Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek (Faithgirlz / The Good News Shoes)

It was a really fun read and my daughter really likes Riley with mystery and clean fiction!!

I was looking for a great Christian series for my daughter, and this delivered. Full of action, suspense, and also girly, right up my daughter's alley. I love that girls can grow in their faith with this series. It was hard to put the book down for both my daughter and me. We bought the e-book.

My 8 year old daughter deemed these books her favorite Christmas gift. She read 2 of them over Christmas break. She loves the adventure and suspense. I am thrilled that these books meet her advanced reading skill but have age appropriate content! She told me Riley Mae is learning to compromise and resolve conflict with her friends. Awsome book!

This book was the kind of book that you can't put down! (I am 13 years old!!) It was a very neat book!😊😊

Was gift. Grandchild age 9 liked it.

my daughter loved this book did not put it down

Book 1 of the "Good News Shoes" series introduces us to Riley Mae, the spokesperson for a new collection of sport shoes. In Book 1: "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek", Riley realizes the importance of keeping her commitments when photo shoots and publicity events prevent her from playing softball. Riley deals a lot with friendships as her new commitments lead to conflict between Riley and her best friend, TJ, who doesn't understand her circumstance. Riley also meets (and helps) a new friend, Rusty, who is struggling financially because her dad is out of work. A strong theme in "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" is the importance of praying to God about decisions and about praying to God when you are scared. I like that Riley isn't an example of perfect faith. She asks the age old question we all wonder from time to time "How do you know if God says "Yes"?". Another strong theme in the book is the importance of being prepared to share the gospel. At one point Rusty has questions about the Bible and Riley feels ill-equipped to answer them. Watching a little girl in the Sunday School class answer Rusty's questions inspires Riley to become better prepared to share the gospel with those around her. One thing that I didn't love about the book is that Riley keeps some secrets from her parents and asks others (including adults) to keep secrets from her parents. These aren't major secrets, but still kids keeping secrets is something I don't agree with. The fact that she forgot to apply sunscreen and that her new friend is without food are two examples of the secrets Riley keeps from her parents. This isn't enough of an issue to me to not recommend the book -- but it is a topic that could/should be discussed with your pre-teen when she reads the book. Another concern I have with the book is that God is referred to as "small 'h' he" instead of "big H "He". I prefer when God is referred to with a capital "H" because I think it shows more reverence. Riley learns in Book 1 that things aren't always as they seem. With the help of her friends and family, Riley uncovers a mystery -- all while experiencing an adventurous climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Although the cover doesn't hint at it -- mystery and adventure go hand in hand in this book. It will be sure to keep the interest of your pre-teen readers and inspire them in their faith at the same time. Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers[...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Title: Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek - Faithgirlz The Good News Shoes Book 1 Author: Jill Osborne Publisher: Zonderkidz-Books Published: 1-28-2014 Pages: 240 Genre: Children's Fiction Sub-Genre: Christian; Friends ISBN: 9780310742944 ASIN: B00HYN86R0 Reviewed For NetGalley and Zonderkidz-Books Reviewer: DelAnne Rating: 4.25 Stars Riley Mae is a young athletic girl who loves baseball, a sport she shares with her best friend. While at her father's work place she is unexpectedly approached by her father's client to be the spokesperson for the Swiftriver Shoe Company. Excited she begins and new adventure, but finds the fame she comes to know comes at a price. Missed games causes problems with her friend and the others on the team members. Everyone wants to be her and there is no privacy. There is no backing out even when she finds there is something going on at Swiftriver. After all she signed a contract and must honor it. A wonderfully clean read for young readers. This is a series that teaches as it entertains. Morals and right and wrong without preaching. I rated this book at 4.75 out of 5 stars. If you have a young reader looking for a series that is interesting and fun to read then give this series a try. I don't believe you will be disappointed.

Riley Mae is the new spokesperson for a shoe company and she is very excited about it...until it interferes with the rest of her life. Her best friend is mad at her, she can't play softball as much as she wants, and all her weekends are spent doing photo shoots and making appearances. Here is what I liked about the book: Riley Mae is a sweet girl who genuinely cares about others. She goes out of her way to make other girls feel included and good about themselves. She is upbeat and positive. I loved the vibrant personalities of the characters. Flip and Fawn are both entertaining and fun to have along for the ride. Riley's parents were involved in her life and helped her make good decisions (yay for involved parents!). They taught her to pray over decisions and to turn to God for guidance. What I didn't like about the book: Much of the religious content felt awkward and out of place—there were only a few instances where it fit nicely with the rest of the story. Also, the build up was very slow. Most of the book was about photo shoots and friend drama until the very end when things got interesting. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending. There's not much of a solution, but instead it ends in a gateway to the next book. There isn't much explanation for some character's motivations, and many of their behaviors didn't make sense. Maybe those things will be addressed in the next book. Even though not everything worked for me, it was still a good book that I would happily let my daughter read. It will appeal to girls ages 9-12 that enjoy clean, light reads with fun characters. Content: clean Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My 9 year old and I just finished reading the first book in the Faithgirlz series, called Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek. This series was written by Jill Osbourne and chronicles the adventures of a 7th grader named Riley Mae. The book is about the ups and downs of being the new spokesperson for a line of flashy athletic girl shoes. Riley Mae learns that the excitement and glamour also comes with a lot of commitment that takes her away from the things that she enjoys doing, and causes her friendships to be affected as well. As a Christian, she feels the conflict of being part of a glamour world and watching the disappointments of those who struggle with not having money and nice things. Her Christian values prevail, and she clings to the desire to care for and reach out to others. Ansley ( age 9) shared her thoughts about the book, and she had many favorite parts. A mix of humor, adventure, and mystery were reflected in her choices. She could relate well to Riley Mae as they both liked the outdoors, sports, etc but also girly, glitzy things to wear, such as the shoes in the shoe line Riley Mae represented. She liked that Riley Mae was a Christian girl who was kind and considerate to others, and didn't pick her friends based on "being popular". In my opinion, the author did well with capturing story aspects that would appeal to a pre-teen/young teen market. As a chapter book, this book often has incentive to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. The entire book also ends with some things not getting closure and promise of more continued adventure in the next book of the series.

It was a really fun read and my daughter really likes Riley with mystery and clean fiction!!

I was looking for a great Christian series for my daughter, and this delivered. Full of action, suspense, and also girly, right up my daughter's alley. I love that girls can grow in their faith with this series. It was hard to put the book down for both my daughter and me. We bought the e-book.

My 8 year old daughter deemed these books her favorite Christmas gift. She read 2 of them over Christmas break. She loves the adventure and suspense. I am thrilled that these books meet her advanced reading skill but have age appropriate content! She told me Riley Mae is learning to compromise and resolve conflict with her friends. Awsome book!

This book was the kind of book that you can't put down! (I am 13 years old!!) It was a very neat book!😊😊

Was gift. Grandchild age 9 liked it.

my daughter loved this book did not put it down

Book 1 of the "Good News Shoes" series introduces us to Riley Mae, the spokesperson for a new collection of sport shoes. In Book 1: "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek", Riley realizes the importance of keeping her commitments when photo shoots and publicity events prevent her from playing softball. Riley deals a lot with friendships as her new commitments lead to conflict between Riley and her best friend, TJ, who doesn't understand her circumstance. Riley also meets (and helps) a new friend, Rusty, who is struggling financially because her dad is out of work. A strong theme in "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" is the importance of praying to God about decisions and about praying to God when you are scared. I like that Riley isn't an example of perfect faith. She asks the age old question we all wonder from time to time "How do you know if God says "Yes"?". Another strong theme in the book is the importance of being prepared to share the gospel. At one point Rusty has questions about the Bible and Riley feels ill-equipped to answer them. Watching a little girl in the Sunday School class answer Rusty's questions inspires Riley to become better prepared to share the gospel with those around her. One thing that I didn't love about the book is that Riley keeps some secrets from her parents and asks others (including adults) to keep secrets from her parents. These aren't major secrets, but still kids keeping secrets is something I don't agree with. The fact that she forgot to apply sunscreen and that her new friend is without food are two examples of the secrets Riley keeps from her parents. This isn't enough of an issue to me to not recommend the book -- but it is a topic that could/should be discussed with your pre-teen when she reads the book. Another concern I have with the book is that God is referred to as "small 'h' he" instead of "big H "He". I prefer when God is referred to with a capital "H" because I think it shows more reverence. Riley learns in Book 1 that things aren't always as they seem. With the help of her friends and family, Riley uncovers a mystery -- all while experiencing an adventurous climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Although the cover doesn't hint at it -- mystery and adventure go hand in hand in this book. It will be sure to keep the interest of your pre-teen readers and inspire them in their faith at the same time. Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers[...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Title: Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek - Faithgirlz The Good News Shoes Book 1 Author: Jill Osborne Publisher: Zonderkidz-Books Published: 1-28-2014 Pages: 240 Genre: Children's Fiction Sub-Genre: Christian; Friends ISBN: 9780310742944 ASIN: B00HYN86R0 Reviewed For NetGalley and Zonderkidz-Books Reviewer: DelAnne Rating: 4.25 Stars Riley Mae is a young athletic girl who loves baseball, a sport she shares with her best friend. While at her father's work place she is unexpectedly approached by her father's client to be the spokesperson for the Swiftriver Shoe Company. Excited she begins and new adventure, but finds the fame she comes to know comes at a price. Missed games causes problems with her friend and the others on the team members. Everyone wants to be her and there is no privacy. There is no backing out even when she finds there is something going on at Swiftriver. After all she signed a contract and must honor it. A wonderfully clean read for young readers. This is a series that teaches as it entertains. Morals and right and wrong without preaching. I rated this book at 4.75 out of 5 stars. If you have a young reader looking for a series that is interesting and fun to read then give this series a try. I don't believe you will be disappointed.

Riley Mae is the new spokesperson for a shoe company and she is very excited about it...until it interferes with the rest of her life. Her best friend is mad at her, she can't play softball as much as she wants, and all her weekends are spent doing photo shoots and making appearances. Here is what I liked about the book: Riley Mae is a sweet girl who genuinely cares about others. She goes out of her way to make other girls feel included and good about themselves. She is upbeat and positive. I loved the vibrant personalities of the characters. Flip and Fawn are both entertaining and fun to have along for the ride. Riley's parents were involved in her life and helped her make good decisions (yay for involved parents!). They taught her to pray over decisions and to turn to God for guidance. What I didn't like about the book: Much of the religious content felt awkward and out of place—there were only a few instances where it fit nicely with the rest of the story. Also, the build up was very slow. Most of the book was about photo shoots and friend drama until the very end when things got interesting. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending. There's not much of a solution, but instead it ends in a gateway to the next book. There isn't much explanation for some character's motivations, and many of their behaviors didn't make sense. Maybe those things will be addressed in the next book. Even though not everything worked for me, it was still a good book that I would happily let my daughter read. It will appeal to girls ages 9-12 that enjoy clean, light reads with fun characters. Content: clean Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My 9 year old and I just finished reading the first book in the Faithgirlz series, called Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek. This series was written by Jill Osbourne and chronicles the adventures of a 7th grader named Riley Mae. The book is about the ups and downs of being the new spokesperson for a line of flashy athletic girl shoes. Riley Mae learns that the excitement and glamour also comes with a lot of commitment that takes her away from the things that she enjoys doing, and causes her friendships to be affected as well. As a Christian, she feels the conflict of being part of a glamour world and watching the disappointments of those who struggle with not having money and nice things. Her Christian values prevail, and she clings to the desire to care for and reach out to others. Ansley ( age 9) shared her thoughts about the book, and she had many favorite parts. A mix of humor, adventure, and mystery were reflected in her choices. She could relate well to Riley Mae as they both liked the outdoors, sports, etc but also girly, glitzy things to wear, such as the shoes in the shoe line Riley Mae represented. She liked that Riley Mae was a Christian girl who was kind and considerate to others, and didn't pick her friends based on "being popular". In my opinion, the author did well with capturing story aspects that would appeal to a pre-teen/young teen market. As a chapter book, this book often has incentive to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. The entire book also ends with some things not getting closure and promise of more continued adventure in the next book of the series.

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is book two of the series. My ten year old and I read this book together for our nightly reading. It is a great story of loss, overcoming obstacles and finding courage within. Riley Mae is such a great character and so likeable that you fall right in line with her as her journey takes shape. The characters and adventures are light and easy to follow. Most of the settings take place with friends and the dramas involved within, up until the end; which I'm assuming will be further explained in the next book of the series. I loved how involved her parents were in her life and their encouragement to pray and seek guidance. I did feel as though the friends could have spoken kinder to each other and not behaved in a physical manner as sometimes they did push or punch one another. I think it would have been great to hear the kids speaking up more and attesting to how this form of expression wasn't acceptable. But all in all this was a great book for pre-teens and teens alike. I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

As you might imagine, it generally makes the most sense to read a series in order. When I requested Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids I didn't realize that it was the second book in a series. Thankfully it was provided for free for review by BookLook Bloggers, and I wanted it more for my daughter in the future than for myself. Having read and reviewed book 2, I decided to request book 1 recently. Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne provided some good background information on the characters that I had missed by reading the second book first. The story develops of a young girl whose father works in marketing for a shoe company. The girl, Riley Mae, ends up becoming the spokesgirl for a new line of shoes named after her. Shes learns some lessons in commitment and responsibility and deals with conflicting interests after signing a contract that takes precedence over softball. I appreciate that each book of the series (at least the two I have read) has its own complete plot while there is also a plot that runs through them, giving them cohesion. I also appreciate some of the lessons that are demonstrated. One caution, however, is that there are several lies, or at least secrets in the book, some that are kept by Riley from her parents. While it is realistic that people hide things from each other, this is something certain parents might not want a book to suggest to their children. Personally, I won't let that stop me from letting my daughter read this when she gets a little older (after she learns to read). This book was also provided to me free for review by BookLook Bloggers.

My 7 year old loves it when I get to review any type of children's book because it usually means that she gets it when I'm finished! So of course we were both excited to see a Christian girls book all about a girl and her shoes!! "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" by Jill Osborne is part of a new book series put out by Zonderkidz, called The Good News Shoes Series! Riley Mae is just an ordinary 7th grader who gets a chance of a lifetime opportunity to be the new spokesgirl for Swiftriver Shoe Company! Of course Riley wants to do it, but her parents want to pray about it as a family first to see if it's what God wants them to do. Riley quickly gets her answer and is soon wearing the newest Riley Mae shoes, while attending many promotional events with her name and face plastered all over the place! It's everything she could have wanted! Or is it? Riley soon learns that being famous is not everything she thought it would be. There are things she has to give up, and her life is much more complicated now. Along the way, Riley learns that this was really God's plan all along and He has a greater purpose for her becoming famous. She'll learn that she has many more opportunities now to share the love of Jesus than she ever did before. I am so excited that this new book series is available for young girls! My 7 year old loves to read, and is a bit ahead of normal 2nd grade reading books, so it's not always easy for me to find books for her to read that have acceptable content. So many books in her reading level are about boys and many problems that pre-teens face. I feel good giving the Riley Mae books to my 7 year old, because I know that she is reading good wholesome stories about a godly young lady! The title and and the front cover of this book were enough to pique my daughter's interest! She has been patiently waiting for me to finish it so she could begin and is now reading it as I type this! ;) I would highly recommend this book to all young girls and rate it as 5 stars! Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is the first book in The Good News Shoes series (Faithgirlz!) by Jill Osborne. Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek was an entertaining story about a young girl who is chosen to be a spokeperson for a line of athletic shoes for girls. Although the idea of an "unknown" girl being chosen to have an entire line of shoes named after her is unlikely, the rest of the story was very relatable. The story is easy to read - 238 pages divided up into 52 short chapters. I wasn't expecting to be entertained by this book - I was more excited to get it for my 10 year old daughter (her review of the book is below) - but I enjoyed it and thought it was a great book. I really liked how the author shows Riley Mae (the main character) thinking through her decisions and keeping her focus on God and what he would want. I think the internal dialogue will be beneficial for the girls who are reading the book - knowing that they aren't alone in struggling to choose what is good (when they may wish they could just lie or do something to avoid the situation instead). About mid-way through the book, a bit of mystery comes into play, which made the story a bit more exciting. (I'm not going to give away the ending - I'll leave that to you to find out!) If you get this book, you will likely want to get the next book in the series, Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids...when I finished the book I was ready to read on and find out what happens next for Riley Mae. And now...a review from my 10 year old daughter: "I really liked Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek because it had mysteries and it was fun to read. I want to read the other books, too. I think it's a really good book. I think maybe 8-13 year olds would like it. Girls would probably like it more than boys. I liked the end of the book a lot more than the beginning." FTC Declaration: The publisher has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book or advanced reading copy through BookSneeze®. This does not change the fact that I will give my honest opinion in my reviews.

I really like faiThGirLz! products for tween girls. This new series, The Good News Shoes, is perfect for your tween girl that is all into sports. In the first book, Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek, we meet the spunky Riley Mae Hart. To say that she is into sports is an understatement. She lives and breathes to play. Riley Mae's dad has his own advertising business and is in the midst of doing promotions for Swiftriver Shoe Company. By chance Riley Mae and the company executives happen to be in her father's office at the same time. Once they meet Riley Mae they know that she will make the perfect spokesperson for Swiftriver. The instant fame and obligations begin to put stress on her relationships with fellow teammates and friends. But through the adversity Riley Mae learns some important life lessons about compassion and loyalty. Through different circumstances she is forced to figure out who she wants to be and truly take a good look at what she believes. One of the pleasantly surprising aspects of this series is that it has a suspense element in it. It isn't too heavy, in fact it is just right for your middle grader. By the end of the book part of the mystery is solved but there is an ongoing storyline that continues on into the next book. If you have an athletic girl that needs something to read this summer you should pick this book and series up. She'll have hours of fun reading about the antics of Riley Mae and her friends. I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.

I thought this book was really great, so I'm just going to get the negative over really fast: What I Didn't Like: At first I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book. She doesn't see her younger brother in a very positive light and they have a hard time getting along. He's 'weird' and at one point in time he says something like "I'm glad Jesus loves me because not many other people do", which is a good way to explain how people view him. It was kinda sad, but I think the author is using it to show what it feels like to be a misunderstood kid, so it did have a very good point. Several times the kids do something without telling their parents, or Riley Mae does something wrong (not on purpose) and makes people promise not to tell her parents. There's also one point in time where she sneaks around with two of her friends, trying to figure out it one of the guys she works with is homeless. That was obviously just plain stupid. Her best friend gets mad at her and stays that way through most of the book, being mean some of the time. Her friends older sister is all into talking and hanging out with boys (which is described as gross, but still in there). What I Liked: Despite those ^ things, I thought this book was great! I really enjoyed how much interaction her parents had with her. A lot of time in MG books, the parents are more of a complication instead of part of the story. Her parents were two of the big components in this plot-line. Yay! Another thing I really appreciated is that when trouble came up, or when they had a decision to make, the first thing they did was pray. Finally, finally, finally! I'm so very happy to see a book that has prayer all throughout it. Not that they actually had the prayers in there, but that they did pray. It was done in such a way that it added to the story instead of taking away from it, which is a hard art to master. The storyline was really intriguing to me. Riley Mae was a fun (it felt almost interactive) character to have tell the story. She's enthusiastic about life, she cares about others, she doesn't understand everything about the Bible, but she wants to learn. All in all, I really liked her! I hadn't realized this was supposed to be a mystery book, and the first part wasn't really, but I never felt like it dragged. When the mystery started happening I was like "Woah, what's going on here?" It was great. I read it all in one day, despite being busy, because it was really interesting and kept my attention so I worked at finding time to read. One review I read pegged the characters as 'shallow' or something like that, and while it's true there wasn't tons of depth, I still felt as if they were learning and growing. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and look forward to learning more about them in the next book. Conclusion: This book does have some attitudes, but over all it's not bad and is actually one of the best MG books I've read in a while. I wish a few things had been left out, but all in all, I'm really happy with the book and I'm so glad that it's out there for kids to read. I would let my younger sisters read it. It was engaging, fun, interesting and had a really great plot. Instead of looking at this book and thinking "I can't believe kids are going to read this and pick up on all the bad attitudes" I was left thinking "Wow! Hopefully this will help kids see others in a different light and show that how we act really does effect others. Hopefully this will help them pray more and realize that parents are great!" Etc... Well done, Mrs. Osborne! *I got this book free from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine*

Riley Mae is your average girl, who loves sports. In fact sports and having fun are pretty much the two things she centers her life around besides family and school. Then a casual visit to her dads work turns into an offer to be a spokes person for a new companies outdoor sports shoe collection for girls. After some begging by her and contemplation by her parents they decide to accept and sign the contract that lets her become the new spokesperson. Riley's even more excited when they bring by several pairs of the shoes for her and she realizes they have called the actual shoes and collection The Riley Mae shoes. Not only that, they are all fun colors, and she absolutely loves how the shoes feel. Everything seems to be going great for her, that is until she realizes that being a spokesperson takes a lot of time. Time that she thought she's be spending playing on a softball team with her friends. But a contract is a contract, and her parents tell her she cant get out of it. Soon things start happening. She is making a new friend, who happens to need her help. She's also finding herself sneaking around and spying and keeping secrets when she realizes that something about her new life is not quite right. As Riley gets suited up in her "Rock Shocker" hiking boots to clime Half-Dome in Yosemite. She starts to realize by the minute that things might not go as planned. Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne is quite a fun read. This is a Juvenile Fiction chapter book, about 238 pages. So if you have kids 7-14 this is a fun book for them that after reading, I think they will love. They'll enjoy Riley Mae's crazy adventures! This is actually the first book in a new children's series by this author, so there is more to the story to come! Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by BookLook for my review. I was not required to write a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the first book in The Good News Shoes Series, with the 2nd book being Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids. I found this book to be a delightful pleasure to read. Riley Mae is the main character of this book and she's quite a charming girl. She's 12 years old and the spokesperson for Swiftriver Shoe Company's new outdoor sports collection. At first she is thrilled to have this neat job and she proudly appears in commercials and magazine ads. The shoes are so awesome and she gets to keep a pair in every color for herself. The shoes are called Riley Mae's and all the girls want a pair too. But when she realizes that all this work cuts right in to her fun time and her softball season is over before it starts and her best friend T.J. is mad and her new friend Rusty is embarrassed. Something has to change, but what? The book has some good lessons on friendship, family and doing what's right. The story has twists and turns that you want to keep on reading! Riley Mae is a believable character. The author, Jill Osborne has done a fantastic job with this book. I'm an adult and I enjoyed reading this book. In my opinion the book would be perfect for a 9 to 12 year. But even 13 years may enjoy this too. Jill Osborne works in Children's ministry and her passion for telling great stories shows. I give this book 5 stars. I received this book from Booklook bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

I found out about this book and really liked the cover/summary, it turned out to be much better than I expected. Riley Mae loves shoes, loves sports, and is an excellent softball player. One day she goes to her father’s office spur of the moment and ends up signing a contract with Swiftriver Company to be the spokes girl of their shoe lineup. This 7th grader is sooooo excited about getting these shoes, but she doesn’t realize that everything is about to change! Riley Mae’s mom is a police officer and her dad works in advertising, I really loved their relationship with her and how protective they are of her. Before making any decision, Riley’s dad always prays. Riley also has a kid brother, Brady, and they attend church every Sunday. Riley Mae’s best friend, TJ, was the character I liked LEAST in this book. I have no idea how this girl became a best friend because she is bossy, judgmental, very opinionated, holds a grudge, and is all attitude when she doesn’t get her way. I guess they have a history together and they both love softball, but I couldn’t believe how unfriendly she is in the story. I really wish Riley Mae had stood her ground better with TJ, but maybe this friendship will have better closure in the sequel. One of my favorite scenes is in children’s church when the kids talk about the Bible, God’s love, and the armor of God while doing different activities. I loved Flip and Fawn! Their back and forth snappy comments are great and really enhance the storyline. Neither one of them is what they seem, but their personalities are delightful. Even though they’re involved with Riley Mae for business reasons, they really do become an extended family for her and that was a treat for me. Riley Mae is not like other teens. She is super observant, intelligent, sensitive, considerate, and unique. She really wants others less fortunate to benefit from her shoes as well as the ones that can afford them, she’s very good at ignoring TJ, and her sense of humor is wonderfully illustrated in this story. She comments a few times about the inconvenience of being a spokes girl and how it changes her free time, but she gets a much bigger adventure thanks to the shoes. She asks her dad how much money she gets from advertising the shoes and he makes it clear that her college tuition is paid for, very nice! I recommend this book for a pre teen audience, but it is a great read for all ages. This book has more action and enjoyment than I expected *smiling big* The conclusion of the story implies what the next book will be about so it doesn't end here. Please check out Faithgirlz.com for updates and fun information for girls! I want to thank Booksneeze and Zonderkidz for the review copy received. The opinions expressed are my own.

The story is written from Riley Mae's perspective, which isn't an unusual technique, but the author, Jill Osborne, made me feel as if I were truly reading the young girl's diary. She sounded like a kid and even her changing perspectives on how others live was very authentic. This is a faiThGirLz! publication so there are mentions of church and God, but they are not heavy-handed at all. I especially enjoyed the scenes where Riley Mae and her young friends were helping out the younger children in Sunday school to prepare their spiritual suit of armor -- what a cool idea! I tried to get my 14-year old to read the book before I posted the review, but she's being 14 and will probably read this one right after I complete the review. I do believe that she will agree that Riley Mae is just the type of character that she enjoys. Riley Mae is feisty, yet respectful. She's trying to figure out the world around her, especially this crazy land of advertising and promotion while juggling her own teenage life. There are conflicts with friends, great compassion and even a little self-reflection. I'm glad that I requested this book and look forward to the next one in the series -- Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids. This is a great book for tweens and young teens who like characters they can relate to working out problems that they are probably experiencing as well. Definitely 5 out of 5 Stars.

The book for review is “ Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek” by Jill Osborne. It falls into the genre of juvenile fiction, religious, Christian and general. Riley Mae is your typical 12-year-old girl who loves her family, friends and softball. While at work with her dad she is approached by one of his clients, Swiftriver Shoe Company, to be their spokesperson for their line of sports sneakers. She gets to keep all the shoes she promotes while she will be in commercials and promotional gigs. The family wrestles between the good and bad of what this will do to her and their family lives. Deciding to go for it, Riley starts her new career. There is a huge problem though, it will interfere with her playing softball with her best friends. Something that consumes her. It doesn’t help that something isn’t right with her employer as secrets are discovered and must be kept. She is locked into her contract, a fact her parents remind her enough times. The book had some spiritualness sprinkled throughout the book. It was not over done and I felt the author did a good job in placing them where she did. However the plot of the story seemed a little weak. The set up for what was going on and how it was solved was not introduced as soon as I would have liked it. I was midway through the book and I wondered when would I see action or the action that would propel me to like the characters and how the evolved at the end of the book. I just felt it needed more umph , more meat to the story line to make it a better read. The characters are likeable and I love how the family unit was portrayed in this book. The age group that this is geared for will like this book for it has the elements that is needed. I received this book for free in exchange for two honest reviews.

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne Publisher: Zonderkidz Series Faithgirlz! /The Good News Shoes If you're gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes. Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action -so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she's appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes. Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend TJ mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets - because suddenly something isn't quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract's a contract, so Riley laces up her "Rock Shocker" hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground? The book is the first book in the series. This book is for young readers I'd say 8-9 & up. Hailee is into chapter books now and loved this book! The story is about a twelve year old girl named Riley Mae. At a meeting her father had a meeting, the manager of a company (Swiftriver) who makes designer athletic shoes asks if his daughter would be the spokesperson of a new line. At first Riley Mae was excited until she realizes it isn't all fun and games. She finds out that being a spokesperson has her missing out on playing softball and hanging out with her best friend. Its a wonderful book and teaches a good lesson. I was provided a copy of this book through Book Look Bloggers.

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek is the first book in the Good News Shoes series. This is a young reader story that I think 8-11 year old readers will enjoy. The story is about a twelve year old girl, Riley Mae. While her father had a meeting, the manager of a company (Swiftriver) who makes designer athletic shoes asks if his daughter could be the spokesperson of a new line. At first Riley Mae is excited to have a shoe line named after her and enjoys the publicity. However, it isn't all fun and games. She soon finds out that being a spokesperson means missing out on softball games and hanging out with her best friend, TJ. She has commercials to shoot and lots of work to be done after all! This book has humor and the adventure I think young girls would enjoy reading. Riley Mae is a like-able character throughout the book and she is someone young readers can relate to. I’m interested in continuing the series to see what trouble Riley Mae and her friends will get themselves into next. 4/5 stars Note: I received this book free from the publisher through a book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Book: If you're gonna run for your life, you gotta wear the right shoes. Riley Mae Hart loves sports and action---so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company offers her a contract to be the spokesperson for their new outdoor sport collection, she jumps at the chance. Soon she's appearing in commercials and magazine ads, and every girl in town wants to wear Riley Mae shoes. Well, except for Riley. Because walking in those shoes means missing out on softball season, making her best friend TJ mad, and embarrassing her new friend, Rusty. It also means sneaking around, hiding, and keeping secrets---because suddenly something isn't quite right at Swiftriver. But a contract's a contract, so Riley laces up her 'Rock Shocker' hiking boots for a climb up Half-Dome in Yosemite. Will they be the right shoes to get her back on solid ground? About the Author: Jill Osborne works in children's ministry and has a passion for telling great stories. She has written plays, skits for youth groups and Sunday morning drama teams, curriculum for children's ministry, countless articles for her church newsletter, and a blog about taking a sabbatical in a motor home. Good News Shoes is her first series for kids, and she plans to run with it! My Review: Being a young girl at the tender age of 12, you really have no worries. Look out world! Here comes young and spunky Riley Mae, she loves her friends and playing softball. She seems to be alright at first with all the attention being a shoe spokesperson entails but soon she feels that her decisions are exactly lining up with the person she is or the company she represents. This book is perfect for girls between the ages of 8-12, it holds their attention and is faith based. I love the series and look forward to seeing more from this author. Choosing to do the right thing isn't always easy for our children whether its girls or boys. The pull to always be popular or liked is still going strong for today's youth. I know my own children struggle with what God wants verses what the world wants. As a parent I am really glad that there are authors out there willing to address this issue and to support the fact that God's will is the way to go and something that we should strive for. **Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the BookLook Bloggers Program

I'm always on the lookout for good books to recommend to teens and preteens. And I get a lot of questions from parents, wanting recommendations for books they don't need to have concerns with. So it feels great to be able to say that any book published by Zonderkidz (Zondervan Publishing) is a book you can trust. "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" begins a new series in the Faithgirlz line of books called "The Good News Shoes Series". Riley Mae is feisty and filled with faith, and devotion to her family and friends. Jill Osborne has added a hint of mystery to an engaging story, and crafted some fun characters for preteen and teen girls to get to know. This is just one aspect of my job as a book reviewer that I really get a kick out of...getting to read books for all ages, in search of good quality. My thanks to my friends at Zondervan Publishing for my advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" is perfect summer reading, and I highly recommend this new series!

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne is about a 7th grade girl named Riley Mae, who loves sports (especially softball), her best friend TJ, her home in Fresno, California, and her awesome collection of shoes that she has gotten for free. How did she get them for free? She’s actually the spokesgirl for Swiftriver’s Riley Mae shoes collection. When Riley Mae Hart visits her dad’s office one day and finds some awesome sport shoes, she’s 'out of the park' about them. When Swiftriver (the company that makes the shoes) offers to name the shoe collection after her, plus give her a contract to become their spokesgirl, her parents are doubtful. After seeing her enthusiasm though, they reluctantly agree. But it’s not all fun for Riley, as the Saturday photo shoots clash with softball tryouts and games. When her parents tell her that she doesn’t have time for softball this year, she protests. And she starts to get suspicious of Swiftriver – they have only been around for 3 years and already own a private jet, their prices are sky-high, and they want her to hike the Half-Dome in Yosemite – but they can’t let her out of her contract. Worst of all, all this is making TJ upset with her, her new friend Rusty embarrassed, and she’s starting to dislike those Riley Mae shoes. With some Rock Shocker hiking shoes, her fellow Swiftriver staff, and some extreme faith in God, will Riley be able to fix her friendship with TJ, figure out what’s going on at Swiftriver, and make it up the Half-Dome – and back down again? I really think that Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek was a super-exciting book (I read it all in one night!). It has lots of action, adventure, fun, humor, and suspenseful chapter endings. I really enjoyed it, and I think it had a lot of cool God moments in it. I don’t have a favorite part of the book – it was all great! I love it and I (still!) can’t put it down. It’s that awesome! Disclosure: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker is the first book in a new Faith Girlz! series, The Good News Shoes, focused on 7th grader Riley Mae. She loves sports and being girly so her stumbling into the position of spokesperson for the Swiftriver Shoe Company actually seems like a perfect fit. However, there are downsides that she didn’t realize at first - missing most of softball season, making her best friend mad, and even the guilt of promoting expensive shoes. Also, there seems to be a bit of a mystery surrounding Swiftriver Shoe Company!? First I have to say say that the cover is sweet and catches your eye - Love it!! Secondly, I expected a cute, clean read. However, it was so much more!! I was so impressed that this first time children’s author Jill Osborne could make the characters so real in a shorter book, but she’s brilliant! The story dealt with deeper issues, such as a friend does not have enough food because her father is out of work. Also, there is more to the story, but I don’t want to ruin anything...I’ll just finish by saying that I chose to review this book because I know my girls will love to read it, however I am now looking forward to book 2!! Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.

"Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" is written by Jill Osborne and published by ZonderKidz. It is the first in the Good News Shoes Series, and the sequel is "Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids". Both of these books will be released on January 28th, 2014. Riley Mae is in the seventh grade and her best friend's name is Taylor Joy. When Riley is offered a contract to be a spokesgirl for Swiftriver Shoe Company, she jumps at the chance, and soon she is doing photo shoots all over the U.S. Taylor Joy (also known as TJ) gets angry when Riley is not able to practice and play softball. A new girl, Rusty, joins the softball team, which makes TJ even more mad, because they continue to lose games because Rusty lack of ability. Meanwhile, Riley learns that she is going to be climbing the treacherous Half-Dome in Yosemite one day before a big softball tournament for a commercial. So she laces up her "Rock Shocker" hiking boots for a climb up to the top. Will they be the right boots for getting her feet back on solid ground? I liked this book because Riley always went to God when she was in distress and even when she wasn't. However, it was unrealistic to gain a contract after only trying on a few pairs of shoes. I think the author could have made it a little more gradual and still have the excitement. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you to Book Sneeze and ZonderKidz for letting me read and review this book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Riley Mae loves sports and shoes so when the Swiftriver Shoe Company wants to sign her up as their spokesperson she is all for it….but…. her parents are not so sure because she is like every typical girl. They agree to something but when it gets in the way of something else they want to do, they want to quit. After much prayer and discussion she does become the spokesperson and it takes her on an unusual journey. She is faced with making her best friend TJ mad and friending another girl Rusty. Through her journey she is faced with sharing her faith with the people she meets and although she understands and trusts her faith she is often not sure how to present it to others. As the plot unfolds you will see Riley not only grow in her faith, but also learn how to share it with others. I loved this book for several reasons. It will appeal to those tween girls who love God, sports, shoes and a mystery. It also shows the struggle between making friends happy and doing what is right. It made situations that children are faced with everyday become manageable if they follow their heart, remember to pray and ask for help. It was a fun book to read and I can’t wait to pass it on to my granddaughter. I know without a doubt she will want to read the whole series. If any parent is looking for a good wholesome series of books for their young tween…this is it! Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, ZonderKidz, for an honest review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the booklookbloggers.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. My 8 year old daughter eats up books, it's unbelievable. We are constantly on the look for more books for her to read and are really looking for really good Christian books written for her age group and a bit older. I'm excited to have found a new book series by faithGirlz! called "The Good News Shoes" series. The first book is called, "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek". Where this book end the next book, "Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids" begins. I loved reading this book. It's perfect for my daughter and I think it will be a series she'll enjoy all through her pre-teen years. I look forward to adding to her collection with these books. I'm currently reading the second book and I can't wait to share with you about it. I love that these books talk about staying grounded with God. Trusting in Him and reading His Word. Riley Mae also has the opportunity to share about Jesus with one of her classmates. I love how she presents His story. It will make it easier for my child to talk to others.

My daughter tells me that Riley Mae also loves softball and that the book Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek by Jill Osborne is about a shoe company. Her first comment after reading the book was, "I sure hope there is a sequel because this book just sort of ended!" She was thrilled to hear there are more in the series but super sad that the mailman didn't bring another one yet. Riley Mae's adventure is part of the faiThGirLz! library and this is the first book in The Good News Shoes series. In this book, the Swiftriver Shoe Company asks Riley Mae to be their spokesgirl. She's the perfect fit for a new line of girl's athletic shoes. RM is pumped about a shoe line that carries her name and being in commercials until she finds out she will have to miss the softball season. And then she begins to realize that life is happening without her while she's busy fulfilling her contract. All in all this is just a great light read for your tween. It's 238 pages so not exhausting even for those who don't find books as fascinating as my Apple. I love books like these with positive messages and little morals strewn throughout. These are exactly the kind of books I love for my daughter to read. We are all affected by the books we read and music that we listen to and I love for her to have as much positive in both of those medias as possible. I can't wait for her to get her hands on #2 Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids. I received a free copy of this book from BookLook for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

I thought it would be fun to let one of the kids review a book and S enthusiastically agreed. "Riley Mae and the Rock Shocker Trek" is the first book in Jill Osborne's The Good News Shoes series. In this book, Riley Mae becomes a Swiftriver Shoe Company spokesperson for their outdoor sport collection. Riley Mae's love of softball and adventure sound like a perfect match for this deal, until the responsibility of shooting commercials and attending promotional events takes up the whole softball season. She also suspects something isn't quite right at Swiftriver and aims to find out what is going on. I thought Riley Mae was a seven year old just like S, but she's actually a seventh grader. Oops. S still read it just fine, and said she would definitely read more books featuring Riley Mae. S actually wrote our her own book review and wanted me to post it here, but I had to explain what "spoilers" are and point out that her written review had two of them. Here is what I can share from her review: "I loved this book because there were some really shocking parts! For instance, SPOILER. And I was shocked when SPOILER. It was just shocking and that is why I liked this book." Well, there you have it. HA! I also read this book, and thought it was generally a pretty cute story about Riley's friendship with her BFF changing as she starts to miss softball games and let her friend down. She also makes a new friend, Rusty, whose family is struggling financially. I found this sub-plot a good jumping off point to discuss with S how some families don't have enough food every day, and how we should treat people kindly even if our other friends don't want to add new friends to the group. Riley Mae's parents are largely involved in her decision to become a spokesperson, and they emphasize throughout the book the importance of sticking with commitments. The ending of the book wraps up enough of the various sub-plots to leave you (or your child) satisfied, but also leaves some lingering issues I assume will continue to play out in book #2 of the series. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <[...]> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

While I applaud the attempt to make a series for pre-teen girls that includes themes of faith, I feel like the Christian aspects of this story were a little at-odds with the topic. Riley Mae is an average 12-year-old; interested in softball, friends, and accessories. That is why she wants to be the spokesperson for Swiftriver shoes. As the story unfolds, Riley is faced with decisions to make about the cost of her shoes, the hidden secrets of her co-workers, and how to help her friends. As far as the religious aspects of the story go; the consultation with God about whether Riley should take the job felt a little strained, but later on, when Riley uses her faith to invite co-workers to church and to help a friend in need, it felt more realistic. Overall, I felt the book was fine, and that some girls would really enjoy it; but it did not exceed any of my expectations about what a Christian pre-teen book series would be like. I was hoping for something original, but this series isn't it. I received this item free for an honest review from HarperCollins book publishers.

RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK is the first book in The Good News Shoes series. It is written for tweeners (8-12 year olds), so I am letting one of my tweens review the book (which I got from Zondervan for review, with no expectations for a positive review.) In my daughter’s words: RILEY MAE AND THE ROCK SHOCKER TREK is a really exciting book. Riley Mae liked the shoes she was shown at her father’s shoe store and all of sudden she’s a spokes-girl for the shoes. She featured on the cover of lot of magazines. Then Riley Mae’s best friend gets mad at her because she’s missing all the softball games. Things only get worse from there, and there’s a bunch of secrets that were a surprise and kept the pages turning. Riley Mae is twelve, just like me, and if she were a real person she’d be my friend because she’s like me, she likes sports and reading. And I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Riley Mae and the Ready Eddy Rapids.