Shine!

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed quite a few of Chris’s books, but this one really shines! As an adult reader of a children’s book, I had a good idea of where the story would go, but that did not diminish my experience one bit. I love the way Chris writes his characters, the ones you like and the ones you don’t. He always gives you a glimpse into the soul of the antagonist, which we rarely get to see in real life. I hope that will make kids look for and think about what makes the antagonists in their real lives the way they are. J.J. and Chris, thank you for sharing Piper with us. The world needs all the Pipers it can get.Yet again, I wish I still worked in my public library so I could recommend a Grabenstein book to the kids in my community. To whom would I recommend it? I would recommend it to the shy kids and the self-absorbed kids - the Pipers and the Ainsleys. I would recommend it to their parents too.

Girl starts new school at a rich kids school bc her dad gets job there. Has difficulty with some of the students. The school says they are going to give out big award and she fails at many competitions everyone is trying to win. Meanwhile she also helps people in messy situations no other student will like digging through trash can to help someone.

Great book, it was my 6th grade summer reading and I really enjoyed it! Shipping was great! ❤️❤️

This starts off poorly, in the sense that our heroine, Piper, has to suck it up and attend a fancy, exclusive, upper crust, private school just because her Dad has gotten his dream job there teaching music. She doesn't fit in, she's scholarship, she runs afoul of the queen mean girl, her teacher turns out to have been a primo antagonist of her Mom's when her Mom was a student at the same school. Been there and read that, like, forever. This did not feel promising. And yet. Even early on Piper seemed like an O.K. character. There were nice touches of humor and a kind of laid back mellowness and decency underlying the clichéd setup. Could this break the mold? Would the Grabensteins pull this one out somehow?Well yes, they did. It turns out that Piper is a totally anchored, kind, and open hearted individual. She finds some like minded souls to hang out with. (Yeah, not all kids at fancy private schools are total dicks. Who knew?) Whenever the path splits, she takes the path more kindly traveled. Piper's not a sap or a moonchild or some naive Candide. She's just a good person with good instincts. Once that becomes clear the entire book keeps driving home the lesson that even though good people may face setbacks and disappointments, they can still prevail if they stay true to themselves.It's worth thinking about why it is we need a book that simply affirms that good is good, but such are the times in which we live. At least this book has an appealing heroine, engaging supporting characters, smart writing, snappy banter, upbeat life lessons, and a view of school life that is neither mean nor terrifying. This is a book for rising middle graders that won't scare middle graders. I've always thought that Pollyanna, (who was a much stronger and smarter character than we now give her credit for), was an underappreciated figure. Well, Piper gives us another commonsensical, kind, self aware, and steadfast heroine, and I'm all for that.(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

Move over Lemoncello series, my all-time favorite from Chris Grabenstein. He's back with his wife on a new venture - SHINE!I loved it. Loved the message, the writing, the plot, and the characters. Planning now to make it a book club read or suggest it for an in-class read at our school.Hope the talented duo of Chris & JJ will write a sequel.Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

This is such a wonderful book. I’m much older than the target audience, but as a parent I think I’ll love it even more than my children do/will. The important life lessons in this book are something all kids can benefit from reading. This book made me laugh, cry, and smile A LOT. Add it to your wish list, classroom library, and book clubs. I want to be Piper, and I hope my boys do too.

This was such a fun middle grade reader. It's engaging, has great characters, has great themes and perfect for reluctant readers. I present new books at my daughter's school and this has been one of my top 3 reads this year. Great book!

I was blown away by this book! I love Piper! She truly showed what it meant to be kind, especially when nobody rise is watching! Buy this book!

My 9 year granddaughter loved this book so much she read it twice. So I had to read it too!