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Summary
Summary
In this uplifting debut novel about determination and the rewards of hard work, a preteen girl struggling with ADHD must stick with a summer taekwondo class to prove that she's dedicated enough to pursue her true passion of cake decorating.
Eliza has had many hobbies in her eleven years, and most of them haven't lasted very long. After she and her friend Tony create a baking business for a class project, Eliza is certain that cake decorating is her destiny. Her parents insist that the summer "Cakes with Caroline" class is too expensive, given Eliza's history of quickly losing interest in things. Desperate to show them that she can be diligent, she volunteers to take her brother's unwanted spot in a taekwondo class. At first, Eliza has absolutely no interest in martial arts, and taekwondo is a huge challenge for her since she has ADHD. Eliza is tempted to drop out right away, especially when mean girl Madison shows up in class. But a true martial artist never quits. Can Eliza rise to the challenge?
A 2015 Christopher Award Winner in the Books for Young People Category
Author Notes
Carmella Van Vleet is a former kindergarten teacher and the author of eight hands-on science and history books for children. Eliza Bing Is (NOT) a Big Fat Quitter is her first novel. It was inspired by her daughter, who, like Eliza, has ADHD and discovered a new passion when she took up martial arts. Despite being a fan of cake decorating shows, the only thing Carmella knows about cakes is that they taste delicious! But as a third-degree black belt in taekwondo, she knows all about bowing, learning Korean, wearing scratchy doboks, and taking belt tests. She lives in Ohio with her husband and has three kids, one normal dog, and a dog who thinks he's a cat. You can visit her online at www.carmellavanvleet.com.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Van Vleet, the author of several nonfiction books for children, takes a strong first step into middle-grade fiction with this novel about an 11-year-old with ADHD. Eliza's parents dash her dream of taking a summer cake-decorating class with a celebrity TV pastry chef, saying that it's too expensive and that she will soon lose interest. Resolute, Eliza strikes a deal with them: if she fills (and keeps) the spot in a taekwondo class that her brother quit, she can take the cake class in the fall. Developing the concentration, memory skills, and self-confidence that the martial art demands is an enormous challenge for the easily distracted Eliza; some readers may grow tired of the detailed accounts of Eliza's taekwondo classes. But the story's other tangents-including Eliza's longing for acceptance among her peers, her pain at being snubbed by her best friend, and her resentment of her mother's preoccupation with her job-are easy to identify and sympathize with. Lively dialogue, quick-moving snippet-style chapters, and believable family interactions give this story additional kick. Ages 7-11. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Eleven-year-old Eliza, who has ADHD, really wants to take a cake-decorating class. When she overhears her parents discussing how many activities she starts but never finishes, Eliza proposes to prove them wrong by taking her brother's place in the taekwondo class he has, ironically, quit. Readers will cheer as, much to her surprise, sympathetic Eliza finds focus and success in martial arts. Glos. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Eleven-year-old aspiring baker Eliza Bing is excited to take a summer baking class with her pal Tony. But family financial challenges mean it's a no-go; worse, Tony is enrolling without her, and Eliza learns her parents believe that given her history of not finishing things, she'd likely quit anyway. Then her brother drops his tae kwon do class, and Eliza steps in, hoping that if she sees something through, her parents will let her take the baking class come fall. But tae kwon do is surprisingly difficult from learning kicks to etiquette to terminology and her ADHD can make it hard to concentrate; plus, school mean girl Madison is also in the class. As frustrations mount, and a rift with Tony deepens, Eliza nears bowing out. But she finds unexpected rewards, including self-confidence, a sense of accomplishment, and even friendships. Narrated by Eliza in conversational prose, this engaging read features abundant tae kwon do details and a likable, lively, realistically drawn protagonist whose strengths, successes, and challenges, including coping with ADHD, are sympathetically and supportively depicted. Includes author notes tae kwon do pronunciations.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2014 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Eliza Bing, 11, is not a big, fat quitter, or is she? Her track record isn't great. She has a history of not following through with activities-Junior Scouts, gymnastics, tap, piano.. So, when she wants to sign up for a cake-decorating class with her bakery loving friend, her parents flat-out say no. Eliza strikes a nearly impossible deal with her parents: if she can finish a tae kwon do class over the summer, she can take cake decorating in the fall. For Eliza, this is easier said than done. She has ADHD and no interest whatsoever in martial arts, Master Kim is strict, she can't remember all of the Korean words, and mean girl Madison is in the class. As the summer progresses, Eliza finds it difficult to focus in class and she contemplates quitting, but she is determined not to be a loser. With family support, she finds internal strength she didn't know she had, but an injury threatens her completing the class and earning a yellow belt. Fast moving and humorous with chapter titles such as "Sticky Note to Self: Wear White Underwear on Wednesdays and Saturdays," feisty Eliza will have readers, especially those with ADHD, rooting for her.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A girl who has trouble following through finds a reason to stick with her martial arts class. Eleven-year-old Eliza Bing will do anything to take a cake-decorating summer class with her friend Tony. Unfortunately, Eliza has a history of quitting new activities, and her parents tell her no. Determined to change their minds, Eliza negotiates a deal: If she finishes a taekwondo class over the summer, she can take the baking class in the fall. With no interest in martial arts, Eliza, who has ADHD, has created a real challenge for herself. The dobok robe is hot and scratchy, and the Korean words are impossible to pronounce. She even has to practice with Madison, the beautiful cheerleader who has bullied Eliza in the past. But Eliza realizes the biggest obstacle to her success is her own difficulty focusing. While striving to finish the martial arts class in order to frost cakes in the future, Eliza discovers a new strength she never knew she had. Van Vleet portrays a loving nuclear family that finds constructive ways to work with Eliza's attention-deficit challenges. Will Eliza be able to finish the class when an unexpected injury jeopardizes her chance to prove her persistence to her parents? The anticipation builds as her yellow-belt exam quickly approaches. Eliza's personal growth is full of realistic hopes and challenges that will resonate with many readers. (endnote, glossary) (Fiction. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.