Crushing It
mix Series
What’s inside...
Twelve-year-old Kat woos the boy next door on behalf of her best friend, and in the process realizes that true beautyand true confidencecomes from the inside in this hilarious M!X novel from the author of Small Medium at Large.Kat is already so over seventh grade. It doesnt help that her best friend and cousin, Olivia, grew a foot over the summer and won a spot on the schools dance team, shooting her up on the popularity scale. In the jungle that is middle school, Olivia is a gazelle. Braces-wearing, manga-loving, uncoordinated Kat is a warthog. Plus, Tyler, Kats next-door neighbor and buddy since birth, morphed into a really cute boy over the summer. Suddenly the person Kats used to playing Xbox with is causing her stomach to do cartwheels. When Olivia confesses that she has a crush on Tyler and wants to ask him to the Fall Ball dance, Kat knows theres going to be a problem: Tyler thinks Olivia is just another ditsy girl who only cares about lip gloss and boy bands. But since Kats one of Tylers oldest friends, Olivias sure shell know how to get his attention. Trying to be a good friend and squash her own feelings, Kat makes it her mission to get the two of them together. From writing Tyler cheat sheets listing his favorite things, to feeding Olivia lines through her headphones during Tyler-focused study sessions, Kat devises schemes by which Tyler will fall for Olivia. And to her delightor maybe horrorher plan begins to work. Now that Olivias caught Tylers attention, Kat has to wonder if shes fooled Tyler into falling for the wrong girl. But what boy would ever choose a warthog over a gazelle?
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
9-13
Length
224 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think were the biggest challenges the characters faced in the story and how did they overcome them?
How did the characters grow or change throughout the book? What events triggered these changes?
If you could give advice to one of the characters, what would you tell them and why?
Can you think of a time when you felt similar to any of the characters in the book? What happened and how did you handle it?
What lesson do you think the author wanted us to learn from the story?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start the conversation by sharing your own thoughts or favorite parts of the book to make the environment open and comfortable.
Encourage your child to draw parallels between the book’s themes and their own experiences or feelings, fostering deeper personal connections.
Ask follow-up questions based on your child's responses to encourage them to think deeper and express themselves more fully.
Validate their feelings and perspectives to build their confidence in sharing and engaging in future reading discussions.
Highlight the growth and journey of the characters to help your child understand the value of personal development and resilience.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Persistence pays off
Explanation: The protagonist faces multiple challenges but continues to persevere, demonstrating the power of persistence.
Real-World Application: Children learn that not giving up in the face of difficulties can lead to achieving their goals, whether it's finishing a difficult homework assignment or learning a new skill.
Example Lesson: The value of teamwork
Explanation: Characters in the story often work together to solve problems, showing that teamwork can lead to greater success than working alone.
Real-World Application: This encourages children to collaborate with others, whether in group projects at school or in team sports, highlighting the benefits of mutual support and cooperation.
Example Lesson: Self-belief is crucial
Explanation: The main character's confidence in their abilities grows throughout the story, emphasizing the importance of self-belief.
Real-World Application: Children are encouraged to believe in their own capabilities, which can boost their confidence when tackling new challenges or when learning new subjects at school.