Kyle Finds Her Way

by Susie Salom

In this delightful debut, Kyle Constantini discovers what it takes to navigate middle school: good friends, a crusading spirit, and her lucky blue fedora.

On the first day of sixth grade, Kyle Constantini lands in the principal's office after standing up against (that is, punching) Ino Nevarez, who was teasing a deaf girl at school. Her punishment? Join the NAVS program, which teaches constructive problem-solving (that is, not punching).

Kyle loves NAVS, where her team competes in a challenge to navigate a maze. But her parents refuse to let her participate . . . so Kyle may just have to fudge the truth a bit to get around them. Then her best friend starts to crush on a cute new English boy, who seems to be interested in -- Kyle? As the NAVS competition approaches, she has to trust her instincts, take some good advice, and figure out her way through the amazing maze of middle school.

Rich characters, a big heart, and a witty, warm voice make Kyle Finds Her Way a debut worth discovering.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Friendship, Family, School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle had no doubt that her first day of middle school would be somewhat daunting, especially without her twin brother by her side. Principal-issued-discipline or deliberately boarding the wrong bus at the end of the day had not made her worse-case-scenario list though, so there were some surprises. Initially charming, Kyle’s child-like creative imagination becomes just short of concerning quickly. For her sake, I want to watch her grow and mature; but for the good vibes, I hoped she wouldn’t change at all. Ms. Salom deftly dealt with my dilemma.

Georgia O’Keefe Middle is a bit more progressive than my middle school was. Instead of dodge-ball in a stinky gym, these students study t’ai chi. When Kyle’s punishment is issued, it isn’t so surprising to hear the head of the school tell her that he hopes it “…sparks your imagination…actually I hope it engages your crusading spirit.”

Obligatory grumbling about the forced placement on the school’s NAVS team is slowly replaced by a growing fascination with the competition’s challenge. Kyle finds herself fitting in with the team and feeling a desire to contribute. Of course, maturity isn’t an overnight accomplishment. Kyle allows herself accolades for making strides in one area as she attempts to convince herself that she isn’t actually lying to her parents or being dishonest with her best friend in other ‘opportunities for improvement’ parts of her life.

It seems to me that today, students are bombarded with ‘right or wrong’, ‘black or white’ when real life is generally just groovy shades of grey. Peppering “typical” teen dialect with profound statements such as “…some people bring out different sides of you that don’t exist when they’re not around,” Kyle Finds Her Way proves that all things are not crystal clear. This is an honest and hopeful story that I’m so excited to be sharing my favorite middle-grade readers.

This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore

[Mado89 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heroine to fall in love with! She's a funny crusader and her optimism is contagious. Loved her inner thoughts, her cast of friends and all the trouble she gets into. My daughter, who hates to read, loved this book so much she read it more than once. She had no problem understanding the language. (Personally, I'd rather have my kid learn new vocabulary with a fun read such as this one, that have her read a novel that 'dumbs down' everything for her. After all, the point of reading/literature is to learn while being entertained). I highly recommend it!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish there was another book after this. I also like Kyle's last name, Constantini. Kyle Constantini, it has a nice ring. :)

[Ca1t!Y# · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. It took a little while to get into but it was good.

[jiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is great and now one of my favorites. I recommend this book for everyone.😎

[Nicki Elson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to live in this world! The thing is, it's a totally realistic world - but seen through the imaginative & effervescent eyes of 6th grader, Kyle Constantini. She's a high-energy free-thinker, and spending time with her is a delight.

Her story of adjusting to middle school is told at a steady clip with tons of Kyle's offbeat, vibrant humor. She made me bust out laughing many times while reading. The side characters are a great collection of unique individuals. Even the adults - especially the Mom - reveal interesting hints of unexpected layers.

Although this story is light, deeper themes about relationships and their ever-changing dynamics are presented, which makes this story a great read for middle-schoolers as well as adults. Definitely looking forward to what's next from this author.

[Spm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle Finds Her Way is one of the most charming and charismatic books of its kind. First time author Susie Salom narrates the mind of a 12 year old girl with spunk, laugh out loud moments and incredible wit. It is an easy read loaded with heart and imagination that is a must own for every middle school girl's personal library. This cotton candy novels title does it justice as Kyle definitely finds her way into the reader's heart.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book because it shows that everyone has flaws and that kids do lots of silly things. Kyle is a very smart girl and I like the way her character shows to be true to herself. I am not really a big fan of reading, but I was hooked on it from the second I started reading it.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{My thoughts} – Kyle is not your ordinary sixth grader. For starters she has a twin brother that is a year beneath her in school. How many twins do you know of that are in that type of situation? She is also one for the youngest sixth graders in her class. On her first day of school she finds herself in enough trouble that her parents end up grounding her, but not before her principal has her join the schools NAVS team. This team at first doesn’t interest her, but eventually she begins to see that it is fun and engaging and it becomes what she thinks most about over the course of the book.

Kyle is not what I’d particularly call smart. She doesn’t seem to learn from her mistakes right away, but once she does the issues and circumstances that had caused her to get grounded end up being resolved. She makes some new friends and almost loses some old friends. It takes sometime before Kyle starts to realize that she needs to think things through more carefully before making her mind up on some of the things that she wanted to do. Once she started to take time to think things out things started to get better for her.

I recommend this book for any middle grade child. Middle school is hard, it’s confusing and it can be difficult to stay on point. This book helps to show children that it’s okay to make mistakes, to take time to find your way, because even though you may get into some trouble, that in the end your parents will still love you and your school will still appreciate you. Some children don’t know that it’s okay to make mistakes, that it’s okay to not be perfect, that it’s okay for things to take some time to better understand. This book helps to show them that and I think that many middle school children can benefit from reading it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sixth grade is not easy to navigate as each student tries to figure out where he/she fits in and claim their own niche. For Kyle Constantini, the year gets off to a unpromising start after she punches a bully who is picking on a deaf classmate. Kyle doesn't even know Marcy Diamond, but she doesn't like seeing Inocente pick on someone else. Middle grade readers will enjoy watching Kyle figure out what works for her and what doesn't as she tries to find her way. Many of the situations she faces will be familiar to readers, who may find comfort from Kyle's good intentions that often go wrong or are misinterpreted. Not only is Kyle herself appealing in her earnestness, but I liked her well-intended parents as well. All the to-do about that blue fedora strikes just the right note for a book pitched to this particular audience. At its heart, though, the book carefully explores how to find oneself and chart one's own course while trying to fit in. Sometimes the changes we make in ourselves affect others in most unexpected ways.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language – PG (10 swears, 0 “f”), Mature Content – G; Violence – G; Middle school is full of new experiences for Kyle. On just her first day, Kyle discovers her inner house of power, punches a bully, is compelled to join the NAVS team, and purposefully gets on the wrong bus home. She’s just trying to do her best, but Kyle doesn’t know how to stop the problems that can all be traced back to her craptastic first day. Middle school is difficult for everyone as we try to really figure out who we are and who our friends are. Salom does a great job of illustrating the inner conflict and the drama that results from that struggle, and I enjoyed being a part of Kyle’s growth. The only drawback, for me, was the confusing slang that Kyle would use on every page.
Reviewed for http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It was a good light hearted read about the first year of middle school and finding yourself. I was drawn out a bit by the fact that the story is told in present tense, and the fact that the main character says things I didn't quite understand all the time (maybe it was a generational thing? Or maybe just a regional thing?) But I loved Kyle and her spunky since of courage and adventure. I also loved how she used so much pop-culture to build her own creative curses (ex. Craptain America, Snap Crapple and Pop)-- I just don't know if I can book talk it, which really makes me sad. The whole book is really well paced and keeps you reading right up until the end.

[Asiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because of how in the book, she's going into a new environment just like me. Kyle took middle school head on. She didn't hesitate to tell her friends what she thought, she wasn't really afraid to talk to the English boy and she definitely wasn't afraid to wear that fedora. I also liked how Kyle joined the NAVS team without knowing without it is. Kyle inspires me because her situation is similar to mine. After reading this book, I am a little less scared of going to high school.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second YA book I’ve read this summer to prep for sixth grade book clubs next year. The first chapter almost made me abandon ship with all of its cutesy tween speak, but I’m glad I didn’t. The protagonist is the opposite of Judy Blume era girls pining constantly for boys and hating themselves, and while I love Judy Blume, this kid was so refreshing. She exhibited equal parts impulsivity, strength, and curiosity, and I want to see that more in YA females.

[Owais · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because of how in the book, she's going into a new environment just like me. Kyle took middle school head on. She didn't hesitate to tell her friends what she thought, she wasn't really afraid to talk to Reed and she definitely wasn't afraid to wear that fedora. I also like Kyle joins the NAVS team, without knowing what it is. Kyle inspires me because her situation is similar to mine. After reading this book, I am no longer that afraid of high school.

[Jayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the story that goes through this book. I love how Kyle sometimes does what is not necessarily considered right, she does somethings because that is what she feels is right.

[Anna Sanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very exciting and recommend middle schoolers read it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty typical middle-grade/coming-of-age story. I didn't like that Kyle never really had any consequences for her actions. All of the characters were a little bland.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle Constantini is understandably anxious about starting middle school. And trouble starts on the first day when she is sent to the principal’s office for hitting a bully who was harassing a hard-of-hearing student. Kyle is given an unorthodox punishment: membership in a competitive school-wide problem-solving club (NAVS). On the bright side, she is taken with a new boy and the club values her input and spirit. But things begin to unravel for Kyle when her BFF Sheroo fancies the same boy. Kyle also has trouble with the truth which puts her at odds with her mother and gets her grounded. Ultimately, Kyle’s self-awareness and new friendships help her make wise choices and restore her relationships with Sheroo and her mother. Kyle is a spunky, well-meaning character. Her feelings, dilemmas and drama will be familiar to the middle school girls who will enjoy this story. Numerous themes abound: friendship, loyalty, honesty, rapport, cooperation, and accomplishment. It is an easy and recommended read.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book a while back but I enjoyed it because it was kind of filled with drama and I like drama.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book as it seemed to contain some quirky middle schoolers that are willing to stand for others. It also has a student with a hearing impairment. A win for diversity, right? Not so much. To be clear, my problems with this book all center around the character with a hearing impairment. Every single one.

I have a moderate hearing loss. It was discovered when I was in Kindergarten by my teacher. I was taught in a regular public school with only moderate accommodations for my disability.

That being said I can tell you with the expertise of personal experience that the character of Marcy is depicted unrealistically considering her level of disability. Here is a girl that has attended a school for the deaf up until sixth grade. To be clear, students at a school for the deaf communicate primarily through sign language and lip reading. However, this girl doesn't even have a sign language interpreter for her in the classroom.

Also, since she her hearing aids haven't worked well for her until now, Marcy would most likely have speech difficulties- very noticeable ones. I would think that she would picked on for that before a bully would pull the hearing aid of her ear?? What??! Hearing aids don't just fall out and yanking one out of her ear would be painful. That would certainly get the teacher involved a lot faster.

Fast forward- Kyle, our main character, is now friends with Marcy and invites her to sleep over. No big deal. Marcy gets ready for bed, brushes her teeth and cleans her hearing aids. Then they go to bed. Now Marcy has no hearing aids in and yet she can somehow miraculously still participate in a conversation with Kyle and her other friend??! I don't have near the level of hearing loss as Marcy and I am close to useless with my hearing aids off. Then once the lights get turned off, as one would presume would happen when going to bed, I am totally unable to understand anything because I can't lip read anymore.

I could go on and on but frankly, I think you get the picture. This hearing impaired or "hard of hearing" (which is the correct term BTW) character is totally unrealistic and ruined what I thought would be a great book with diversity. Marcy seemed to exist just so Kyle would have an inferior being to stick up for.

Shame.....

[Steve MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend said the voice of this MG has lots of zing, and that’s a great way to put it. Kyle has a wonderful amount of personality and spunk, and the writing is lively, as when a friend “turns to point at me all suspish.”

The story centers on Kyle entering sixth grade, and how she has to navigate through a bully in gym class, her friends changing, being honest with her parents, a competition in creative problem solving, and maybe even liking a guy. It moves right along, and through it all Kyle’s enthusiasm and bravado, balanced by her worries, makes her a great character to follow.

The writing itself is well done, melding with insight and grace the themes of trust and exploration, as well as finding your own particular style and seeing what you have to offer.

All of that is supported by authentic details, like pencil dust by the sharpener and the smells and sounds of school. Salom’s bio says she’s been a teacher, and it shows.

My only reservation is how the story leads up to the competition in problem solving, and all along you’ve been trying to figure out how you’d solve the challenge of guiding a fellow student through a maze. And yet we’re told only how one other team went about it. Would’ve liked to have seen more there, if just 'cause I wanted to test my Godzilla and super ball slingshot solution against the rest.

In the end, it’s an uplifting, funny, sincere story with all the quirky warmth of the Ramona books, and highly recommended.

[Lynda Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about eleven-year-old Kyle navigating the tricky paths of starting middle school. She struggles to balance new and old friendships, parents, and life in general, all while trying to understand the often confusing concept of what is right. She is a feisty girl whose curiosity and sense of justice gets her into all sorts of pickles.

From the first page the imagery captured me and brought the story to vivid life. What’s not to love about the entrance to a middle grade school being compared to the beak of a giant octopus? I knew immediately I was in for a treat, and I wasn’t wrong. Kyle is so lovable with a beautiful way of looking at the world. She is irrepressible and innocent, yet has the capacity to have remarkably deep thoughts. On numerous occasions I laughed out loud in delight.

The story is a dance between real concerns and issues faced in life, and the light acceptance of a quizzical young mind. My only comment would be that some conversations felt a little too quick, but that might be because I was so engaged in the interactions that I wanted them to continue.

Kyle, the host of engaging characters, and the sprinkling of little gems of truth throughout the book were my favourite parts. It’s a fun read with depth, sensitivity, and a whole bucket-full of heart.

I highly recommend this book.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars.

This is a short, simple, and cute book about a sixth grader named Kyle with a penchant for justice as she learns to be honest with herself and others. It was a quick read (always such a nice change of pace when I go from reading gigantic YA fantasy or classics to much shorter MG novels), and I liked it, but I admit that I felt a little distracted and overwhelmed by the excessive slang, abbreviations, and italics. Kyle is highly excitable. So am I, but I found Kyle's voice a bit exhausting. (Her language is not necessarily true to other sixth graders I know, either, although I could certainly see a quirky sixth grader talking like her.)

There were several different threads to the story--Marcy, who used to be deaf but now has a hearing aid that works well; Meowsie, who is wise beyond his years but a year behind Kyle in school, despite being her twin; Reed, whom Kyle likes and is presumably liked by; Sheroo, who is boy-crazy and ditches Kyle but later comes back--just to name a few. It just felt to me that none of these were delved into too deeply and I didn't feel hugely satisfied about anything. It was cute and easy to read, but not a new favorite.

[Kim Karras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salom provides her readers with so much to love in this novel: a fully-realized, quirky, loveable heroine; a portrait of a supportive - but realistic - family; an adorable love interest (English Boy!); and lots and lots of dynamic, surprising, and engaging dialogue. Kyle, under the shield of her blue fedora, enters middle school; and with it the waiting room that is adolescence, facing the challenges inherit with leaving childhood and becoming an adult. And while the novel is fun and fast-paced, it allows for a brave exploration of the ways we as humans have for navigating the world around us. Using twin ESP, dolphin echolocation, and the star-gazing Polynesian wayfinders, Salom weaves truths about self-discovery into the narrative without coming off as pedantic or overbearing. Readers will cheer for Kyle as she makes her way through her first year of middle school, and no doubt come away with a greater sense of how to find their own house of power.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the protagonist in this story! Her voice and personality shine through from the first page, and you really feel for her as she tries to navigate choices between what her heart tells her is right and what the rules say she should do. And her journey makes for a delightful story that portrays the preoccupations and discoveries of middle school against the looming backdrop of the adult world with accuracy and yet also with compassion.

[Bebe Lorelai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle Finds Her Way is a super fun story. I am a middle schooler and I could relate to many of the situations in this book. Kyle was a pleasure to read and go along with her while she experienced becoming a tween. I loved the humor and I found myself laughing out loud many times. This book was a great addition to my very minimal collection of books. In conclusion, I now have a new favorite book and author.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle is a boisterous 6th grader, hoping to make it through the first day of middle school. Unfortunately, she finds herself in more trouble than she's ever faced, and she's sure she started out trying to do the right thing. Assigned to the NAVS club as punishment, Kyle channels her inner power to solving the competition problem, and also her own.

Appropriate for grades 4-7 due to early middle school challenges, first crushes, and adolescent slang throughout.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a book about transgender, but it was nothing LGBTQ+ related. Rather it was a book about bullying. Guess that will teach me to judge a book by it's title!
Kyle's first day of school does not go exactly the way she had hoped... in fact, she gets grounded because of some of the choices she made. Students will definitely empathize with her and root for her as she muddles through tough times with parents, friends, bullies, and relationships.