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Go-Cart Gertie
When ten-year-old Gertie Gilbert announces that she wants to enter a local go-cart race, her older brother laughs and says, "you're a girl, and girls can't race!" The sibling rivalry begins as the family divides into teams for some competition. Things shift gears when the kid's feisty Grandma G.G. comes for an unexpected visit. It's the girls versus the boys, and the race is on! Gertie sets out to prove that girls can do anything boys can do! This funny family adventure will have readers cheering.The storyline deals with female empowerment, overcoming stereotypes, equality, sibling rivalry, and family bonding.Does Gertie win the local go-cart race? Grab your copy today and see which team gets the checkered flag.
13 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 29, 2018
6 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 19, 2022
Siblings Rule!
Gertie and her brother Greg end up in a Go-Cart Race against each other. With baby Gracie and her 'Jo Jo Jertie' and GG's help, will Gertie be able to win against Greg.
But that is only half of the story. During the main race, what is the change in Greg and how is Gertie able to race on that day?
Cute story, with lovely illustrations giving an important and inspiring message, showing good sibling love and care too.
Gertie and her brother Greg end up in a Go-Cart Race against each other. With baby Gracie and her 'Jo Jo Jertie' and GG's help, will Gertie be able to win against Greg.
But that is only half of the story. During the main race, what is the change in Greg and how is Gertie able to race on that day?
Cute story, with lovely illustrations giving an important and inspiring message, showing good sibling love and care too.
July 8, 2018
My daughters and I enjoyed this book. Having two daughters, I always tell them they can be anything they want to be, and this book was a great example of girl power. There is a twist though. Yes, you can celebrate being a girl and be proud and girls can do anything boys can do. But what about bragging or boasting?
The story starts out with Gertie wanting a go cart. Her brother thinks girls shouldn't race and can't win, so he wants to also race so he can prove girls can't race and girls can't win against boys. That doesn't work out so well for him. In the end, family is what matters and should stick together, no matter what. This book teaches kids to think of others, work as a team, be proud of each other and support each other. And yes, girls can do anything boys can do, but also need to be supportive and not brag.
We received an ebook of this book from the author and we are very pleased with the story. We are voluntarily sharing our review because we really like this book and we think other families will enjoy this book. It is a little bit of a longer story, so we would say children around ages 5-10 would enjoy this book.
Jessica D. Adams, Author
The story starts out with Gertie wanting a go cart. Her brother thinks girls shouldn't race and can't win, so he wants to also race so he can prove girls can't race and girls can't win against boys. That doesn't work out so well for him. In the end, family is what matters and should stick together, no matter what. This book teaches kids to think of others, work as a team, be proud of each other and support each other. And yes, girls can do anything boys can do, but also need to be supportive and not brag.
We received an ebook of this book from the author and we are very pleased with the story. We are voluntarily sharing our review because we really like this book and we think other families will enjoy this book. It is a little bit of a longer story, so we would say children around ages 5-10 would enjoy this book.
Jessica D. Adams, Author
July 8, 2018
Go Go-Cart Gertie!
What an adorable book with colorful illustrations and a positive message not only about girls being able to do anything boys can, but about family love and unity. I enjoyed this book and think children will enjoy the story as well as the message. If parents read this to their children, there will be a lot of opportunity for discussion about gender roles and families. Well done! 5 stars
What an adorable book with colorful illustrations and a positive message not only about girls being able to do anything boys can, but about family love and unity. I enjoyed this book and think children will enjoy the story as well as the message. If parents read this to their children, there will be a lot of opportunity for discussion about gender roles and families. Well done! 5 stars
July 23, 2018
Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite
Go-Cart Gertie by Cindy Shirley is based on Gertrude Gilbert, named for her grandmother who is known to the family as GG – one simply cannot discount the influence of GG! To begin with, Gertie admires her big brother, Greg, but one day, being left to take the bus while Greg is trusted to walk to school with his friends fires rebellion. On the next family outing she spots an old go-cart in a shop window and offers to do extra chores if she can have it. Greg says, “you’re a girl and girls can’t race”. Dad buys the go-cart, but Greg doesn’t give in; he borrows a friend’s go-cart. Practice races cause trouble, but Gertie and Greg get faster and faster, so when they enter a big race who will be the winners, Gertie, with Mom and GG supporting her, or Greg with Dad on his side?
I loved this book because the Gilbert family step, or drive, off the page and live. Gertie and Greg could so easily be my own nephew and niece the sibling rivalry is so realistic. Mom and GG overdo their glee when Gertie wins a minor race and have to apologise – the household is incredibly well-grounded with a toddler and a pet dog, and GG is a grandmother we’ve all known somewhere… sometime. And who is the winner? That would be telling, but the winner I found is love. Go-Cart Gertie by Cindy Shirley is perfect for use in schools with fifth grade children and young teenagers or as a gift any parent could give knowing it would be enjoyed.
Go-Cart Gertie by Cindy Shirley is based on Gertrude Gilbert, named for her grandmother who is known to the family as GG – one simply cannot discount the influence of GG! To begin with, Gertie admires her big brother, Greg, but one day, being left to take the bus while Greg is trusted to walk to school with his friends fires rebellion. On the next family outing she spots an old go-cart in a shop window and offers to do extra chores if she can have it. Greg says, “you’re a girl and girls can’t race”. Dad buys the go-cart, but Greg doesn’t give in; he borrows a friend’s go-cart. Practice races cause trouble, but Gertie and Greg get faster and faster, so when they enter a big race who will be the winners, Gertie, with Mom and GG supporting her, or Greg with Dad on his side?
I loved this book because the Gilbert family step, or drive, off the page and live. Gertie and Greg could so easily be my own nephew and niece the sibling rivalry is so realistic. Mom and GG overdo their glee when Gertie wins a minor race and have to apologise – the household is incredibly well-grounded with a toddler and a pet dog, and GG is a grandmother we’ve all known somewhere… sometime. And who is the winner? That would be telling, but the winner I found is love. Go-Cart Gertie by Cindy Shirley is perfect for use in schools with fifth grade children and young teenagers or as a gift any parent could give knowing it would be enjoyed.
April 4, 2019
This story is the perfect subject matter for my two boys who both love go-cart racing themselves. But the real message of this book is about empowerment. Gertie, who just wants to compete on the racetrack, demonstrates that a girl is just as capable as any boy. Her self-confidence shines through when she is challenged for the win by her older brother Greg and then again on the racetrack against the all-boy line-up. Go-Cart Gertie also explores the theme of sibling rivalry and how this develops conflict resolution skills that can be applied in the big grown up world. Most of all I really enjoyed the relationship between Gertie and her older brother Greg. She adores him, thinking he is the coolest kid in the world, showing the important role older siblings play in the lives of children. Conversely, Greg defends his younger sister when the going gets tough, modelling behavior many adults need when faced with a bullying situation. A lovely read!
October 15, 2018
Girls vs boys?
The story started out great. I loved that the children showed respect for adults. My kids cracked up when the dog had muddy paws (read to understand). There was a lot of girls vs boys... mom and granny backed the girl and dad supported the boy. I actually stopped reading and told my daughters that we do not treat others differently because they are a boy or girl and if they had a brother, daddy would not support him more than them. The story did have a good resolution with the family, especially the brother, cheering for the girl. We had an "aww" when the brother protected his sister. Overall it presented a lot of teaching points for our family to discuss based on our values.
The story started out great. I loved that the children showed respect for adults. My kids cracked up when the dog had muddy paws (read to understand). There was a lot of girls vs boys... mom and granny backed the girl and dad supported the boy. I actually stopped reading and told my daughters that we do not treat others differently because they are a boy or girl and if they had a brother, daddy would not support him more than them. The story did have a good resolution with the family, especially the brother, cheering for the girl. We had an "aww" when the brother protected his sister. Overall it presented a lot of teaching points for our family to discuss based on our values.
June 20, 2023
Girls can be anything they want to be!
What an empowering story for girls! One of the messages of the book is that girls can do anything that boys can do, and the writer does a great job conveying that message. I liked the realistic conversations in the book and the way that Greg’s attitude towards his sister slowly shifts. I liked the emphasis on getting Gertie a safety helmet but did notice that the family never had their seat belts on as they rode around in their car. It is a good opportunity to talk to your children about equality between boys and girls and about road safety.
What an empowering story for girls! One of the messages of the book is that girls can do anything that boys can do, and the writer does a great job conveying that message. I liked the realistic conversations in the book and the way that Greg’s attitude towards his sister slowly shifts. I liked the emphasis on getting Gertie a safety helmet but did notice that the family never had their seat belts on as they rode around in their car. It is a good opportunity to talk to your children about equality between boys and girls and about road safety.
August 20, 2019
Girl Empowerment and Family Love
It’s great to see a book that talks about girl empowerment and seals it with family love. Personally, I don’t think there is anything better than family support for girl empowerment. I also liked how the girls (or ladies) in the book realize it isn’t a nice thing to get carried away by their triumphs and put down boys. Being mean to boys would just turn them into bullies. I found that subtle message to be the most meaningful. The author has dealt with the topic with a pragmatic approach. Kudos!
It’s great to see a book that talks about girl empowerment and seals it with family love. Personally, I don’t think there is anything better than family support for girl empowerment. I also liked how the girls (or ladies) in the book realize it isn’t a nice thing to get carried away by their triumphs and put down boys. Being mean to boys would just turn them into bullies. I found that subtle message to be the most meaningful. The author has dealt with the topic with a pragmatic approach. Kudos!
August 27, 2019
Go-Cart Gertie is a wonderful tale of sibling rivalry that highlights the importance of the family unit. The story centres around the rivalry between Gertie and her older brother Greg.
The gauntlet has been thrown down as they both enter a Go-Cart race and vow to beat the other. Things don’t turn out as well as Greg expected and he realises that family unity is more important than family competition. The naivety of the illustrations compliment the well written text perfectly, helping deliver a strong and positive message. A good one for the younger readers and worthy of five stars.
The gauntlet has been thrown down as they both enter a Go-Cart race and vow to beat the other. Things don’t turn out as well as Greg expected and he realises that family unity is more important than family competition. The naivety of the illustrations compliment the well written text perfectly, helping deliver a strong and positive message. A good one for the younger readers and worthy of five stars.
June 3, 2021
Fun and interesting book!
I have always wanted to take my kids to try car racing and I am so happy to find out that girls can race too and win the race. This book would be a great addition to any child’s bookshelf. It will inspire children and their families to strengthen the love and bond that exist in their respective families, but will also teach children to always choose kindness and cheering others up over bullying and jealousy. I really liked everything about this book; the story is well written and the illustrations are so beautiful too. Check it out!
I have always wanted to take my kids to try car racing and I am so happy to find out that girls can race too and win the race. This book would be a great addition to any child’s bookshelf. It will inspire children and their families to strengthen the love and bond that exist in their respective families, but will also teach children to always choose kindness and cheering others up over bullying and jealousy. I really liked everything about this book; the story is well written and the illustrations are so beautiful too. Check it out!
June 5, 2019
Gertie proves that girls can do what they set their minds to. This is a good story about girls being encouraged to do what they want to do, not what they've been told that girls should do.
My only complaint about the book, is its length. It is in a picture book format, which usually means that the text is limited and the pictures do the bulk of the story-telling. That is not the case with this book. The text is long and I think it would be better suited for a short chapter book.
My only complaint about the book, is its length. It is in a picture book format, which usually means that the text is limited and the pictures do the bulk of the story-telling. That is not the case with this book. The text is long and I think it would be better suited for a short chapter book.
November 17, 2025
A Fun Story About Racing and Confidence
Go-Cart Gertie is about a cute girl named Gertie who really wants to race go-carts. Her big brother tells her that girls can’t race, and that pushes her to prove him wrong. With help from her grandma and mom, Gertie gets ready for the big race and shows what she can do.
The story is one every family will enjoy, and has a good message about believing in yourself and trying something new.
Go-Cart Gertie is about a cute girl named Gertie who really wants to race go-carts. Her big brother tells her that girls can’t race, and that pushes her to prove him wrong. With help from her grandma and mom, Gertie gets ready for the big race and shows what she can do.
The story is one every family will enjoy, and has a good message about believing in yourself and trying something new.
October 13, 2018
Go Cart Gertie started out slowly by describing the characters. Characters should be revealed much more through action than descriptions. Later the authors created conflict between Gertie and older brother Greg which showed their competitive personalities and the go cart race was an exciting way to do this. This action pulled the reader into the story and made for a good middle and ending.
May 3, 2019
A cool story about family, competitiveness between siblings and the oh so known boy vs girl war :)
We just loved this cool book with cute and cirful illustrations.
It's a great book for families as it manages in a great way the brother sister competitiveness and the well known - girls vs boys "war". We loved the ending!
We just loved this cool book with cute and cirful illustrations.
It's a great book for families as it manages in a great way the brother sister competitiveness and the well known - girls vs boys "war". We loved the ending!
June 17, 2020
Empowering story for girls
The story was about a little girl named Gertie who wanted to enter a go-kart race. The ideology was that a girl could not do it. But through persistent, family support, and working against the odds Gertie proved that girls and women can accomplish anything they put their minds to regardless of social norms. This book was easy to read and entertaining
The story was about a little girl named Gertie who wanted to enter a go-kart race. The ideology was that a girl could not do it. But through persistent, family support, and working against the odds Gertie proved that girls and women can accomplish anything they put their minds to regardless of social norms. This book was easy to read and entertaining
March 26, 2022
"Boys always think that they are better but sometimes girls are so you never know. Purple is my lucky color so I knew that one would win" - - Suzie 6 years old
Suzie is one of 6 kid reviewers providing honest feedback. Her comments have not been influenced by the other kids or the author/reader A. Graphy
Suzie is one of 6 kid reviewers providing honest feedback. Her comments have not been influenced by the other kids or the author/reader A. Graphy
September 4, 2018
This is a wonderful children's book with colorful illustrations. What I love about this book is that it teaches girls about empowerment. That it is okay to dream without limitations. We need to have more books like this in libraries and in schools.
October 13, 2018
Girls CAN do it!
Loved this story of go- cart Gertie and her family. Gertie is a precocious girl with a family that tells her she can do anything. Standard brother-sister rivalries lead to them racing go-cart. Read thebstory to find out how it ends!
Loved this story of go- cart Gertie and her family. Gertie is a precocious girl with a family that tells her she can do anything. Standard brother-sister rivalries lead to them racing go-cart. Read thebstory to find out how it ends!
May 20, 2019
Talk about inspirational!
This book can definitely be classified as girl power literature lol Go cart Gertie was up for a big challenge and proved that anything boys can do girls can do better. Great read!
This book can definitely be classified as girl power literature lol Go cart Gertie was up for a big challenge and proved that anything boys can do girls can do better. Great read!
May 14, 2020
Go Gertie!
The author shows in an endearing way, how girls can too race and compete equally with boys. Showing conflict, sibling rivalry, dealing with confrontation, with a positive result, the author sends many messages that can be creatively blended into discussions.
The author shows in an endearing way, how girls can too race and compete equally with boys. Showing conflict, sibling rivalry, dealing with confrontation, with a positive result, the author sends many messages that can be creatively blended into discussions.
June 8, 2022
Positive Story
Classic sibling rivalry which always ends with support and love. A feel good story about Gertie kicking her brothers butt in a go cart race. I love the message about girl power in the book.
Classic sibling rivalry which always ends with support and love. A feel good story about Gertie kicking her brothers butt in a go cart race. I love the message about girl power in the book.
January 31, 2025
Fun story and important lesson
Gertie rides the go cart in this nice story. Children are taught about the importance of not limiting options of what a girl can abs can't do. I like that Gertie is confident and she succeeded.
Gertie rides the go cart in this nice story. Children are taught about the importance of not limiting options of what a girl can abs can't do. I like that Gertie is confident and she succeeded.
September 12, 2025
Great Book
This is a great and sweet book about working with one another and supporting each weather you are a boy or girl. There are lots of lessons in this book as well. Really hidden lessons. The illustrations are also very nice.
This is a great and sweet book about working with one another and supporting each weather you are a boy or girl. There are lots of lessons in this book as well. Really hidden lessons. The illustrations are also very nice.
September 2, 2018
Loved it!
I loved the illustration and the story.
I loved the illustration and the story.
May 26, 2023
Cool go cart story!
What a fun story and nice lesson on family sticking together. The illustrations are very well done. Great book 👍
What a fun story and nice lesson on family sticking together. The illustrations are very well done. Great book 👍
September 19, 2019
Go Gertie!
Very inspirational to girls! Also a lesson learned. This story shows that you shouldn’t underestimate your competition. Gertie has Girl Power!
Very inspirational to girls! Also a lesson learned. This story shows that you shouldn’t underestimate your competition. Gertie has Girl Power!
April 11, 2023
Great book !
This book was a fun and exciting read. The plot is unique as it tells the story of a little girl named Gertie who wants to participate in a race. She does not let worry or obstacles stand in her way and she becomes victorious! This is a great book for children to teach them about resilience, perseverance and to even achieve your dreams despite what others say. Great work!
This book was a fun and exciting read. The plot is unique as it tells the story of a little girl named Gertie who wants to participate in a race. She does not let worry or obstacles stand in her way and she becomes victorious! This is a great book for children to teach them about resilience, perseverance and to even achieve your dreams despite what others say. Great work!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews