Flipping Forward Twisting Backward

by Alma Fullerton, Sarah Mensinga (Illustrator)

A high-energy novel in verse starring a fifth grader who is almost as devoted to competitive gymnastics as she is to hiding her poor reading skills. What happens when Claire’s secret starts unraveling?

Claire is by far the best gymnast on her team, and she’s well on her way to qualifying for the state championships. The gym is where Claire shines. But at school, she’s known as a troublemaker. She seems to spend more time in the office than in class—which is fine with her since it enables her to hide the fact that she can’t read. She has never been able to make sense of the wobbling jumble of letters on a page. No one except her BFF knows.

But when a sympathetic principal wonders if Claire is acting out because she’s dyslexic, her mother balks. She’s afraid Claire will be labeled “stupid” and refuses testing. Claire has always assumed she’s dumb; she never imagined her reading problem could have a solution. Is she strong enough to take on both her reading challenges and her mother’s denial? Is it worth jeopardizing her spot in qualifiers?

Told in clear and poignant verse and featuring black and white illustrations, Claire’s struggle with something that seems to come easily to everyone else will resonate with readers and have them cheering her on.

Genres: Middle Grade, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Poetry, Contemporary, Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Alma Fullerton was first known for her award-winning free-verse novels for juvenile and young-adult readers, including the Governor General's Award-nominated Libertad. Alma's picture book A Good Trade was a White Ravens Choice, a Bank Street Best Book, and a nominee for a number of awards. In a Cloud of Dust won the Rainforest of Reading Award and was a finalist for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. When the Rain Comes was a 2018 USBBY Outstanding International Book, among other honors, and Community Soup was a CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Starred Selection. Alma lives in Midland, Ontario

Reviews

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisting Backward Flipping Forward is a compelling, eye-opening, and empowering verse novel about dyslexia and gymnastics. Enriched with illustrations, this book will appeal to younger readers and anyone who enjoys gymnastics and middle grade sports books. I love that it’s under 200 pages long and features such a bright young protagonist. Definitely recommend!

[el (celestialbronz) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so AMAZING.
Claire, a fifth grader, is gymnast. She's really good at it, but she has difficulties in school. Her main problem is that she can't read. One thing leads to another, her teacher--who didn't understand her condition--being discriminating and too harsh on her. Her friends bullied her because they thought she's stupid. Thankfully Claire has a best friend who always has her back.
Things at home didn't go easier on Claire too because her mom refuse to believe that Claire has learning difficulties. Good thing there's Bethany because she's a very good sister figure for Claire. She tries to understand Claire's condition and helps her out.

I love the narrative, it's delivered in the form of poems. It's simple and to the point but the story still flows nicely. When I reached the end I exhaled in relief but I feel like it's not enough because I love Claire and I want to hear more of the story. She's such a nice, kind, snappy, smart, talented girl and she deserves the whole world. I want to hug her so bad.

And when I learned the fact that the author herself has dyslexia... I am even more amazed because she did a very good job on this book, I didn't even thought about such thing. Alma Fullerton, I adore you.

Thank you so much to Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for providing this ARC!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving middle grade novel in verse about a young gymnast who struggles with her dyslexia and having a mother that doesn't want her to get tested or admit her daughter might have a learning disability.

Great on audio and recommended for fans of books like Fish in a tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

[Bonnie (A Backwards Story)]

EDUCATORS & SCHOOL LIBRARIANS!
This fall, make sure to order new release FLIPPING FOWARD TWISTING BACKWARD by @AlmaFullerton. It is set in Sassoon Book for readers w/dyslexia!

---

Today, I'm so incredibly excited to take part in the blog tour for FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD and can't wait to introduce you to this wonderful, important book! I'm hoping many educators and librarians will pick it up and share it with students far and wide. We need more books formatted like this one!

First and foremost -- and absolutely most important of all -- the book is set in Sassoon Book, making it so much easier to read if you have dyslexia. Here's some information from Read How You Want regarding why this matters and giving some examples. Here's an example from their site of how such a font can make a difference to dyslexic readers:



Using Sassoon Book makes perfect sense in the context of the novel as well. Our main character, Claire, is an amazing gymnast heading to the State Championships, but is *not* amazing when it comes to school. She can't really read or make letters focus. Over the course of the novel, it is discovered that Claire might have dyslexia, but her mother is reluctant to get testing and have her daughter given a label that will follow her over the course of her life....even if that same testing may change her for the better. So many readers will be able to finally see themselves in Claire! One reason I love Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series so much is because every demi-god is dyslexic and that's so important for kids to see, but it isn't the focal point of the novel. Plus, they're hecka long, and if you're struggling to read, shorter is so much less daunting.

Another thing that may make reading FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD easier for readers -- also making it a great read for reluctant readers -- is the fact that it is written in verse, so it takes so much less time to read. It's also to follow the sentences with your fingers as you go down the page. Additionally, the book is full of beautiful illustrations by Sarah Mensinga, which always is a great way to keep kids turning pages. Even though it's middle-grade and a harder read than a beginning chapter book like Junie B Jones or Magic Treehouse, it has that feel of an easier read that will lull readers into picking it up and devouring it.

(You can see some of the illustrations, typset format, and writing style in an extended preview here!)

And of course, this book is also great for gym rats! My eight year old niece has been doing gymnastics for a couple of years now. She's always so excited for end-of-year recitals and is looking forward to when she's good enough to do her first competitive meet. My niece was really excited to find a book revolving around gymnastics and connected with it immediately upon picking it up to read together. Kids who do gymnastics -- or are just interested in the sport -- will glean so much information about gym life and what it takes to make it over the course of the novel.

FLIPPING FORWARD TWISTING BACKWARD is an immediate school staple and I hope to see it crop up again during the 2023 ALA Youth Media Awards!

[Violeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Digital ARC provided by Netgalley

The story of Claire, who is an extraordinary gymnast but has a difficulty in reading due to her learning disability, is an example to emphasize the difficulties with which these children face. The principal is the main figure that support Claire and he realizes she is confronting with dyslexia. The mother of Claire is the one who does not accept in the beginning that her daughter can have any issue in learning.
The message of the book and the difficulties of Claire fight the stigma associated with dyslexia and it helps to normalize it.

[Zac · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful , short verse novel about a 10 year old girl who is great at gymnastics but can’t read. With the help of her sister, friends and teachers she works to overcome her dyslexia. I found her mother irritating because she refuses to believe her daughter has a learning disability.

[Alexa]

"She (Coach Tami) never asks what we perfected because all we need to know is how we improved."

written in verse, 'flipping forward twisting backward' explores star athlete-gymnast fifth-grader claire's struggle with dyslexia and how it gets her in trouble in school. despite its brevity, we are able to fully connect and empathize with our young protagonist and the issues the book tackles, from dyslexia to divorce never feel heavy-handed or hammered in. every word counts. i think writing the book in verse was a wise choice because it slowed down my reading speed and helped me digest its themes better than i would have if i read it any faster, and having shorter chapters makes it just the right book to recite to young beginner-level readers and especially both audiences who struggle with dyslexia. the principal is also incredibly and supportive of claire and her talents and her struggles. i think every dyslexic kid out there needs a central, grounding figure like that in their lives, and it is up to us to be a good example. empathy will spiral out from there. *thank you, netgalley, for the ARC!*

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Flipping Forward Twisting Backward" should be included in everyone's 2022 library book orders. This is a book that needs to get into the hands of kids everywhere. Alma Fullerton does an amazing job not only of describing what it is like to be a child with a learning disability, but also highlighting how difficult it can be for those children to get help from the adults around them. This book will be a beacon to kids who struggle with learning disabilities and will ultimately remind them that although they may learn differently, they are no less capable or less than their peers.

Claire is a fifth-grade gymnast hiding a big secret. While she's a superstar in the gym, she's earned a reputation for being a troublemaker in the classroom. What the adults around her aren't able to see is that Claire acts out in class because she is unable to read. The words on the page dance around the same way she does during her floor routine at gymnastics practice. When her principal finally asks if they can get to the root of her behavior issues, Claire confesses her struggles. Although he is quick to offer help to her, Claire's mother believes that Claire is simply pretending that she can't read and threatens to pull her from the state gymnastics qualifier if she doesn't stop acting out. Will Claire be able to convince her mom that she really does need extra support at school without losing the gymnastics team she loves so much?

Claire is a lovable and determined narrator who will appeal to all middle grade readers. She is a loyal friend who has a kind heart and refuses to give up when she struggles. Watching her evolution throughout the novel as she advocates to get the help that she needs at school while also working towards her goal of qualifying for her state gymnastics tournament is so compelling. Young readers will be cheering Claire along with every step she takes towards becoming a stronger reader; while older readers will examine the reactions of adults in Claire's life and be forced to think about how their own actions are helping or hindering the students in their lives. An important novel for readers of all ages, and one that I think will become a modern classic.

[piper monarchsandmyths]

thank you to netgalley and peachtree for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I thought that this a sweet, fairly straight-forward book for younger middle-grade readers. It tells the story of a girl named Claire, who’s a gymnast, as she and the people around her discover that she’s dyslexic. Her mother is initially upset by the possibility, but with the help of her sister Bethany and her best friend Emma Lea, they’re able to show her mom that having a learning disability isn’t a bad thing, but a way for Claire to get the help she needs. It also includes the occasional illustration and is written in verse.

While this isn’t an age category that I usually read, I appreciated the message of this story, and greatly enjoyed the gymnastics element of the story. It was a quick and very easy read for me, and I could see it being a very good book for a younger reader getting into reading chapter books. I personally would have liked to see a little more development in Claire’s acting out because of her learning disability, but I did greatly appreciate that the principal wasn’t overly harsh and recognised she was trying to process her problems in her own way.

Overall, a good in-verse book for younger readers!

[Marija · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wholesome story, told through poems about a girl who loves gymnastics but doesn’t like learning and feels like there might be something wrong with her, but soon finds out that it’s her surroundings that got it all wrong. She is such a smart little girl who found her way through school despite her learning disability and fighting to prove to herself and her family that it is okay to be different.
I loved the authors note and learning it’s an own voices story makes it even more special. I also loved the illustrations throughout the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A great book about what it is to have a learning disability, how to embrace it and all the different ways one can call themselves smart. The support and difficulty to adjust from other characters was also something that should be talked about to children. Ultimately a short, necessary story with some really touching poems.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of novels in verse, but I always read a few. They are quick and I liked that this one was about a girl who had to convince her mother to let her get tested for a learning disability when she finally admits she can't read.

Claire, the main character is also really good a gymnastics and I will say those poems were my favorites you could feel the flips and loops she was doing, the way the words were laid out.

[Tara Ethridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short novel-in-verse that I enjoyed bc it tackled the subject of dyslexia. Claire can't read and has somehow made it to 5th grade without anyone knowing. Her real strength is gymnastics, but she wants to figure out the reading issue as well. Readers from 3rd-5th will enjoy this as it is a deep topic and also has some parent/child issues that surface.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire is a gymnast. She's good at it and it's her whole world. It comes fairly easy to her unlike school. She struggles with school, reading specifically. No one seems to understand how much she struggles with it and that she's not goofing off and she's not stupid. Luckily, she has a couple people by her side who understand her and help her out.

I was so excited to pick this book up. A young girl who loves gymnastics, but struggles with school. I'm very pleased that this didn't disappoint.

With the narrative in poems, it really allowed the story to flow quickly and nicely, but also really allow Claire's emotions to shine through. Not just her emotions, but her personality. For such a short story, she really shined through.

If there is one negative about this, it is how short this is. I really fell in love with Claire. Her struggles, her life, her growth. I could have read so much more of her story.

This really is a heartwarming story that left me feel very full and giving me the chance to understand a little more about what those with dyslexia go through.

For young readers, this would be an excellent book to pick up.

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[lapetitepritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book by accident. I was meandering around Netgalley, thinking about the thousands of ARCs I have to read and review, when this cover caught my eye. Artistic gymnastics is my favourite sport ever, and the girl on the cover looked like a gymnast to me. I then proceeded to read the plot (which, as you’ll discover later this week, is something I now do before downloading ARCs, thank you very much) and discovered that not only was this book about an aspiring Olyimpic gymnast, but it also dealt with dyslexia and it was in verse.

Had this book existed — translated in Italian, of course — when I was younger, it would have been my all times favourite book. As it stands, at 23, it still is one of the cutest and most wholesome books I’ve read so far this year, and it’s one I’ll keep recommending.

Anyways, let’s start from the very beginning, which is to say the title. I think it’s such a clever title, because it encapsulates both parts of the story: flipping forward and twisting backward can refer both to gymnastics and what dyslexic people feel like the letters are doing on the page, when they try to read and have yet to find their reading method. I really loved all the comparisons, metaphors and similes that linked the sport and dyslexia in the text as well, I found them to make the reading experience all the more interesting.

I think that, for being a very short novel and also in verse, we got to know Claire, our main character really well. I think she is a fully developed person and not just words on page. I also think the author did a great job with the secondary characters, from Claire’s family, to her classmates and the school staff. I feel like they were all well flashed out, which is a hard thing to accomplish in such few words.

Something that I really liked is how the teachers and the principal behaved, because I know from second-hand experience, how hard it can be to find teachers that care about learning disabilities or even know how to spot them in pupils. At least here in Italy, schools still have a long way to go before they reach the level of Mrs French and her small tricks.

I think the most realistic part of this book, is how Claire’s mom reacts at first when discovering her daughter cannot read and has been faking it the whole time, and how she overcomes her bias and confronts her own ignorance in the end. Granted, it was maybe a bit too rushed, but it’s wholesome and I think this book will be empowering for many kids.

The gymnastics part was also really well done, even if I don’t know if someone who knows nothing about this sport will understand the elements and difficulties the main character is referring to. As a ex amateur gymnast and hardcore fan of the sport, I understood everything, but if I detach myself, I can see how it could be hard for someone.

However, even if you don’t get exactly what she is saying, it’s still an enjoyable read and you can look up videos of actual gymnasts doing their exercises. Also, there are illustrations inside the book, which are extremely beautiful and also helpful in this regard.

I love when novels in verse feature illustrations, pictures and/or peculiar designs, so I was very glad to find out that this was indeed an illustrated one. I believe the author herself did the drawing, if not I am sorry, but I don’t know who did. Whomever made the illustrations did an incredible job, anyways. I loved the gymnastics one the most, of course, but I think it is a lovely art style in general. I would love to read more books with illustrations like these.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially as a gift for kids with learning disabilities: not only will they feel seen while reading this, but I believe they will be really empowered by the end. You can do anything you want, kids of the world.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: In the gym club
there's always someone
who flies higher
and works harder
than everyone else.
In the gym club
there's always someone
who pushes to be
number one.
In the gym club
there's always someone
who can do
anything.
When I am
in the gym club
that someone
is me.
There's
no better feeling
than being number one
when everywhere else
you're last in line.

Premise/plot: Flipping Forward Twisting Backward by Alma Fullerton may just be my new favorite children's book published in 2022. Claire, our protagonist, excels in gymnastics. She absolutely loves it; she loves her teammates. What she is not loving is school. And not for the reason you may be thinking. (Though to be fair, I don't know what you are thinking.) Claire may be in fifth grade, but, Claire has a secret, a big secret, a secret that is getting heavier and heavier by the day. Claire cannot read.

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward captures Claire's struggle as she begins to ask for help--beg and plead--for help.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved this one. I loved the characters. I love Claire. I love that she has a great supporting cast. She has some great friends and teammates. She has a great big sister. There are a few adults that really do want to help. (Including a principal that is actually super-helpful). But not all the characters are supportive and compassionate. Trigger warning, Claire is the victim of bullying at school. And even her teacher's words and actions can be seen in a biased way. (Though I am not saying the teacher is a bully.) I loved the story. I loved seeing ALL of Claire's life--at home, at school, at the gym. I loved that there was a balance of things going wonderfully right and going horribly wrong. This realistic balance carries over in the characterization as well--very human. No one is all good or all bad. Even the most difficult characters have redeeming qualities on display--now and then. For example, her mother, whom I wanted to yell at or "shake" for a good bit of this novel. I thought the subject of learning disabilities is (and was, and probably ever shall be) relevant. In this case, we're talking dyslexia. I also loved the writing.

[Lenoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Claire is the best gymnast in her school's team. She is even on her way to qualifying for the state championships. Claire does her best at the gym but, in school she is known as the troublemaker. At school, she spends more time in the principal's office than in the classroom. Claire doesn't mind being in trouble because it helps hide the fact that she can't read. She has trouble reading because everything looks like a jumble of mess.

Her principal is sympathetic to Claire and wonders if she is acting out because she has dyslexic. Claire's mother is hesitant to get her tested because she doesn't want Claire to be labeled. Claire never realized that she might be able to get help for her reading problems. Will she be able to convince her mother that she needs help?

I was a bit torn on this book. The book has a great message and shows how everyone can have their own private struggles while appearing differently in public. However, I didn't really like Claire and her mother. Claire was very aggressive and took out her anger on others when things got hard. There was even a scene in the book where Claire was aggressive towards an animal because she was frustrated. Claire and her mother seem to have a close bond but, it seems that her mother never really paid any attention to Claire's school work. They would spend time cuddling and watching movies but, I am hesitant to believe that her mother never noticed anything amiss or that her school never contacted her before about Claire's aggressive behavior since, she seems to have a pattern of aggressive behavior. Then when Claire's mother is called in because Claire pushed a child and he lost a tooth, her mother didn't even try to get to the bottom of the fight. Claire wants to get help but, when she notices a teacher paying attention to her and trying to help, Claire still tries to rebel against the teacher. Also, I am not sure about the part where they require the parents permission to put children into "special programs". I remember being in one because they thought I didn't speak English since I was an immigrant (even though English is the only language I spoke) and they didn't seek my parents' approval before placing me in that program.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade novel in verse is a 3.5 for me. Plenty of youngsters will see themselves in Claire, the fifth grade protagonist. While Claire is a perfect 10 in gymnastics, sure to nail everything at the State Qualifiers, she has been hiding a secret from just about everyone around her, even her family and teachers. Claire isn't able to read because she mixes up letters and gets disoriented by all the letters and words on a page. But as often happens in cases like hers, she compensates in various ways, including memorizing stories or passages and getting her friend Emma Lea to help with her homework. She also acts out during class, especially when her teacher, Mrs. Rose calls her out or her classmates tease her. When the principal, Mr. McKay, realizes that she might have a learning disability, he suggests that she receive help from another teacher. But Claire's mother is in denial, and refuses to see the truth and fears having her daughter labeled. As things at school deteriorate and her mother threatens to take away gymnastics, Claire and her sister Bethany take drastic but effective measures to help their mother see the light. The verses that tell Claire's story are short but quite effective, and readers may find it particularly interesting to consider how her mother reacts to her daughter's struggles with literacy. Not only can parents and students who bully youngsters like Claire learn something from this appealing book, but so can teachers, who may be mystified by certain classroom behavior. The full-page black-and-white illustrations are a nice addition to the text, and readers will be able to move through this one quickly.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley for giving me a digital copy of “Flipping Forward Twisting Backwards” to review.

This book follows Claire as she flips her way through fifth grade trying to keep up with her life as a gymnast and her struggles with reading. This book shows how heartbreaking life with undiagnosed learning disabilities can be and how important it is to differentiate learning.

I love the poetic style in which this book was written and that the font for the book was chosen specifically because it creates a well-defined word type. The spaced out words, short sentences, and smaller chapters make this a great book for people struggling to read.

This isn’t a picture book, but there are a few illustrations throughout that are gorgeous and add to the story. I really appreciated their inclusion in the book.

This book made me cry multiple times, but I think that just goes to show how powerful the words were. I got so angry at the characters who wouldn’t listen to Claire and I wished that they would take a moment and think. I couldn’t put this book down and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to add more disability diversity to their shelves. I highly recommend this book.

Overall, if you or your child is disabled, you are looking to diversify your shelves, or you are in need of a quick, but emotional read, I recommend you give this book a chance!

My CAWPILE score for this book was the very rare 10.0 aka 5 stars, because I truly think this book was exceptional.

[Stephanie Tournas]

Claire is a superstar gymnast and hopes to go to the Olympics one day. The gym is her happy place. But her fifth grade classroom is hard – the fact that she can’t read is causing her teacher to get mad. Her classmates tease her and she gets angry and acts out. The adults in her life just don’t believe that she isn’t trying hard. Her mom is the biggest denier of what is clear as the novel progresses – that Claire cannot read. Claire starts to make lots of mistakes in her gymnastic routines as the stress builds for her. Finally, Claire’s principal and her best friend Emma Lea get her help, but they have to hide it from Claire’s mom, who won’t accept that her daughter has a reading disability. Mom does eventually come around, and there are strategies that make all the difference for Claire.

This novel in verse really shows how parents with the best of intentions can be barriers to getting help for their dyslexic kids. It’s not that Claire isn’t smart – her mom thinks that being smart and being able to read go hand in hand – it’s that the letters flip forward and twist backward, like her routines in gymnastics. Not only does this book help typical readers understand what a person with dyslexia goes through. It has a dyslexia-friendly font (Sassoon Book), uncrowded pages of verse and complementary black and white art that should be validating for a kid who has the disability. The book packs a lot of emotion and drama into its slim profile.

I would have appreciated information on dyslexia and where to get help in an afterword.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward by Alma Fullerton follows Claire, a fifth-grader and aspiring gymnast, as she struggles to read like her fellow students. Up until now, Claire has been able to hide that she has trouble reading through careful listening and memorization. But her frustration with the letters twisting and flipping turns into tension with teachers, students, and family. In the principal's office, Claire is well known and takes part in office pizza often. Mr. McKay starts to think that Claire may have a learning disability that makes her see letters differently. But to take the test to see if that's true, Claire must get her mom's permission. And convincing her mother that there's something her daughter needs help with is much harder than getting the letters to sit still or to land a giant pirouette, full twist, fullaway.

In this novel, the print edition is set in an easily decodable typeface, and the free-verse prose is broken into digestible lines. This is perfect for reluctant readers who are intimidated by pages of text as well as those readers with dyslexia. Claire's relationship with her mother surrounding her learning disability is tense and believable. This short read ends happily, but I felt a few more chapters were needed to fully dissolve the tension between Claire and her mother. I would recommend this title to students of elementary age who struggle with reading and those who want to know more about learning disabilities that their peers may be living with.

[Paola Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward was written By Alma Fullerton and illustrated by Sarah Mensinga. This is a novel in verse about a fifth grader named Claire who was an amazing gymnast but struggled reading. Throughout the novel we learn how Claire works very hard to be the best she can as a gymnast but when it comes to school, she is basically pretends to be someones she's not and always gets in trouble to avoid anyone knowing she doesn't know how to read. Something that really caught my attention throughout my reading was that her mother was in denial of Claire having some type of learning disability. Like her, there are many parents who are scared of having their children get the help they need because they are afraid of them being labeled or mistreated. This all leads to the importance of asking for help when needed and accepting everyone as they are. I truly enjoyed learning about how Alma herself suffered from dyslexia and wrote this book to show the world a little more about herself. On the other hand, Sarah’s black and white illustrations help relay the message they were portraying in the verse so I really enjoyed seeing the few illustration throughout the novel. This is a book I would really consider introducing to my students because it grants them the opportunity of learning the importance of asking for help and working through things when life gets hard.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Alma Fullerton struggled to read and even after a teacher helped her become a reader despite her dyslexia, some told her that she would never be a writer. Books like this one will hopefully keep at least a few others from reaching such an absurd conclusion. Fullerton’s main character, Claire, has reached the fifth grade and is a star gymnast with dreams of the Olympics, but her inability to read is becoming more and more apparent and her mother is holding gymnastics practices over her head if her grades and her outbursts in school don’t show improvement. When her frequent visits to the vice principal cause him to suspect dyslexia as the root of Claire’s difficulties, the new goal becomes to convince her mother to allow her to be screened and to receive extra help. Told in fast-paced verse, readers will feel Claire’s intense passion for gymnastics, her feelings of inadequacy, and then the budding realization that she is smart and that there is help for her difficulty reading. Great choice for readers in grades 3-5 who enjoy realistic fiction and NIV.

Thank you for the ARC, Peachtree Publishing Company, Inc.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a novel in verse that seemed partly autobiographical. Claire is a smart fifth grade girl that dreams of attending the state championships in gymnastics and she has never been afraid of working hard to nail a skill. But one obstacle to making state championships is how much trouble she gets in at school. She arrives at the principal's office so often that she knows exactly what food he has there each day for hungry children. It is slowly revealed that one of the reasons she refers herself or gets sent there is that she is unable to read. She is smart enough that she has been able to develop strategies to get by in school without the ability to read.
The book reveals a large network of people that are willing to support her and get her the help that she needs. There is a bully that never helps her (I wish he were dealt with) but the very last person that come on board to support her is a little bit of a twist, and I wonder if this part was autobiographical. A story that seeks to inspire kids to overcome obstacles and use the people around them as support. This book arrives on July 12 and will be great for fans of books like Starfish and BenBee and the Teacher Griefer.

[Michaelina Deneka · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s obvious how much thought went into getting this book into the right readers’ hands; everything from the font choice to the ample use of full page illustration is clearly aimed at making this accessible and enjoyable for kids who might be struggling with the same issues as the protagonist and who need stories like this. The verse is accessible and fast-paced but with plenty of really poignant poetic moments and images. Claire is a witty and likable narrator, and her banter with her principal in particular was a highlight for me.

The ending of this book did feel extremely rushed, though; ableism usually doesn’t just turn off with the flip of a switch like it seemed to here, so it felt a bit of a forced happy ending to a story that deserved more complexity.

And I’m definitely not thrilled that behaviors like locking a dyslexic kid out of a bathroom until they can read a sign were presented in a way that did not make it immediately obvious to young readers that this is an abusive behavior, even if done with the best of intentions by a loved one.

But overall, this is an important book and one sure to be cherished by many readers who see themselves in Claire.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

5th grader Claire is an amazing gymnast with hopes of someday joining the Olympic team. She's a hard worker. She does a pretty good job at hiding the fact that she can't read. Even her mother, who opted her out of standardized testing, doesn't know. Her teacher thinks she's lazy and that she doesn't pay attention. She even told Claire in front of everyone that she probably wouldn't graduate. This year, she is getting in trouble a lot in class, and the principal thinks she might have a learning disability. Convincing mom to get her tested might be the hardest thing Claire's ever done.

Written in verse, this super quick read gets to the point right away. I like how the title reflects how Claire sees her letters (I'll bet she has Dyslexia). I was frustrated with the teacher being so mean (uncalled for) and her mother opting her out of standardized testing. A recommended read as an empathy builder as well as a window for the child who thinks they are the only one struggling with reading The characters default white, some of the illustrations show she has friends of color.

Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this novel in verse. Claire is amazing at gymnastics and may even have the skills to go to state; but reading and writing don't come as easy to her as sports do. When she's reading, the letters flip and twist more than she does on the high beam routine.

I love the symbolic connection between Claire's dyslexia and her gymnastics routines. I also absolutely adore the principal in this story. He's literally the best (he has pizza in his office every day for kids who are hungry - like that's the literal best principal out there). I love the friendships shown in this novel too" Claire's friends, her oldest sister and her team are the best: they see she has a learning disability and they do everything they can think of to help her. This means putting up practice sentences around the house. Practicing vocabulary and spelling while jogging and homework help at practices.

Faking it until 5th grade is impressive, but I am glad Claire finally learns she has dyslexia and she can get some help!

Highly recommend as a book in verse and as a sports read.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

An authentic look at a fifth grader struggling with dyslexia.
🤸‍♀️
Claire loves gymnastics. It’s the place she feels like she doesn’t have to pretend and can be her true self. School, on the other hand, all Claire does is pretend. She’s been faking her ability to read all throughout school. She acts up so she can be sent to the office during reading and writing. When her principal notices this, he tries to get her tested for dyslexia, but Claire’s surgeon mother isn’t having it. Thankfully Claire’s sister and best friend help her study so she can continue doing gymnastics. Claire fears her possible learning disability means she’s stupid, but she’s tired of pretending all the time. Can she get her mother to believe her?
🤸‍♀️
What an eye-opening MG novel in verse. Every educator who works with kids in reading (even older kids!) should read this book. Fans of Fish in a Tree will love this one too. The fact that it’s written in verse and very short will also appeal to dyslexia students as well.

CW: learning disability, bullying, physical assault

[Danielle Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward is a story written in verse that follows Claire, a young gymnast who is struggling to read due to her dyslexia. She at first believes she is dumb because the letters dance around and she's unable to make sense of the sentences in front of her. Throughout the book she learns and accepts that a learning disability is nothing to be ashamed of.

I love that the book teaches younger middle grade readers about learning disabilities, and highlights some famous people who struggled as well. I believe this will help fight the stigma associated with dyslexia and will help to normalize it.

I, however, don't like that the word "dyslexia" was not used in the story. I think the author missed an opportunity to teach exactly what dyslexia is to young readers who may not be aware of the disability.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifth grader Claire is an amazing gymnast. She can memorize all her routines and lead her team in warmups. She even attends extra sessions with a coach to increase her skills.

But where Claire excels in gymnastics, she struggles at school. She can’t read very well and the letters and words flip, turn, and tumble across the page. She’s aware of this and has taught herself strategies to “fake it,” but when her teacher accuses her of being lazy and not trying, Claire has any emotional reaction and gets sent to the principal’s office. For the first time, an adult, (the vice principal) suggests that Claire’s struggles may be related to a learning disability. Claire feels hopeful that working with a special teacher will help her, but she’s got to convince her mom to let her get tested.

A great novel in verse for grades 3+. I’ll be adding it to my classroom library for my 4/5th grade readers.