Welcome Back, Booklovers! I've been meaning to get to Squad Goals for some time now. And since I'm looking for more middle grade for my niece I've been reading different books to find books to suit her taste. Right now she's been leaning more into the horror, paranormal, spooky stuff but she also is a big sports kid. So I got 3 new library cards recently and one of my libraries alerted me that Squad Goals was ready to read so I jumped on it. If you're interested in it keep reading to hear my thoughts.
Magic Olive Pointdexter comes from a long line of cheerleaders and a father who was an NBA legend. So there's a lot of pressure on her to be a star. Cheerleading isn't something she's as passionate about as her sister, mother, and granny before her but she still wants to make the squad to make them proud. But in order to make the squad she has to go through cheer camp where only the best of the best end up making the final cut. Magic doesn't fit the stereotypical look of a cheerleader and there's some friction with one of the head cheerleaders when one of the football boys seems to be interested in her. She's going to have to work hard to get a position on the squad.
Squad Goals is the kind of middle grade I enjoy. It's the kind where they feel like real middle schoolers dealing with relatable middle school problems like mean girls and first crushes. Do most middle school cheerleading squads operate like larger competitive ones? Would Magic stand a chance without a dance or gymnastics background? No, probably not but I'm sure the middle grade readers won't have too much trouble suspending belief here. Author Erika J. Kendrick is a former cheerleader herself and I could tell by how that aspect was written.
I can't think of many middle grade books about girls in sports off the top of my head. And that pool becomes much smaller when I think about books with Black girls as the lead. This was the only one I could think of where I've seen a Black cheerleader portrayed on the cover.
Some of the things dealt with in this book include not having the ideal body type, mean girls, new friends, and first crushes. Readers watch Magic develop and grow more confident in her abilities and start to fall in love with cheer. We also see her make new friends and deal with a fallout with her one long term bestie. The situations Magic and friends go through at cheer camp felt very realistic to middle school and the book was engaging. There's just enough drama and funny moments to keep readers engaged.
Sounds like a cute read
ReplyDelete