“It’s just that anybody who sees a girl in a wheelchair thinks she’s going to be sunshine and cuddles.”
Ellie Cowan is 12 years old and lives in Nashville with aspirations to be a famous baker. She uses a wheelchair because of her cerebral palsy, but she is no saccharine-sweet archetype. She has a spitfire personality and a memorable literacy voice: witty, sarcastic, complaining, resourceful, and tenacious. All these qualities help her cope when her grandfather’s dementia worsens and her mother is at wit’s end.
Ellie and her mom move to her grandparents’ trailer in tiny Eufaula, Oklahoma. Ellie is not thrilled about living in a small town, living in a trailer park, and living in a place where she has to learn to navigate the challenges of her CP all over again. And, like so many, Ellie’s family must cope with her grandfather’s Alzheimer’s disease. They face this road with worry, good humor, and love.
“Anything that uses Crisco is okay by me.”
Fortunately, Ellie has three key allies to help her adjust to life in Eufaula. Her Mema, is a charm – a spirited, wise, loving grandmother who encourages Ellie’s baking and is always ready with a word of comfort, warning, or advice.
“When she hits ‘O’er the ramparts we waaaaaaaatched,’ it’s like she is another girl altogether, and I have no trouble believing she’ll be famous.”
Coralee, her neighbor in the trailer park, is an aspiring country music singer. She expresses herself with a unique sense of style, and she and Ellie become “kindreds.” When Coralee steps up to sing the national anthem at the school basketball game, everyone gets a glimpse of the star she hopes to be.
“According to researchers, it’s often the most average, or symmetrical, faces that are most appealing.”
Bert is the youngest kid in a huge family. He likes facts but has trouble with people – he seriously lacks a filter. Ellie and Coralee welcome him into their “trailer kids” tribe, and all three now have a place to belong. Bert invites the girls to “the perfect anti-Valentine’s Day activity” – miniature golf – an outing that seals their friendship.
“I’m my best self when I’m baking. I’m patient and I’m not nervous and I’m good at it.”
Ellie has set a goal for winning the pie bake-off at the fish fry and silent auction held every May at her grandparent’s church. She struggles to find just the right recipe until her grandfather tells her, “Seems to me like you’ve got to pick what speaks most to you.” With that inspiration, she chooses a crust from Julia Child for something fancy, her grandmother’s preserved blackberries for something summery, and a lemon glaze because it is her grandfather’s favorite.
This compelling cast of characters will draw in classrooms and families alike. So, pour some sweet tea, cut a slice of pie, and settle in for Jamie Sumner’s Roll with It. Once you reach the satisfying ending, your readers will be reaching for the next book in the series.
