Just Kickin' It

Thompson, Julie. Just Kickin' It
February 11, 2025 by Orca Book Publishers
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Jesse has had a difficult life since both of his parents were killed in a car crash and he has been raised by his grandfather. Money is tight, and right before his senior year the grandfather hasn't paid the WiFi bill, leaving Jesse without a data plan and therefore internet access. He gives the $250 he has been saving for new shoes to his grandfather for household expenses. This is especially frustrated when his best friend, Tay, shows up with new kicks. Tay's parents are wealthy, and while he has always been generous, Jesse doesn't want to ask him for money. Tay introduces Jesse to Derick, an older guy with a flashy Mustang who says he has the answer to Jesse's problems; just one afternoon of work will provide him with enough money for shoes. This does involve distracting Mr. Yang, the owner of a local convenience store, so that Derick can Rob the cash register, but he assures Jesse that he has done this plenty of times with no problems. Since Mr. Yang is very mean to all of the teenagers who congregate at his shop, it doesn't seem like the worst plan, and Jess does want those shoes. On the evening of the heist, however, he falls asleep, and by the time he makes it to the store, Mr. Yang is closing up. This gives Jesse pause, especially since Derick wants him to carry a 6" knife. While there is another attempt planned for the next day, Tay confesses that Derick is not a good guy, and brags about luring teens in, recording their conversations, and blackmailing them to keep helping him steal things, not even giving them a good cut. Tay knows this because he was being blackmailed, and had to agree to bring Jesse in so that Derick would ease the recordings of him. Later, Jesse asks to borrow Derick's phone while they are waiting to go to the store, and deletes the recordings. When they try to steal from Mr. Yang, Derick pushes the older man down, and the three run away. Tay and Jesse feel bad about their involvement and go back to the store to confess to Detective Baker about their part in the recent burglary attempt because Jesse had learned at an early age that sometimes you have to do the right thing even when it's hard. 

Strengths: The first time I saw students walking flat footed around school because they didn't want to crease their shoes, I was flabbergasted, but it introduced me to the concept of a sneaker fanatic. This is definitely an interest that middle grade students have, even if their feet grow at an alarming rate. Reading about high school characters is something my students enjoy, and they even like the idea of this kind of activity, although as an adult I was glad that there was a good message. Jesse is always uncomfortable, but he has to balance out his desires with what he knows is right, which is something many of us struggle with. The book is very short, and the print a good size; like the Barrington Stoke dyslexia friendly books, these are welcome by students who struggle with print. It's a fast paced story that won't be painful, and sometimes that is a great way to encourage students to read more. 
Weaknesses: It wasn't necessary to kill off both parents; it would be more realistic if Jesse had parents struggling to find work or was being raised by a single parent. Since this is a hi/lo title, the prose is sometimes inelegant, with compound sentences being split up in a way that results in some sentences (or sentence fragments) starting with "but" or "and" in an odd way. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for avid sneakerheads who are struggling a bit with reading. The story is short and to the point, and offers some decent lessons. Hand this to readers who are finding success with Robins' Carter High series (which also employs short, choppy sentences) or the Surviving Southside books (various authors). Since both of these are older than my students, I guess it's time to refresh my hi/lo collection a bit.