Parents' Guide to

A Good Kind of Trouble

By Barbara Saunders, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Girl learns to be brave in triumphant coming-of-age tale.

Book Lisa Moore Ramée Coming of Age 2019
A Good Kind of Trouble Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

GirlMom10
GirlMom10 Adult
July 17, 2020
age 13+

Subplot is Disturbing

This story is about a 12-year old girl named Shayla who spends seventh grade learning more about and becoming more aware of the the Black Lives Matter movement. The main theme of the story is Shayla's developing understanding of herself, her multiracial friends and the importance of standing up for what she believes, from a racial standpoint. That part of the book is very good. However, there is subplot of a boy named Tyler who has a crush on Shayla. He is boundary inappropriate, repeatedly touching her and invading her space, even though she tells him not to and pulls away. She is repeatedly pressured by her friends to "be nice to Tyler" and pushed away from trusting her own instincts about the boy. At Shayla's middle school the kids play a game called "Command" where any child can be commanded to do anything. At a dance Tyler is "commanded" to kiss Shayla. Despite her saying she is not playing the game, Tyler kisses (or as the books says "smothers") Shayla - against her will. Immediately after the forced kiss, one of Shayla's friends demands to know "why didn't you say no." Shayla is embarrassed, made to feel uncomfortable, unable to say no to this boy when he decides they are "talking" (what they call dating in the book) The subplot has Shayla taking full responsibility for the kiss. Even though it was against her will. Even though it was forced. While there is one brief scene where Shayla finally stands up to Tyler, the author never really addresses the issue of consent (or a lack of consent) in the story. And the author undermines any empowerment Shayla may get in the story by having Shayla conclude that she will "never let anyone kiss me without permission again." But Shayla did not "let" Tyler kiss her. He just did it. It was an assault. Tyler is described as a puppy and in gentle terms, even though he is an aggressor. After Shayla finally stands up to Tyler, she is accosted in a bathroom by three girls for daring to "break Tyler's heart." Parents should know this story has multiple threats of physical violence – that have nothing to do with the BLM storyline (“pounding” kids who won’t follow a command, “dogpiling” Shayla in the bathroom), and an insidious secondary story line of sexual harassment. It reinforces the narrative that girls are responsible for placating boys and protecting boys feelings and that girls just have to put up with unwanted touching by boys.
2 people found this helpful.
CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
August 19, 2020
age 10+

Great book!

This is an amazing book about racism, police violence, and doing the right thing. There is some stuff about romance, but overall, it is an amazing, edge of your seat, want to keep reading book.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE, 12-year-old Shayla is trying hard to adjust to middle school, but it's complicated. Shayla, who is African American, has two best friends: Isabella, who's Puerto Rican American, and Julia, who's Japanese American. They've been inseparable since elementary school, and now they have no classes together. Each of them feels the pressure to socialize with cliques made up of people in the same ethnic group. The science teacher has given Shayla a lab partner who intimidates her. Her mom doesn't let her wear makeup like some of the other girls and even restricts her cell phone use. Boys and girls are starting to notice each other, with all the drama that brings. Further complicating Shayla's growing understanding of her place in the world, there have been shootings of black people by local police, and Black Lives Matter protests in their town. Until now, Shayla's dominant approach to life has been to stay away from trouble. But are some kinds of trouble worth the risk?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (8):

This triumphant debut novel depicts the emotional roller coaster of middle school with humor and optimism. In A Good Kind of Trouble, readers meet a lovable main character we can feel sorry for, and then cheer on through win after win. Author Lisa Moore Ramée vividly evokes how terrible it feels when the principal gets on your case, you get stuck with an undesirable lab partner, or the boy you have a crush on likes your best friend. She also captures how great it feels when you get picked for the track team or get included in your big sister's grown-up world, or when your mom shows you she really understands your problems. Ramée also successfully portrays another universal adolescent experience: the moment a young person begins to form complex moral ideas about how the larger world operates.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the meaning of friendship in A Good Kind of Trouble. Middle school threatens to pull apart longtime friends Shayla, Isabella, and Julia. Have you ever grown apart from a friend? Do you have friends you've kept even after moving or changing schools? Besides doing stuff together, what does it mean to be a friend?

  • Every few chapters, the author gives us a sentence or two from Shayla's journal, reflections on the events of the chapter. Since the story is already told from Shayla's point of view, why do you think the author chose to add the journal entries?

  • Shayla's mother has taught her to keep out of trouble. But when Shayla gets in trouble with the principal for wearing a black armband to support Black Lives Matter, her mother takes her side. Why does her mother do that?

Book Details

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