Upper Elementary Book Review discussion

When 12-year-old Foster and her mother leave Memphis to get away from her crazy, abusive Elvis-impersonating boyfriend, they end up in the town of Culpepper, WV. While Foster hates school and can't read well, she can bake like nobody's business and dreams of being on the Food Network. The small town embraces her, and she begins to find herself. But when her past catches up with her and threatens to destroy all that she has built, she has to really see what she is made of.

I have mixed feelings about including this book in the Reluctant Readers category. There are a lot of storylines in this book, so I would not recommend for below-level readers. The interest level is much older (5-7) but the reading level is 3.2, which should allow for some struggling readers to manage a chapter book. Also, the main character has trouble reading, and I'm a huge fan of giving kids protagonists with which they can identify. And this is a very well-written book.