Courage for Beginners

Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fictional, she'd magically know how to deal with the fact that her best friend, Anibal Gomez, has abandoned her in favor of being a "hipster." She'd be able to take care of everyone when her dad has to spend time in the hospital. And she'd certainly be able to change her family's secret.
Seventh grade is not turning out the way Mysti had planned. With the help of a hot-air balloon, her new friend Rama Khan, and a bright orange coat, can she find the courage to change?

Struggles are real.

This was a very cute story, but I was disappointed by the ending. I wanted to KNOW that the bully got exactly what was deserved, AND that the victim won... and I did but just not in the way I wanted.

I love the look into a Texas middle schoolers life and the different characters in the story.

Refreshingly different!

This is not a typical story line and the ending isn't predictable. Good job being so original and creative!

Reading needed improvement

The story had a lot going for it which I didn't realize until much later due to the reading of the story This is one book I should have read as the reading made the content of the story a bit less enjoyable.