Cover Image: Shine!

Shine!

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Member Reviews

Piper’s dad has the opportunity to teach in a private school and Piper gets a free education. She needs to figure out how to fit in with a group of talented, wealthy and entitled students. Her journey wasn’t too rough as she finds a squad with similar interest. Piper still has some troubles navigating some friendship issues. I love the she is a STEM girl and the overall message of kindness is obvious and valuable.

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Loved it! Hope this talended duo write more books together on Chumley Prep.

Lemoncello was my favorite series by Grabenstein, but this one is a strong contender. Will be re-reading it as a in-class novel for my 6th graders. Will be recommending it to others.

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I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

Honestly, I love all things by Chris Grabenstein. To hear he put out a book with his wife JJ? I was down with it.

I enjoyed this sweet book. It's all about learning where you fit in at a new school while learning to be true to yourself!

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Great story about what it means to be a good student. Each character has Talents and gifts that are unique to each person, teacher will enjoy using this as a read aloud and will be able to challenge their own kids to think about they want to be when they grow up. Great read aloud for elementary students.

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This book should be required reading for ALL middle school students. I cried at the end. I had a feeling that it was going to play out a certain way, and I’m SO glad I was right. This book is brilliant in every way. Not only does it showcase the power that one child has to make a difference, our MC, Piper, was into science and astronomy. I LOVE middle grades books with female characters that like science. We need more books like this. I found myself highlighting so many quotes that I can’t wait to add to my Reading Graffiti bulletin board when the book is released. I also plan to use this book on my Mock Newbery club, as I truly believe it should be in contention for the award in January.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

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Shine! tells my favorite kind of middle grade story: coming of age and discovering who you are! We’re introduced to Piper who suddenly has to move from her public school to the preppy private school because her dad got a new job. We watch Piper face a series of growing pains as she tries to adjust to her new school including a popular bully named Ainsley who tries to thwart her at every turn.

The drama only heightens when an announcement that an award will be given out for the student who excels the most. We’re left to wonder just who might win as Piper continuously has to choose between winning and her friends again and again.

Shine! is funny and charming, and the space theme is amazing! The story weaving is absolutely perfect, and I feel that it hits right on the head of the suggested age range.

Loved: I absolutely loved how kind Piper is. In a generation that was a little obsessed with the mean girls movement, the fact that Piper is anything but a mean girl is refreshing. Even in the moments that she may seem a little selfish, I think it is something that comes with such big emotions and disappointments and is totally understandable for that age range.

I also loved the little smidge of a glimpse Piper gets into Ainsley’s maybe not so perfect life.

Disliked: Ugh!!! Ainsley stayed a mean girl in the end? Understandable, but I was hoping for some growth from her character. However, it does reflect the fact that sometimes people just don’t grow.

I would totally gift/recommend this book for any middle school aged reader or anyone who loves stories of girls who are kind and keep aiming for the moon.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book SO MUCH! It was a light, quick read - so many grade school kiddos could be encouraged to read it. I love how it placed an emphasis on kindness over performance. I can’t wait to read it to my kids!

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E ARC provided by Netgalley



Piper Milly and her father live on the east coast, where her father teaches music at a local middle school in order to give her more stability than his dream job of writing Broadway musicals, since her mother died when she was three. Piper is interested in space and is a big fan of the scientist and personality Nellie Dumont Frisse, and she's trying to decide who she wants to be as a person. When her father takes a better paying job at Chumley Prep, where her cello prodigy mother excelled back in the day, Piper feels even more pressure to make something of herself. She is glad to walk a dog for a neighbor, but when the school announces the Excelsior competition, her new friends Tim, Siraj, Emily and Kwame (who dub themselves the Hibbleflitts) help her try to ace the science fair, talent show, and other showcases of awesomeness so that she can live up to her mother's legacy. Her nemesis is Ainsley, who is bound and determined to win the award, even if it means disqualifying Piper's entries on technicalities. When the award is announced, Piper finds that the criteria depended more on being kind than on any academic or extracurricular activity.

Strengths: This has engaging characters, a simple plot, and a nice message. I can see this being used in a classroom, as a follow up to Palacio's Wonder. I especially appreciated that while Piper wasn't thrilled about starting a new school in the middle of the year, she realized it was a good opportunity that would make her father happy, and she didn't complain.
Weaknesses: It seems unlikely that a private school would offer a better salary than a public one, but East Coast private schools are something I just don't understand.
What I really think: This would be a fantastic choice for elementary students who want to read about middle school and is a great treatise on kindness. I'm just not sure how well it would go over with my middle school students.

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Everybody can find their own way to Shine, this is the message of this encouraging and empowering new book by the Chris and J.J. Grabenstein. Piper feels that this does not apply to her, especially when her dad gets a job at a prestigious prep school and brings her along. Despite her insecurity she makes some wonderful friends and with their help finds her own way to discovering who she wants to be, how special she really is. This is an empowering story for anyone who is having trouble discovering where they fit and how they can shine.

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Piper's dad accepts a job at a private school filled with children of the wealthy, and although not wanting to move schools mid-year, Piper supports her dad and arrives at her new school armed with a good attitude and positive outlook. She quickly finds friends with other students, but also lands in the cross hairs of the popular and talented Ainsely who sees Piper as competition and a stumbling block on her path to winning everything. When the school's founders offer an opportunity to win the mysterious and new Excelsior Award, Piper feels she has no chance to win while Ainsley figures she has already capture the prize.

Piper's character is one of a very good girl; the one who helps others without being asked, always assumes the best in people, and able to keep her positive attitude when treated unfairly, yet not overly "good" so as to be annoying. This character the Grabensteins have created is one who you would want to be friends with and want to be like. A wonderful story that promotes kindness toward others, a helpful attitude, and being the best "you" possible. I hope to see this book on my state reading award lists, along with future collaborative efforts from the Grabensteins!

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This is a great story about having faith in yourself even when you don't think you fit in. It's also a great story about making the best out of a less than ideal situation. It was a quick and easy read that will appeal to many readers.

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Great story with a great message. Quick read. Predictable, at least for an adult. I really enjoyed the characters. Would have liked to know what happened to her mother other than she died (me being nosey). I would have also liked to see that Piper's friendship from her previous school continued. We don't really know that. Otherwise, its a good story which has a good lesson. One we all need to be reminded of now and then.

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This book is plucky and uplifting and a bunch of fun. Nice pacing for young readers. Humor and fun don't overwhelm the serious stuff, but add to the depth of the story. I really loved it!

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Piper is in for a big change. Some middle schoolers would jump at the chance to attend prestigious Chumley Prep. For Piper, it is another opportunity to remind her of what she doesn't do well. She isn't competitive, she isn't musical, and she keeps getting distracted by others' problems. Will she be able to find her own talents and start to shine?

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Shine! is an excellent book for students to read. This is a wonderful story highlighting the importance of being kind. With a wonderful moral and delightful vignettes, this is a perfect book for all students, classes, and book groups to use as starting point for a discussion on kindness.

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In our house, we fight over Chris Grabenstein books. From The Island of Dr. Libris to the Mr. Lemoncello series, we rotate the books between my 7 year old and 11 year olds... and Mom makes sure she gets her turn as well.

His latest book, Shine!, written with wife J.J. Grabenstein, tells the story of twelve year old Piper who is more than happy to blend in. When it comes to shining, Piper is often in the background, supporting her father and friends. But when his new job lands them both in Chummy Prep, and a unique honor is being offered, Piper finds that she is more anxious to stand out. Shine! is a book about being, becoming, and the trials and triumphs of middle school.

Like I said, we love Chris Grabenstein books. So when he wrote this book with wife, J.J. Grabenstein, we were more than anxious to read it. Shine! felt different than some of Grabenstein's books that we've read previously. But different isn't always bad. While I didn't feel that Shine! was as in-depth as the Mr. Lemoncello series, it does address the awkward middle school stage with a lot of grace and humor. The authors write a young Piper that struggles with identity, but always remains true to her friends, even showing sympathy for the classic mean girl. For reading level, this book is fit for 3-4th graders, but as far as the middle school struggles, I would recommend this book for 5-6th graders, walking through the transition themselves. Quick, sweet, and inspiration, I am happy to have my own daughter reading this one.

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from he publisher. All opinions are my own.

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This book was so sweet and kind. The main character Piper moves to a new private school where she has to learn to fit in. Through interesting characters, the main themes of friendship and being true to oneself shine through. This is a great read for upper elementary or even a quick read for middle school. Themes can be discussed in literature circles or around the dinner table.

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I received an arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one, surprisingly

I liked:
Piper is a really enjoyable character to be around.
The ending was simply perfect.

Not as much:
There was the usual mean girl, which wasn't the best character ever, but she served her purpose.

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This book would be great for young middle grade readers, I would say 3rd-4th grade. While a lot of the book was predictable to me as an adult, I think younger kiddos would quickly fall in love with this story and would see themselves within the pages of the book. It will definitely be a hit in my future classroom!

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I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Shine!, a quick read, stand-alone novel is co-authored by Chris Grabenstein with his wife, J.J. Grabenstein. It is about twelve-year-old Piper who moves to a new school in the middle of the school year. She encounters bullys and befriends other misfits. The story is meant to be inspirational and encouraging. It is a mostly believable and entertaining story except Piper is able to make friends rather quickly. I used to work with children in girl scouts and in schools. I have found the "new kid" is rarely able to find their group right away.

Chris Grabenstein has written numerous novels and is well known for his children/Young Adult adventure series, Mr. Lemoncello's Library, and for his adult mystery series, John Ceepak, and for collaborating on the I Funny children series with James Patterson. I have not read the I Funny series but I highly recommend his Mr. Lemoncello's Library and his John Ceepak series! J.J. Grabenstein does not have any additional works credited to her on Goodreads but the idea of Shine! is credited to her.

Chris Grabenstein, which according to his website, sounds an awful lot like Frankenstein, has been on my "authors to read" list for years.

This review was published on Goodreads on 5/13/19. This review will be published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on its release date, 11/5/19. When available, the review will be published on Scribd.com and, using Overdrive, will be rated in 9 libraries.

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