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Zip
“Pure whimsical delight. Magic does blow throughout the world, and Zip proves it!" —Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author of ttyl
one girl + one scooter = journey of a lifetime
When Lyssa’s mother died, so did the magic—that special something that always made the sunflowers grow taller and the strawberry jelly taste sweeter. So when Lyssa receives the alarming news that her childhood home in Texas is about to be bulldozed, she sets off on a two-wheeled cross-country journey to save her family home—and with it, the last remaining sparkle of her earlier life. On her odyssey, Lyssa meets some decidedly unusual people—from rowdy cowgirls to a chorus line of singing mermaids—and discovers adventure at every highway turn. But it’s the magic that she uncovers, little by little, along the way that will ultimately put a new zip in her step!
one girl + one scooter = journey of a lifetime
When Lyssa’s mother died, so did the magic—that special something that always made the sunflowers grow taller and the strawberry jelly taste sweeter. So when Lyssa receives the alarming news that her childhood home in Texas is about to be bulldozed, she sets off on a two-wheeled cross-country journey to save her family home—and with it, the last remaining sparkle of her earlier life. On her odyssey, Lyssa meets some decidedly unusual people—from rowdy cowgirls to a chorus line of singing mermaids—and discovers adventure at every highway turn. But it’s the magic that she uncovers, little by little, along the way that will ultimately put a new zip in her step!
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2012
13 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Ellie Rollins
2 books35 followersEllie Rollins spent her childhood zipping across the Midwest. Since then, she's chased many of her own adventures in places like Seattle, Paris, and New York, and has had success in the form of at least one death-defying cab ride across Italy. She got her BA from the University of Washington in 2008 and now works at a major publishing company in New York City. She loves peanut butter and jelly and has always wanted to learn to walk a tightrope. ZIP is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 11, 2018
This book is so entertaining and draws you in and makes you want to always be reading it. I LOVED this book
August 7, 2013
Zip is a scooter the protagonist rides from Seattle to Texas to save her childhood home. The story loosely parallels the Odyssey in the characters and obstacles she encounters along the way. The adventure is a bit too cutesy and the ending is too perfect for my liking, but middle-schoolers will probably love it.
April 7, 2013
This was a great book about a girl who was a daughter of a famous singer. But when her mother died, she had to move in with her stepdad. But when she goes on a ride with her scooter zip and her dad, something magical happens! So that magical event leads her on an adventure that takes her all the way to Texas, just in time for the talent show that will save her old house.
July 23, 2013
FINALLLLLLY got the book! lol nice heart breaking story of little girl missing her mom when she dies. The cover is extra cute. The actual story is fansiciful, idk how I feel about that. Cuz its a real story but suddenly all these "magical" things start happening, so it doesn't seem to quite fit
August 25, 2019
What a cute, fun read!! Incredibly, incredibly imaginative and the characters were all so quirky and unique!! Definitely a book for children I found at times with many clichés but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Lyssa's adventure and the lessons she learnt along the way. I actually got quite teary-eyed towards the end!!
March 31, 2018
My 7th grader’s recommendation. 3.5 Stars. It’s a good adventure story. Good and bad, happy and sad are all in there. It is a bit slow at first even though the story moves along nicely, and it picks up and develops really well towards the end.
July 11, 2017
This book was EXTRAORDINARY! It was so whimsical, and well thought out. I loved every bit of it.
October 17, 2017
i liked my book but it was kinda boring.
April 15, 2018
Fun whimsical and really touched my heart because my daughter and I have always been so close. Loved this story!
August 10, 2018
C-. fiction, teen, fantasy, adventure, girl attempts to find deceased mother, save house.
September 25, 2018
Let me tell you mmm this book is great please read. Somewhat short and sweet and cute.
November 27, 2018
This book was a touching one, one of my favourite types. Ellie Rollins is a great author, and I have enjoyed her books a lot 😄
July 15, 2020
A cute story.
December 17, 2021
Wow.
I normally like fantasy books that stretch my level of disbelief but this went a little too far
I normally like fantasy books that stretch my level of disbelief but this went a little too far
December 11, 2024
Reminded me of Pippi Longstocking.
May 16, 2014
Once upon a time Lyssa's life was near perfect. She didn't have much, but she had a talented mother who loved her more than anything else in the world, even more than singing. She had a place to call home with a garden full of sunflowers and a best friend who lived close by. She had witnessed magic - her mother's magic - with her own eyes.
But that was before. Before her mother got sick. Before her mother and Michael got married. Before her mother died.
Now Lyssa is stuck living in the after. After her mother died, her new stepfather Michaels moves her far from Texas - from her home with the sunflowers, away from Pen her BFF, and away from all those memories her and her mother created together. Now living in rainy Seattle, Lyssa spends her time riding Zip while Michael bikes, and preparing for school.
Before long though Lyssa finds herself plotting her escape. It's not that she wants to leave Michael or even rainy Seattle, she has to in order to save her former home in Texas before it's bull-dozed down to the ground. With a few bucks in her pocket and Zip underfoot Lyssa sets out for the adventure of a lifetime.
But will she make in time? Or will all of Lyssa's dream crumble like the childhood home she shared with her mom.
Zip, written by author Ellie Rollins, is a debut middle grade novel that is based upon Homer's epic classic The Odyssey. And just like the original it chock full of action, adventure, and a touch of magical realism.
Rollins writing is fun, smart, and above all things strong. Her way with words and with description, not just draws the reader into the story, but makes them feel as if they are a part of it. To say her descriptions were vivid would be an understatement. Readers will clearly gain of who Lyssa is as a character from the inside out, why her scooter Zip isn't just a scooter but also a trusted companion, and the importance of a good adventure.
The writing that fills Zip is thoroughly enjoyable. But the only thing that feels off about the book as a whole: the overall pacing. Clocking in at just over three hundred pages, Zip often felt as if it were a six hundred page book. There were moments though that picked up and read like the epic, whirlwind tale of adventure it was supposed to be. But other moments were a bit too sluggish, dragging the whole pacing of the plot downward.
The pacing obviously did not work for me as a reader. To the point where I thought, more than once, I should just put the book down and walk away from it. But something stopped me. And that something was Lyssa. She's a refreshing character that has a whole lot of spunk and even more heart. A true heroine, Lyssa isn't afraid to follow her heart, even if her heart leads her into some troubled waters.
Not only is Lyssa a fantastic character, all of Rollins' characters are. They individually and collectively add an extra layer of depth to this book. And I love how Zip, an inadiment object, felt as if it were a living, breathing character.
Author Rollins has mastered the art of the retelling. She took a classic tale that young readers may have no interest in and made it interesting. Besides making it interesting, she made it her own and told it from a unique perspective.
I did struggle slightly with Zip. But after some thought and reflection I realize now that a big part of the problem for me was the pacing. It felt too slow for such a hearty book. Another part that I struggled with has absolutely nothing to do with the book at all, but rather me as a reader. I have real issues with the whole suspension of belief. Even though the emotions, situations, and problems Lyssa experiences over the course of the book were realistic, I had a hard time believing them because of the magic. Some of it was so over the top, so out of place, it just didn't work for me.
But that was before. Before her mother got sick. Before her mother and Michael got married. Before her mother died.
Now Lyssa is stuck living in the after. After her mother died, her new stepfather Michaels moves her far from Texas - from her home with the sunflowers, away from Pen her BFF, and away from all those memories her and her mother created together. Now living in rainy Seattle, Lyssa spends her time riding Zip while Michael bikes, and preparing for school.
Before long though Lyssa finds herself plotting her escape. It's not that she wants to leave Michael or even rainy Seattle, she has to in order to save her former home in Texas before it's bull-dozed down to the ground. With a few bucks in her pocket and Zip underfoot Lyssa sets out for the adventure of a lifetime.
But will she make in time? Or will all of Lyssa's dream crumble like the childhood home she shared with her mom.
Zip, written by author Ellie Rollins, is a debut middle grade novel that is based upon Homer's epic classic The Odyssey. And just like the original it chock full of action, adventure, and a touch of magical realism.
Rollins writing is fun, smart, and above all things strong. Her way with words and with description, not just draws the reader into the story, but makes them feel as if they are a part of it. To say her descriptions were vivid would be an understatement. Readers will clearly gain of who Lyssa is as a character from the inside out, why her scooter Zip isn't just a scooter but also a trusted companion, and the importance of a good adventure.
The writing that fills Zip is thoroughly enjoyable. But the only thing that feels off about the book as a whole: the overall pacing. Clocking in at just over three hundred pages, Zip often felt as if it were a six hundred page book. There were moments though that picked up and read like the epic, whirlwind tale of adventure it was supposed to be. But other moments were a bit too sluggish, dragging the whole pacing of the plot downward.
The pacing obviously did not work for me as a reader. To the point where I thought, more than once, I should just put the book down and walk away from it. But something stopped me. And that something was Lyssa. She's a refreshing character that has a whole lot of spunk and even more heart. A true heroine, Lyssa isn't afraid to follow her heart, even if her heart leads her into some troubled waters.
Not only is Lyssa a fantastic character, all of Rollins' characters are. They individually and collectively add an extra layer of depth to this book. And I love how Zip, an inadiment object, felt as if it were a living, breathing character.
Author Rollins has mastered the art of the retelling. She took a classic tale that young readers may have no interest in and made it interesting. Besides making it interesting, she made it her own and told it from a unique perspective.
I did struggle slightly with Zip. But after some thought and reflection I realize now that a big part of the problem for me was the pacing. It felt too slow for such a hearty book. Another part that I struggled with has absolutely nothing to do with the book at all, but rather me as a reader. I have real issues with the whole suspension of belief. Even though the emotions, situations, and problems Lyssa experiences over the course of the book were realistic, I had a hard time believing them because of the magic. Some of it was so over the top, so out of place, it just didn't work for me.
September 6, 2021
cute story. wish i read the book when i was younger. i was too old for it that's all. a lot of plot holes and some unrealistic things that happen made me dislike the book. amazing vibes though
July 5, 2017
"The flowers we cut are fleeting, but the roots we plant are for life."
Everything about Lyssa's mom seemed magical. She could take an ordinary life event and turn it into something extraordinary. That is why Lyssa feels so alone now. Though her stepfather, Michael, tries his best, he's ordinary and he just doesn't seem to understand Lyssa. If he did, why would he move her to Washington, so far away from where she and her mother lived. Lyssa misses her mother. So much so that she won't admit that her mother is gone.
Then, one day, when she is riding Zip, her scooter, she has a near fatal encounter with a cliff. As she glides over the edge, she sees a blue, paper airplane in front of her. On the wing it says "There's no place like home." Is this a sign from her mom? Hadn't they once made paper airplanes out of this paper? And when Lyssa finds out they are about to tear down her mother's house in Texas, she decides she must get back there and do something to stop the demolition.
Leaving a note for Michael and taking along Zip, she takes off on a quest to find home again. Along the way, she encounters a cast of characters straight out of Homer's Odyssey. And some of the extraordinary occurrences along the way only strengthen her resolve that she is doing the right thing. "The closer she got to Texas, the more the impossible began to occur. It was like her mom was watching her, sharing just enough magic to let Lyssa know she was headed the right way."
"Do you believe in magic? Like, real magic, that can change the world?" The power of people can make a difference, just like magic. Lyssa's journey is one of self discovery. She sees that the ones we love are never truly gone from our lives. She begins to understand that love isn't always extraordinary, but it's also the comfortable and familiar. As she struggles to find her voice in a bigger world, she discovers that "Being with you feels like home".
It might be fun for my students to read Zip and then start to explore the characters that are based on the Odyssey - what are the similarities and differences between this book and the original?
Everything about Lyssa's mom seemed magical. She could take an ordinary life event and turn it into something extraordinary. That is why Lyssa feels so alone now. Though her stepfather, Michael, tries his best, he's ordinary and he just doesn't seem to understand Lyssa. If he did, why would he move her to Washington, so far away from where she and her mother lived. Lyssa misses her mother. So much so that she won't admit that her mother is gone.
Then, one day, when she is riding Zip, her scooter, she has a near fatal encounter with a cliff. As she glides over the edge, she sees a blue, paper airplane in front of her. On the wing it says "There's no place like home." Is this a sign from her mom? Hadn't they once made paper airplanes out of this paper? And when Lyssa finds out they are about to tear down her mother's house in Texas, she decides she must get back there and do something to stop the demolition.
Leaving a note for Michael and taking along Zip, she takes off on a quest to find home again. Along the way, she encounters a cast of characters straight out of Homer's Odyssey. And some of the extraordinary occurrences along the way only strengthen her resolve that she is doing the right thing. "The closer she got to Texas, the more the impossible began to occur. It was like her mom was watching her, sharing just enough magic to let Lyssa know she was headed the right way."
"Do you believe in magic? Like, real magic, that can change the world?" The power of people can make a difference, just like magic. Lyssa's journey is one of self discovery. She sees that the ones we love are never truly gone from our lives. She begins to understand that love isn't always extraordinary, but it's also the comfortable and familiar. As she struggles to find her voice in a bigger world, she discovers that "Being with you feels like home".
It might be fun for my students to read Zip and then start to explore the characters that are based on the Odyssey - what are the similarities and differences between this book and the original?
May 15, 2013
For Lyssa, life with her mother was always full of magic, but her mother was gone and so was her magic. Now, the winds of change were shaking up Lyssa’s life again, she moved to Washington state with her stepdad Michael and was about to start a new school, Kirkland School of Arts. Her scooter Zip was the one thing she could always rely on. When riding around on Zip, Lyssa felt graceful, safe, and like she could do anything. The winds of change were about to blow through once more, when Lyssa finds a flyer announcing the reunion of the Austin’s Own Texas Talent Show to protest the knocking down of her mother’s house. Lyssa was going to need some of her mother’s special magic in order to save their home. She saw signs everywhere leading her back to Austin--the color yellow, shooting stars, the wind, and most especially she felt her mom was guiding her. Lyssa and Zip were about to embark on an exciting adventure that will take them half way across the country, but will they make it in time?
Ellie Rollins’s Zip was an enchanting and poignant odyssey that will ensnare the hearts and attention of tween girls and boys. Rollins created a cast of characters full of whimsy and spunk that younger readers will find delightful. Juveniles will recognize similarities to themselves as they follow the main protagonist Lyssa’s struggles to deal with change, loss, and growing up. Lyssa learned through her journey that life is full of magic, but you just have to know where to look. Lyssa will inspire tweens to examine their own lives to find the wonder and adventure in it. Lyssa lost her mom and eventually realized that a loved one’s never truly leave you and young teens that may have experienced a loss can come to understand that too. Librarians, parents, and teacher can recommend Zip knowing that tween readers will find it a heartwarming and fun read.
Ellie Rollins’s Zip was an enchanting and poignant odyssey that will ensnare the hearts and attention of tween girls and boys. Rollins created a cast of characters full of whimsy and spunk that younger readers will find delightful. Juveniles will recognize similarities to themselves as they follow the main protagonist Lyssa’s struggles to deal with change, loss, and growing up. Lyssa learned through her journey that life is full of magic, but you just have to know where to look. Lyssa will inspire tweens to examine their own lives to find the wonder and adventure in it. Lyssa lost her mom and eventually realized that a loved one’s never truly leave you and young teens that may have experienced a loss can come to understand that too. Librarians, parents, and teacher can recommend Zip knowing that tween readers will find it a heartwarming and fun read.
September 28, 2012
Ellie Rollins had an absolutely brilliant idea for her first novel. ZIP is a retelling of THE ODYSSEY with a young girl as the heroine, struggling to get from Kirkland, Washington to Austin, Texas on a scooter in order to save her childhood home.
Lyssa grew up in the Texas Talent Show, where her mother was a star. Ana brought magic into Lyssa's life - into the lives of everyone she met - onstage and off. But now she's dead, and Lyssa can't find her mother's magic. She likes her stepfather Michael, but doesn't like all the changes in her life. She's also in denial about her mother's death. Then she finds out that her home, which had been donated to the community, is going to be torn down but the Texas Talent Show is reuniting to protest. She decides she's going to travel and perform with her made family.
ZIP is a magical journey that will appeal to children with big imaginations. (And it will definitely help out when they're expected to read Homer during high school and college!) I loved how Lyssa gets to know a variety of people throughout America, some who are helpful and some who aren't. There's a strong thread of optimism in ZIP, but it never quite ignores that what Lyssa is doing is dangerous.
As a former resident of Austin, I absolutely loved the ending. Lyssa lives in an exaggerated version of the real world, but her Austin sure seemed like my Austin. ZIP isn't the kind of book where you demand things be plausible, but I think the climax was both plausible and a fitting fairytale-perfect resolution.
If you're looking for a good book for an elementary school student, I direct you to ZIP. Rollins debut will appeal to fans of Roald Dahl and other writers of fantastical adventures.
Lyssa grew up in the Texas Talent Show, where her mother was a star. Ana brought magic into Lyssa's life - into the lives of everyone she met - onstage and off. But now she's dead, and Lyssa can't find her mother's magic. She likes her stepfather Michael, but doesn't like all the changes in her life. She's also in denial about her mother's death. Then she finds out that her home, which had been donated to the community, is going to be torn down but the Texas Talent Show is reuniting to protest. She decides she's going to travel and perform with her made family.
ZIP is a magical journey that will appeal to children with big imaginations. (And it will definitely help out when they're expected to read Homer during high school and college!) I loved how Lyssa gets to know a variety of people throughout America, some who are helpful and some who aren't. There's a strong thread of optimism in ZIP, but it never quite ignores that what Lyssa is doing is dangerous.
As a former resident of Austin, I absolutely loved the ending. Lyssa lives in an exaggerated version of the real world, but her Austin sure seemed like my Austin. ZIP isn't the kind of book where you demand things be plausible, but I think the climax was both plausible and a fitting fairytale-perfect resolution.
If you're looking for a good book for an elementary school student, I direct you to ZIP. Rollins debut will appeal to fans of Roald Dahl and other writers of fantastical adventures.
November 7, 2012
This modern-day Odyssey features Lyssa (the first obvious parallel) on a quest to save her Austin home from demolition. The task ahead of her seems frightening, since she is just a kid, her stepfather has moved them up to Washington, and she is desolate with grief at the recent death of her beloved, one-of-a-kind mother. Where most kids might bow to circumstance, Lyssa decides in her typically thoughtless, rather fluffy-headed way, to strike out alone and get herself down to Austin with only a backpack and her special scooter, Zip. Home for Lyssa is her mother, and the special house and garden they shared, but by the end of her quest she realizes that home can have different definitions. Lyssa is irritating and much more simplistic than most modern-day pre-teens; the book kind of loses credibility because of this. And once again the children's book world is presented with a quirky chapter book that says Newbery hopeful all over it. "Originality" is becoming anything but. 4th grade and up.
December 3, 2012
Can grief make you believe in a little magic. Zip is a clever adventure with a happy message tucked inside. Lyssa and her singing star mom have a great life in Austin with Lyssa's best friend who is on the trapeze the majority of the time
and her new step dad Michael. But Lyssa's world caves in when her mom gets sick and after her death, step dad Michael moves Lyssa to his hometown in Washington state. Nothing is the same for Lyssa and she feels like all she has left of her old life is her scooter Zip. When she hears that her old home, which was supposed to be given to a charity, is being torn down Lyssa jumps on her scooter and heads out on a cross country trip to stop the destruction of her mom's legacy. As you can imagine, things don't go quite the way she planned them and as she makes her way south with her mother's voice guiding her, she begins to learn a bit about friendship, trust, finding your own voice and love. Zip is a heartwarming story with just enough quirky characters to make this one of this year's best. Great for kids 8 and up.
and her new step dad Michael. But Lyssa's world caves in when her mom gets sick and after her death, step dad Michael moves Lyssa to his hometown in Washington state. Nothing is the same for Lyssa and she feels like all she has left of her old life is her scooter Zip. When she hears that her old home, which was supposed to be given to a charity, is being torn down Lyssa jumps on her scooter and heads out on a cross country trip to stop the destruction of her mom's legacy. As you can imagine, things don't go quite the way she planned them and as she makes her way south with her mother's voice guiding her, she begins to learn a bit about friendship, trust, finding your own voice and love. Zip is a heartwarming story with just enough quirky characters to make this one of this year's best. Great for kids 8 and up.
October 31, 2013
This is the latest book that my 9 year old daughter and I read together, and we enjoyed it thoroughly! The book follows young Lyssa, whose (single) mother is a singer for "The Texas Talent Show" (kind of a circus, we guessed, because they have acrobats and a man whose dogs jump through flaming hoops). Clearly, Lyssa's life is very different from what might pass as typical, but then her mother dies, and everything Lyssa knows gets turned upside down.
As we were reading, there were a few (slightly) far-fetched events in the beginning -- but it wasn't until the middle of the book that we realized "Zip" is really more of a realistic fantasy. Some of the plot was a little hard to follow, and it felt like there were a lot of characters that just didn't come together very well. Still, was it fun? Yes. Did it hold our interest? Did we look forward to reading together each night? Yes, and yes. My daughter could totally have read this on her own, but I wonder if she would have given up on it without someone to "recap" with.
As we were reading, there were a few (slightly) far-fetched events in the beginning -- but it wasn't until the middle of the book that we realized "Zip" is really more of a realistic fantasy. Some of the plot was a little hard to follow, and it felt like there were a lot of characters that just didn't come together very well. Still, was it fun? Yes. Did it hold our interest? Did we look forward to reading together each night? Yes, and yes. My daughter could totally have read this on her own, but I wonder if she would have given up on it without someone to "recap" with.
March 2, 2016
Name: Sami B.
Class: 7 Red
Review: 7
Pages: 272
Zip by Ellie Rollins is a wonderful story about the true meaning of family. It appeals to readers through emotion and feeling. It is also a very adventurous, exciting tale.
When Lyssa Lee's magical mother dies, her step-father decides to move from Texas to Seattle. When they do, Lyssa simply doesn't feel like it's home there. When she finds out that her old home is being demolished, that's the last straw. She decides to run away. On her journey back to Texas, her life takes a turn for the worst. Betrayal from a dear friend is only one of the things she will face....
Zip is one of the best books you will ever read, and it will help you appreciate your family even more than you do now. It is a perfect book for everyone, especially adventure lovers and avid readers. I hope that you will get a chance to read this story or another soon, so that you can enjoy the wonders of the written word.
Class: 7 Red
Review: 7
Pages: 272
Zip by Ellie Rollins is a wonderful story about the true meaning of family. It appeals to readers through emotion and feeling. It is also a very adventurous, exciting tale.
When Lyssa Lee's magical mother dies, her step-father decides to move from Texas to Seattle. When they do, Lyssa simply doesn't feel like it's home there. When she finds out that her old home is being demolished, that's the last straw. She decides to run away. On her journey back to Texas, her life takes a turn for the worst. Betrayal from a dear friend is only one of the things she will face....
Zip is one of the best books you will ever read, and it will help you appreciate your family even more than you do now. It is a perfect book for everyone, especially adventure lovers and avid readers. I hope that you will get a chance to read this story or another soon, so that you can enjoy the wonders of the written word.
July 20, 2012
This is a great book about that most difficult time in life as you leave your childhood behind, often before you’re ready to, and take that journey to find out who you really are. In Lyssa’s case, that change is accelerated and amplified by the death of her mother and all that was magical and perfect in her life.
The characters she meets as she races back to save her childhood home are fantastic and so entertaining - whimsical, yet add so much to the story.
Having spent my preteen years in Texas and now living in thePacific Northwest I can greatly appreciate the culture shock that comes with that kind of move, and the author does a great job of portraying both places, and everywhere in between!
I would highly highly recommend this book to preteens, and even to those of us, like myself, who just like to reminisce about that time in our lives.
The characters she meets as she races back to save her childhood home are fantastic and so entertaining - whimsical, yet add so much to the story.
Having spent my preteen years in Texas and now living in thePacific Northwest I can greatly appreciate the culture shock that comes with that kind of move, and the author does a great job of portraying both places, and everywhere in between!
I would highly highly recommend this book to preteens, and even to those of us, like myself, who just like to reminisce about that time in our lives.
March 6, 2013
I thought this was such a cute YA novel. Great story of a girl trying to find herself and where she belongs after her mother dies (this happens early on, wouldn't call it a spoiler). My only complaint was her journey was really dangerous, just taking off across the country like that...
I also wished the author didn't paint the police officers in such a negative light. I think children/teens need to know police officers are there to HELP and not to be AFRAID of them. They were trying to return her to her father because she ran away from home!! I wished they had been protrayed in a better light than "let's run away from the "bad guys"...
Other than that, great read for our middle schoolers!
I also wished the author didn't paint the police officers in such a negative light. I think children/teens need to know police officers are there to HELP and not to be AFRAID of them. They were trying to return her to her father because she ran away from home!! I wished they had been protrayed in a better light than "let's run away from the "bad guys"...
Other than that, great read for our middle schoolers!
February 17, 2023
To be completely honest, I expected to quickly read this and donate it just to get it off my shelf but I truly loved every second of it and will be keeping it! It was such a lovely story that had me intrigued from the very beginning and crying at the end. It is just a quick, simple read that brought so much to my life. It's magical and sweet and emotional and just overall a great read. I recommend this to anyone who wants a quick but meaningful read or for anyone needing help coping with the loss of a loved one, especially kids. I can see this book helping many come to terms with a loss. I loved every second of it and couldn't put it down. I think this was the fastest I've ever read it book!
November 16, 2012
It took me an embarassingly long time to remember that this was a re-telling of "The Odyssey" because I was thinking "hmm Circe is an interesting name" but then it took me a little longer to remember. Overall this was a sold middle grade book with elements of fantasy. Lyssa learns to believe in herself and that home is where the heart is. Which is not exactly the message of "The Odyssey" but there are large parts of that book which are entirely unsuitable for adaptation into a middle grade book. This was very solid though.
January 13, 2013
Zip is a rather pecular fantasy, adventure, coming of age story of young Lyssa's struggle to reconnect with her dead mother. Magic things seem normal as Lyssa and her scooter, Zip, travel across the country to save the family home. Lyssa knows she's inherited her mother's singing talent but stage fright has to be overcome in order to stop the wrecking ball. The characters Lyssa meets along the way are laugh out loud funny and sometimes a little scary. In the end Lyssa learns the true meaning of home.
November 24, 2012
3 1/2 stars. First of all, Zip is a scooter. A scooter that may just have a bit of magic. A little bit of magic that may just get Lyssa back to Texas to save her mother's home. She always had that little bit of magic, too. Lyssa's journey from her life in Washington with her new stepfather to the home of her heart is filled with some most unusual characters. Cute, maybe a bit long for the story that's there and the audience.
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