In the first entertaining installment in a new early chapter book series, one unfortunate kale incident isn’t enough to stop the unbeatable Wednesday Wilson from pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams — or is it? The most important thing to know about Wednesday Wilson is that she’s an entrepreneur. She hasn’t started any businesses yet, but she’s pretty sure today is the day. She and her best friend, Charlie (Wednesday’s future Vice President of Operations), with some help from her little brother, Mister, have made a list of potential businesses. But before they get to move forward on one, there’s an unfortunate incident in class with the Emmas (whose last initials happen to spell M.E.A.N.) involving a bearded dragon named Morten and a piece of kale . . . it’s a long story. It figures that Wednesday’s archnemeses would be the ones to mess up her plans! But maybe all is not lost. Maybe this is just the opportunity Wednesday and her friends needed to come up with a brilliant business idea that will save the day and make them millionaires. Or . . . not ? With its fresh voice, diverse cast of lovable and relatable characters and delightfully determined heroine, Bree Galbraith’s illustrated early chapter book series hits the spot for beginning readers (and their grown-ups!). Endearing black-and-white drawings by Morgan Goble add nuance and clarity and help guide the story forward for early readers. Definitions of vocabulary words, all related to business, appear as footnotes throughout the text.
Bree Galbraith is a children's book author from Vancouver, BC. She will graduate from the University of British Columbia with a master's in Creative Writing in the spring of 2020, and will add this to her master of design from Emily Carr University, and hopefully be done advancing her education ... at least for now.
Bree writes the kinds of books that she would have wanted her children to read when they were young. With one pre-teen, and one early teen, her kids noticed a lack of representation in media when they were growing up. As children of mixed race, they felt they weren't seeing themselves reflected in a book, and now work with their mom to add their voice to her work. Growing up on the campus of an art school helped her children speak critically about identity from a young age, so Bree is lucky to have them on board for this career!
Her recent work focuses on the idea of little heroines breaking down power structures and creating change. She writes strong characters who are fed-up with the status-quo in their mythical universe, and use their power and ingenuity to ignite change. Her work has been described as having a contemporary fairytale vibe, and she uses metaphor to allow space for parents and educators to discuss different ideas that spring to mind in their children/students.
She is always looking to connect with authors and educators, so please get in touch!
I am giving this book five stars because I want to make a very important point. Wednesday Wilson is a bright little girl who wants to start a business. ANY kind of a business. And she is so focused on that goal she loses sight of whether she and her team make good choices to achieve that goal. The consequences are regrettable and she has to make restitution.
It all turns out okay in the end because Wednesday has the help and support of her parents, good teachers and good friends.
Now here comes my point: Your child may not be able to borrow this book from his or her school or public library. It could be considered sexually explicit and inappropriate.
Why?
Wednesday has two moms.
Nothing is ever said about their relationship, but there they are, two moms.
Do you want this sort of censorship in your child's world?
I hope not.
I received this book free from Kids Can Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Wednesday Wilson wants to be an entrepreneur. Her best friend Charlie and little brother are with her in all of her future plans. She found her first client now just she has to make something. But business is not that simple. I love the concept and story. Illustrations were so cute. I really enjoyed it.
I appreciate the effort here, though, on the whole, it wasn't entirely successful for me. There wasn't enough real entrepreneurial effort here--we put in some business jargon (with asterisk definitions) but don't really see Wednesday putting much into practice, and the actual idea she comes up with is not great, though I am glad she at least has to make some retribution for the trouble she causes. Some of the humor feels a little forced, but I guess I shouldn't talk as my children giggled tremendously at Wednesday storing her money "in the piggy bank's butt" *sigh* This did hold my boys' attention (even the youngest, who is picky about chapter books--though I think this had to do in large part with the fact the class pet is a bearded dragon, which has been his desired pet for the past year). Some of the representation and lessons don't feel particularly organic (for example, the way Wednesday's two moms are introduced makes it feel more having two moms is A Thing vs. just introducing her parents, who happen to be two moms; there's a mini-lesson about agoraphobia when Wednesday explains why she brings in the groceries for her neighbor; and another lesson on "stereotypes" which felt quite textbook-- though I did appreciate that boys also spoke up about stereotypes that affect boys, such as that all boys should be good at sports). Still, I think the author's heart is in the right place and the book some good messages. I also liked that Wednesday included the little brother in her business plan and didn't talk down to him and appreciated his contributions and strengths.
A huge thanks to Kids Can Press for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book tells the story of Wednesday Wilson a very spirited entrepreneurial girl who refuses to let anyone deter her from being an entrepreneur. She and her best friend, Charlie, and with some help from her little brother, Mister, have made a list of potential businesses to start. But before they can ponder on it and with a little nudge from an unfortunate incident in class with a little 'meanie girl' they end up starting a business (Hint: It involves a book). I absolutely loved the book and the illustrations were just so amazing . I highly recommend this book!
Aww, this was such a cute book! Kids from 6-10 will love it, and the illustrations were awesome! Basically it follows a little girl with 2 moms and a younger brother, she wishes to become an entrepreneur when she grows up. She invents a secret keeper and tries to sell it, Her intentions were pure but she gets caught and realises her mistake, and in the end learns from it plans to make more (without breaking the rules this time)!!! Overall this is a fun read!!! My rating ⊱ ─ {⋅. ✯5 stars✯ .⋅} ─ ⊰ Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book!
This was a fun early chapter book, suitable for late primary/early junior readers (8 to 10). Wednesday Wilson and her brother Mister, live with Mom, an artist and Mum, who owns and operated a pizza truck. Wednesday wants to be an entrepreneur and with the help of her friend Charlie and her brother, she tries to come up with an idea for a business to make money. Unfortunately, Wednesday and Charlie are bullied by the Emmas and Ruby, who used to be their friend. They do come up with an idea that caused some issues, but I loved the way Bree Gailbraith had this problem solved. I really liked Wednesday. She tried to ignore the bullies and come up with ideas to stay out of their way, but that hasn't worked so far. She is a great role model for girls as she wants to be an inventor or business person, and is willing to work hard and try things to get there. She is not afraid to fail, which is something people need to learn, you can learn from these things and move forward. There is some humor in this story that helps to keep it light. Wednesday's parents are wonderful. They don't let her get away with things, but they use natural consequences and spend time talking with her and explaining their reasoning, which is perfect. The illustrations by Morgan Goble are black and white drawings and add much to the story. They also provide great picture clues for early readers. I recommend this story and will look for me. I am looking forward to my granddaughter getting older so we can read this together. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
Wednesday Wilson is a cute little girl who is bent upon becoming an entrepreneur. She is already aware of the terminology such as logistics and sales pitch. All she needs is a business plan. With the help of her friend Charlie and her little brother Mister, she soon starts implementing a very successful idea.
I loved the concept of this book. Wednesday Wilson is totally my kind of kid, and thankfully, she's not my kid! My, the troubles she gets into! 😂😂😂 Her go-get attitude make her a champion for great female characters in children's fiction. Without revealing any huge spoiler, I can just say that I adored her thoughts on stereotypes. And her lists on every single topic! I can certainly identify with someone who creates lists like that!
This book will work wonderfully for all little children as it has a very realistic approach towards storytelling. The illustrations are adorable, but even if there were no illustrations, the book would have clicked with me. A wonderful light read, recommended for all children of age 5+.
Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I had a nice time reading this book.
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So this cute little book follows the story of a girl name Wednesday August wilson who want's to be an entrepreneur. She loves to make lists and organize her thinkings in a notebook. So she recently want to start a bussiness and make money.
But she got herself in a trouble with The Emma's. It's her third strike in the school and she needs a plan to convince The Emma's. With the help of her best friend Charlie and Her little brother Mister she comes with a plan, A plan Which can save her from Emma's and can be a startup business too!
The illustrations were so beautiful that it got me into reading this book. Though this book is for 8-10 years kid but 19 years old self me loved reading this. I liked how this book described the terms like stereotypes and etceteras. It was a fun read.
Wednesday Wilson is my kind of kid! She has wild ideas, gets her friends to go along with them and gets in round of trouble along the way. She is inventive and creative and fun. I know lots of kids that will immediately be connected to Wednesday. I am so glad this is just the first installment of an early reader chapter series! The book was ready to read and highly entertaining. Once we started, we had to know how it ended!
A young entrepreneur gets in trouble when she tears up library books with problematic stereotypes in order to make hidden compartments so her classmates can surreptitiously pass notes. Bonus points for a character with two moms.
I was given access to a digital early release copy of this book. I’m sorry to say that I think it just fell a little flat. This book refers to a group of girls as mean girls but I failed to see enough evidence of what makes their characters so mean. There was not enough background given about these girls that would make them so horrible to be called mean girls at school. While do think Wednesday as a character is a delight and full of personality this book lacks depth. I would really only recommend this book for kids in first, second or third grade. This would be a simple book for a student or child who maybe needs practice with plot and events. The book is simplistic enough to follow. If there plans on being other books in this series where the characters can develop themselves a little more than I would be interested in reading a follow up to compare. I will say if you are looking for an early chapter book for a very young reader this would give them the confidence so they feel as though they can read chapter books later on in progress towards more depth and longer books.
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business by @breegalbraith and @realactualmorg gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A cute story about Wednesday, her brother and her friend who work together to make a business. A great book for a future entrepreneurs or a child who is learning about consequences. The highlight of this book is definitely the artwork by Morgan Goble. 😍 I would recommend this book for Grade 3 and up. #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bowkerbooks
2.25⭐️ I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Kid Can Read Press so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.
I read this book along with the two sequels and am rating them verse each other. This one may seem a little harsh but there are issue. These books are being released on September 3, 2024 and I wish some editing had been done from there first publication as they have a lot going for them.
For the good… I love the POC, disability and LGTBQ representation as just part of the book. It normalizes seeing all different types of people in books that aren’t directly focusing on certain topics like ethnicity or differences.
Secondly I love that it is trying to expose young people to entrepreneurship while also giving some good lessons about decision making.
Lastly, the illustrations are great! And while not executed very well, I like the glossary along the way.
Now for the challenges
1) Getting an allowance for doing actual jobs for other people is a bit strange. If those activities are to be paid (helping a neighbor and such) it should be the neighbor paying them. Not having your parent pay you for doing a good deed. It’s just a bizarre concept to share with kids. 2) The piggy bank adjustment doesn’t make sense as all the money would go to the butt. 3) the note on page 23 is inaccurate at all. A patent has nothing to do with the safety of a product nor is a patent needed to produce a product. 4) I’ll group things one. A lot of the definitions are just inadequate and don’t actually tell a young person what it means. Particularly the definition for: Overhead, Negotiation, Investors (that’s not what they are at all). 5) The Secret Keeper was just an idea but Emma expected her to have one by the next day? It just doesn’t make sense even for young kids. 6) The words for the vocabulary list just aren’t 3rd grade words. At least half of them are above that grade level. Along with the books lose being much to advanced for the 6-9 year old target audience. 7) without spoilers there are several strange things that just don’t make sense.
So in all the book has a great concept but needs help with execution. It really needed some Beta Readers who do not personally know the author who work with the age group so proper feedback could be given. My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books
⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience. ⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but there was nothing significantly wrong with it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs.
Wednesday Wilson knows what she wants. She wants to be an entrepreneur, and she wants to start now. So she brainstorms with her best friend Charlie and her little brother Mister to figure out what her first business should be.
But before Wednesday can do that, she has to deal with The Kale Incident, which means dealing with the Emmas.
The Emmas (there are 4 of them, but technically one is Emmet) are the mean girls in Wednesday’s class, and because of The Kale Incident, they’re blackmailing Wednesday to get what they want. And what they want is the new invention Wednesday is going to sell with her new business: a Secret Keeper.
But Wednesday came up with that on the spur of the moment. Will she and Charlie be able to come up with something to be a Secret Keeper? And will it be enough to keep the Emmas happy, or will Wednesday end up getting in trouble anyway?
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business is a fun early chapter book for kids 8-10. It weaves lessons about business into a sweet story of a girl trying to maneuver her ambitions and going to school and dealing with bullies. Author Bree Galbraith has created this character with a strong sense of who she is and what she wants. And illustrator Morgan Goble brings her to life with adorable drawings filled with life and energy.
I really liked Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business. I love that she has two supportive moms (technically a mom and a mum) and that she isn’t afraid to chase after her dreams. She is helpful, focused, driven, and she can think on her feet. I think she’ll be a good role model for young girls who also have a lot of ideas about who they are and where they want to go. It’s a short book, but it’s packed with action and personality and ideas and fun.
Egalleys for Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business were provided by Kids Can Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.
Thank you to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!
Entertaining and wonderfully diverse, Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business is an unforgettable read. This was such a fun read about a young girl who dreams of being an entrepreneur.
Wednesday August Wilson’s determination knows no bounds. She’s such a likable boss lady whose enthusiasm you can’t help but love. But she tends to not think before she acts. Her approach to the conflict was interesting and connected well with who she is as a person and future entrepreneur.
The illustrations were lovely and I liked the art style. The book has a diverse cast of the characters. For instance, Wednesday is mixed raced and has two moms. The plot was funny, delightful and at times surprising.
This is a great chapter book for early readers transitioning to more challenging books. The book is rich with business-related vocabulary words and includes easy to understand definitions. Readers can take away much from this story, such as owning up to one’s mistakes, problem solving, thinking outside the box, and how to dream big.
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business is a truly engaging story and Wednesday’s voice comes through loud and clear. I definitely recommend this book.
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business is the children's book I would have been obsessed with as a kid! This book was unique by my standards, and modern and refreshingly insightful. Bree Galbraith included lots of diversity within the characters, which should be/is becoming more common in the Children Fiction genre.
Wednesday Wilson is a young, smart and independent future entrepreneur determined to make one of her inventions stick. Her social awareness is really interesting to see develop throughout the book.
The readability of this book was done very well, even at my age it didn't seem trivial or dumbed down and I actually enjoyed reading it.
As I said before, this book was adorable, modern and insightful while normalizing diversity and values representation, which Wednesday event points out herself. I for one, am excited for the next installment in this new series.
(This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.)
Wednesday Wilson is a brilliant girl who doesn't always think things through. She's going to be an entrepreneur some day, but first she has to make it through elementary school! Her impulsivity gets her into trouble with the Emmas - the classroom mean girl group, but she uses her entrepreneural spirit to come up with a plan! With the help of her brother Mister, her best friend Charlie (who spits out random facts when he gets stressed), and her new friend Amina, Wednesday gets to work making Secret Keepers. The only problem? Wednesday didn't think things through! What will her Moms (yes, she has two) think when they find out? How much trouble is she really in?
One of my favorite parts in this book is how the author uses the main character to explain entrepreneurial vocabulary. Wedensday speaks directly to the reader to tell her story, and explain some complicated words into kid friendly language.
With a diverse cast of characters, girls in the lead rolls, and STEM skills and entrepreneurial spirit at the forefront, this book is a must have for any STEM classroom!
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business, by Bree Galbraith and illustrated by Morgan Goble, is a new Canadian chapter book series with a fun and original character. Wednesday lives with her two moms, and her younger brother Mister and has a best friend named Charlie. Wednesday is quite the character wanting to become an entrepreneur bursting with ideas for her future businesses. Convinced she has an idea that will give her a start and hopefully solve her problem with her nemesis, Emma, she convinces Charlie and Mister to help her. The only problem is that her idea and plan land her in more trouble. Readers will identify with the characters, in particular, Wednesday, with her matter-of-fact personality knowing what she wants in her future. Readers will learn the vocabulary related to business and marketing logically and engagingly, just like Wednesday. The illustrations (although I only had black and white) are engaging and will be appealing to readers of this age group. Another welcome series that librarians and teachers are always looking to add for their students and readers.
Wednesday Wilson is precocious, driven, self-assured, and resourceful. She's a great role model for young readers. Although she does make a few questionable choices, her intentions were good and she learns from her mistakes, making her realistic and relatable.
I love the diversity of characters, LGBTQ+ representation, and strong female protagonist. The pace is quick enough to keep young readers interested, with plenty of kid humor to keep them laughing.
The book is listed for 6-9 year old readers. The readability is a bit high for most 6 and 7 year olds, but they'll enjoy listening to the story read aloud. In fact, this would make a wonderful read-aloud and discussion in a first or second grade classroom. Older chapter book readers (8+) will be better able to read the book independently.
I received a copy of the ebook from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank You to Kids Can Press & NetGalley for the e-ARC!
Wednesday Wilson is an aspiring entrepreneur. Sure, she might be a kid and hasn’t started a business just yet, but she’s incredibly determined to make it happen. With the support of her best friend Charlie and her little brother Mister, she's ready to take that leap. What could possibly go wrong?
Wednesday has two mums, which as a lesbian really melted my heart! However, I did feel it was a bit inorganic at times. It felt like the author was challenging readers, almost provoking those who might not approve of a child having two mothers, rather than presenting it as a normal part of Wednesday's life. There were also a few other moments, like when Wednesday discussed her race, learned about stereotypes, and pointed out that a book was problematic, which felt a little forced as well.
I can’t wait to read more about Wednesday’s adventures and I will for sure be adding this to our library collection!
Wednesday Wilson knows what she wants and she will do whatever it takes to realize her entrepreneurial dreams.
Even if it means defacing school property.
Wednesday accidentally hits one of the Emma’s in the face with Kale she meant for the class pet. When Emma threatens to tell the teacher Wednesday lies and says she has a special project she’s working on.
Emma won’t tell on her if the prototype wows her, the only problem? Wednesday hasn’t invented it yet.
With the help of her little brother Mister and best friend Charlie, Wednesday will make an invention no one can resist. But the price may be her freedom.
Great representation, non-stereotyped gender roles. Wednesday Wilson is a character that has many more stories to be told.
Thank you to Net Galley and Kids Can Press for an ARC. I was not paid for my review and all opinions are my own.
My kiddos and I read this book at bedtime. They asked for it every night!! We just finished it tonight, so I asked them what they thought. My five-year-old yelled that it was great! My seven-year-old explained that he liked the plan with the library books and how they were able to replace the problematic books with better ones. We talked about how some boys are good at sports and some boys like other things, and that's why stereotypes are problematic in books. We had this conversation because of this book, which is beautiful. He also loved the piggy bank's butt. They both did. My oldest had a good time reading some of the words, and they both loved the illustrations. The trickier words had a great age-appropriate definition attached. They learned a lot and truly enjoyed the book!
Wednesday Wilson is now one of my favourite middle grade characters! She’s smart and determined and will stop at nothing to get what she wants! I loved the storyline of this book, the characters and the illustrations! This book was also diverse and showcased children who are mixed race, an LGBTQ couple and a neighbour with a lesser known mental illness. I think this would be great for pre-teen go-getters! A great asset to this book is the inclusion of footnotes of definitions of certain ‘business’ words which was a great addition! I wish I was as determined as Wednesday when I was younger!
Thank you to the publishers for a chance to review this book! Will definitely add to my recommendation list!
Wednesday Wilson Gets Down to Business by Bree Galbraith & Morgan Goble has so much goodness in such a little package. A story of entrepreneurship, forgiveness, leadership, acceptance, and growing up.
Our 2nd-4th graders will relate to this story AND be inspired by it!
“Not all bullies are big and ugly; some are short and pretty.”
“We stopped getting a regular allowance after my mom read an article about how kids shouldn’t get paid to help around the house, they should just do it. Clearly the person who wrote the article was never a kid.”
“So far I’ve saved $31.50 in my piggy bank’s butt.”
Having a classroom full of 6, 7 and 8 year old readers means I NEED books filled with characters that these readers will connect with, identify with and who will amuse and inspire them. Books that these readers can read. Independently. With delight. Addictively. Wednesday Wilson is our kind of character. True to age. Witty. Funny. Creative. Inspiring. Mistake making. The story is fun and perfectly paced, the supporting characters are all kinds of wonderful but it's the voice I am looking for and celebrating here. Bree Galbraith - you did it! Wednesday's voice will speak to my students. Wednesday could be my student. And because her teacher is named Ms. Gelson . . . I guess, in fact, she is. And oh do I adore her! Highly recommend this for the Grade 2 to 4 set!
While she may not have a business, she is determined to get one started and once this go-getter sets her mind to something, nothing will get in her way. With the help of her best friend, Charlie, and little brother, Mister, Wednesday overcomes some unfortunate incidents to prevail. Readers will love this spunky character created by Bree Galbraith and illustrated by Morgan Goble. I can't wait to see what adventure awaits Wednesday Wilson in the next book in this series.
Perfect for fans of Junie B. Jones and Ivy and Bean. Suited for Grades 2-4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the e-Arc.
What a great story! This story captured my attention right from the start. I like the technique the author uses to introduces Wednesday to the reader. The thoughtful details throughout the story add depth to the book. I’m glad the author decided to create a friend group with the same name. It added to the enjoyment, when I was reading out loud to my daughter. Themes in the book include, friendship, teamwork, and learning between right and wrong. Kids will enjoy this book, as the topics and situations are very relatable. I would recommend adding it to your child’s summer reading list. I’m going to read again and then share with other children.
This is a cute easy reader with a spunky main character. I would have loved her to switch the secret keeper to the empty cookie box she got from her neighbor who has agoraphobia. I appreciate weeding the library of books that reinforce negative stereotypes, but it does not shine a good light on the librarian that she did not think to do this herself (and seemed like a bumbling librarian "I have never seen this book before." Seriously? Do you do any kind of collection development or inventory?) The whole business idea just made my librarian's heart mourn for the defaced books. But I will try the second book that comes out in June to see if her second project is more to my liking.