Making the Grade

Somersaults and Dreams #1

by Cate Shearwater

Love Cathy Cassidy or Jacqueline Wilson? Don't miss this gorgeous new series set in the heady world of gymnastics.

Ellie has a dream . . . to become a world-class gymnast. When she’s offered a place at the prestigious London Gymnastics Academy, it looks like she has a chance to make that dream come true. But there are many obstacles to overcome, new friends to make, and rivalries to face! Will she make it, against all the odds?

Making the Grade is the first book in the Somersaults and Dreams series, a rollercoaster ride full of friendship, rivalries, setbacks and triumphs, with echoes of classic stories like Ballet Shoes.

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2015

About the author

Cate Shearwater was spectacularly bad at gymnastics when she was a kid but she loved reading classics like 'Ballet Shoes', 'The Sadlers Wells Books', 'Anne of Green Gables' and 'Malory Towers'. So when her gym mad daughter said, 'Mummy, will you write me a book about gymnastics', she drew inspiration from the stories of fun, friendship and following your dream that she had loved when as a child. Check out her video below or you can find out more about how the series came into being on her video blog at www.cateshearwater.com

The 'Somersaults and Dreams' series was inspired by her daughter, Elsie. and all her squad mates and coaches at Baskervilles Gym Club www.baskervillesgym.co.uk, but she also spent time with the GB gymnastics squad who were a huge inspiration for the series.

'Somersaults and Dreams' are perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson or Cathy Cassidy. They are not just about sequins and sparkle, but about friendships and fun, so whether you are gymnastic fantastic, a cartwheeling queen or a bit of a flop when it comes to flipping (like Cate!) you'll love these stories of a girl and her pals following their dreams!

Reviews

[Christina Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
This is a fun middle-grade book following Ellie, a 13 year old from Cornwall who dreams of being a top gymnast. In this book she is given a chance to further her dream when she's given a scholarship to a top gymnastics academy, but attending it means moving away from her home of Cornwall to London, leaving in the middle of the school year and attempting to go for the Olympic gold that her aunt missed out on when she suffered a debilitating injury during a competition.
I liked a lot about this book and would have loved it even more if reading it as a gymnastics-obsessed nine year old. I loved the twins, Nancy and Tam and the descriptions of Head-over-heels house and the eccentric coaches. Ellie's home in Cornwall and her family are described with genuine warmth and I felt sorry for her aunt, once the hope of British Gymnastics, who lost that future in a split-second.
I did find it a bit odd that Ellie doesn't really mention any friends or fellow gymnasts at home, and the backstory of how she got to where she is, is skimmed over slightly. Wouldn't her father have doubts about a career in gymnastics after what happened to his sister? Wouldn't her mother see her off at the station, regardless of how they've scrimped snd saved for their daughters to attend ballet and gymnastics classes?
The characters in this book were the strongest point, but, weirdly for a book about gymnastics, the actual gymnastics sessions and preparation is skimmed over slightly - I wanted to know more about what happened in training, not just read that they trained for several hours. This was an interesting start to the series and I will be reading the rest!

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this 3 stars, but my 8 year old daughter loved it so much I'm giving it 4.

[Tanaya Bhate · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good book but I feel it wanders off from the topic sometimes