Review Detail

Linda Ellerbee, an engaging and outspoken television journalist (you may have seen her on Nick News) is authoring a series of great new books targeted for the 8-12 age group.

I say "targeted" because I get the sneaking suspicion that some older teens and adults will enjoy these books too.

The first two books to come out are Get Real: Girl Reporter Blows Lid Off Town! and Get Real: Girl Reporter Sinks School!

I have to admit that most eleven year-olds aren't as dedicated as Casey Smith, the title character. She wants more than anything else to be a reporter (perhaps it's because she has a Nobel Prize winning Grandmother and world-renowned parents). When she gets to Trumbull Middle School, she's all set to conquer the world on the school newspaper. She has, in fact, already written up stories for it over the summer!

Her plans are dashed (briefly) when she discovers that there is no school newspaper...but she recovers quickly as she battles to resurrect it and become the editor. Her competition is Megan O'Connor. It's enough to say that Megan usually dresses entirely in pink. What's a girl reporter to do?

In the second book, Casey uncovers a cheating ring in the school and discovers that Megan may be involved. But will the story get reported?

Casey is truly a remarkable girl. She goes after the big stories and is never content to go the easy route or to give up. Her mouth gets her into trouble sometimes (for a "non-biased" reporter, especially) but she always manages to recover somehow.

Even at her most abrasive, you can't help but admire her plucky spirit. The author herself notes that "She doesn't sit around and wait for her life to start. Casey stirs the stew. That's my kind of girl."

That's my kind of girl too. We could all use the kind of courage Casey has.