Gertie's Leap to Greatness

                                     

Have you ever wanted to read about a girl who never gives up ? Well, in the book, Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley there is a girl named Gertie who always shows  grit and never fails a mission even through challenges.

  In Gertie’s Leap to Greatness , Gertie ( the main character) wants to be the smartest in her class and needs to have the best part in the school play  to get her mom to come back to Gertie, Gertie’s dad, and Aunt Ray. The story does not tell why Gertie’s mom left her family. In the story, Gertie decides to study a bunch of books and study guides to become the best in her class. Gertie tries to get the most important part in the school play. The play is about a girl  who only eats candy , not fruits and vegetables, until the girl learns how candy is not healthy for you. Gertie wants to be that girl in the play. Through these two missions of being the greatest in her class and trying to  have an important role in the play, she still runs into problems. Gertie loses a friend name Jane during the mission of being the smartest in her class. Gertie also makes the new  girl cry because the story shows the new girl ( Mary Sue ) say ,”You’ve tried to ruin things for me ever since I moved here.” This piece of evidence shows how eager Gertie is to get a good part in the play and be the best kid in her class.

The reason I like Gertie’s Leap to Greatness is because Gertie reminds me of my brother ( Jack ) . One reason Gertie is like my brother is because Gertie says,” This is my moment.” That makes me remember my brother say in a sneaky voice,” This is my moment to sneak up on daddy.” Jack never gives up,  just like Gertie. On a snowy day, Jack and I were making an igloo and I got so cold I wanted to stop. I headed for the steps and then Jack said,” Come on Olivia! Don’t give up now!” In Gertie’s Leap to Greatness , Gertie doesn’t like studying she does not want to give up because she wouldn’t accomplish her goal of being the top student if she didn’t study. That means Jack and Gertie have the same attitudes of being strong, showing grit, being tough and  being confident.

I recommend  Gertie’s Leap to Greatness to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders ( ages 9,10,11 and 12 ). If I were to rate this book and five stars was the highest ,I would give Gertie’s Leap to Greatness  a 4 ½ .