to keep it for the sake of plot armor.
Cue- Exaggerated eye-roll.
Everything was ridiculous, and over-done, and the news-report sections were a drag to read. I couldn't get into this book at all.
A 2/5 stars, I wouldn't read this book unless you want a short, quick read to finish your Goodreads challenge.
Ash was bratty and self-centered, and while that annoyed me, I can acknowledge her behavior was normal for a kid her age. Still, her rivalry with Harry was honestly ridiculous and made me want to throw something at her.
Second, the plot.
Everything was just conveniently given to them? Maria Van Ness should know the power of even a single tiny video. Someone could find it, someone big, and she'd be ruined, but they get to keep it for the sake of plot armor.
Cue- Exaggerated eye-roll.
Everything was ridiculous, and over-done, and the news-report sections were a drag to read. I couldn't get into this book at all.
A 2/5 stars, I wouldn't read this book unless you want a short, quick read to finish your Goodreads challenge.
December 31, 2021
When Ash and her best friend Maya are suspended from the school news team for accidentally sharing an inappropriate report, they know in their hearts they can't stay away from the news. They decide to become renegade reporters, and create their own online news program. When a story about the company that gives the school its software falls in their laps, they have to decide whether they will continue to report alone or if they will do what is best for the story. This book would be a perfect addition to a library media curriculum that explores online safety and digital citizenship.
November 20, 2021
This book was delightful to read. I love the way the teenagers over came a challenge and they didn’t back down even when they faced higher authority. I also loved how Ash made up for her mistakes with Harry. But I don’t know how I feel about Harry joining the underground news he wasn’t my favorite character. That is why I gave five stars to this book.
😐😐
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
I liked this so, so, so much. The go-getting middle grade main characters are empowered to report important news - even when it means getting involved in a potentially enormous issue with a big company. This story is empowering, but I also love the humility our reporters feel when they realize they made mistakes and are still learning - just like we all are!
And the main issue here about technology and software tracking is fascinating and eye-opening. Incredible book!
And the main issue here about technology and software tracking is fascinating and eye-opening. Incredible book!
September 25, 2023
What a cool middle grade story! Three middle school friends, who have been kicked off their school news show, decide to start their own - The Underground News. Their reporting leads them to a potentially big story about Van Ness Media - the educational software company that sponsors their school and all their technology. This book seemed especially relevant to me since I teach digital citizenship in media at an elementary school. Not only were there great lessons about digital footprint and tech privacy - the girls were fun characters to be with. I loved when they got sidetracked and cracked themselves up - it made the story feel real. I don't know how well this will age with regards to the technology but for current middle schoolers this is a fun read that will hopefully spark discussion.
October 29, 2025
This was a great book for a middle reader. It was a great conversation starter for so many topics including, digital footprint, privacy, forgiveness and following your instincts. I always love to read books with my daughter that include great representation. It was an interesting and at times exciting read. We were really rooting for the three renegade reporters!
January 17, 2022
This is a really great book about the basics of data privacy, presented by three girls in elementary school. Highly recommend for grades 4 & up.
ETA: There is a deep irony that I am posting this on an Amazon-owned website. Sigh.
ETA: There is a deep irony that I am posting this on an Amazon-owned website. Sigh.
February 27, 2022
This book had some great messages, and I think it could be very useful to teach kids about internet privacy. It was a very quick read (I read it in 1 day), and it was for lower grade levels, but I still enjoyed it.
April 2, 2022
Fun story! This is not quite as deep as The Length of a String, but it addresses important things like digital privacy, pride, forgiveness, and being brave enough to let your voice be heard. Ash and her friends don't agree about everything, but they work together well.
April 11, 2022
Investigative Reporting, Plot Driven, Online Privacy
When Ash and her best friend Maya are kicked off their school's morning TV show after a viral video, they start their own news station. The girls stumble upon a huge lead: the software the students use at school, which claims to be ad free, is selling the students private data to outside companies. Working together they break the story and make substantial change for their classmates.
When Ash and her best friend Maya are kicked off their school's morning TV show after a viral video, they start their own news station. The girls stumble upon a huge lead: the software the students use at school, which claims to be ad free, is selling the students private data to outside companies. Working together they break the story and make substantial change for their classmates.
December 28, 2022
This was such a great middle grade book about an important topic - online privacy. Not many books are written about this topic, especially for the kids who have to use technology at school. I love how the storyline was with journalist kids who broke the big story and that they made a difference!
April 25, 2025
Topical themes - importance of investigative reporting/news, digital privacy, dog poop (yep there was). I liked the main character’s drive but she was a bit annoying at times. Interesting inclusion of Jewish culture into the story. Didn’t really stick with me once I’d finished though.
August 18, 2021
Family ratings split. Good SEL on data privacy. Wasn’t subtle, but didn’t make us abandon the book. Appreciated the main character having two Dads without it being a big thing.
March 11, 2022
Absolutely exciting and real!
March 22, 2022
This book was pretty good! It's good for a discussion with the kids. I haven't read anything else by this author but I've heard of "The Length of a String"... so maybe I'll check that one out next!
July 1, 2022
Listened on audiobook.
This was a very cute middle grade story.
It teaches an important lesson about online privacy.
This was a very cute middle grade story.
It teaches an important lesson about online privacy.
July 22, 2022
Love how this book helps kids understand advertising and cookies. Lots to think about after reading this. Good for classroom discussion or essay themes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews