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Bad Cheerleader
By Alex Thayer
Table of Contents
About The Book
A dyslexic bookworm joins her school’s cheerleading squad to investigate her sister’s strange behavior in this insightful and sharp middle grade novel about the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
Seventh grader Bag loves to read. It doesn’t come easy to her, thanks to her dyslexia, but she’s determined, and she spends every afternoon after school at the library. It’s a ritual she refuses to miss.
Then a new career opportunity for her mother means Bag will no longer have a ride to her cherished library. Instead, Bag will have to wait for a ride at school. With her sister, Minerva. At cheerleading practice.
Bag is uncoordinated and completely uninterested in school spirit. But she is curious about what her sister has been hiding. Minerva has been acting stranger than usual, and Bag has been noticing. So while cheerleading practice may be the last place Bag wants to be, she’s going to use her time wisely and get to the bottom of Minerva’s secrets.
Seventh grader Bag loves to read. It doesn’t come easy to her, thanks to her dyslexia, but she’s determined, and she spends every afternoon after school at the library. It’s a ritual she refuses to miss.
Then a new career opportunity for her mother means Bag will no longer have a ride to her cherished library. Instead, Bag will have to wait for a ride at school. With her sister, Minerva. At cheerleading practice.
Bag is uncoordinated and completely uninterested in school spirit. But she is curious about what her sister has been hiding. Minerva has been acting stranger than usual, and Bag has been noticing. So while cheerleading practice may be the last place Bag wants to be, she’s going to use her time wisely and get to the bottom of Minerva’s secrets.
Product Details
- Publisher: Aladdin (November 11, 2025)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665955294
- Grades: 5 and up
- Ages: 10 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
"A satisfying, character-driven story that explores secrets and sisterhood."
–Kirkus Reviews
"Thayer (Happy & Sad & Everything True) approaches each compounding conflict with sincerity, while an optimistic overarching tone makes for a comforting tale of overcoming spearheaded by a persistent and resilient protagonist."
–Publishers Weekly
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
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Book Cover Image (jpg): Bad Cheerleader
eBook 9781665955294
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Author Photo (jpg): Alex Thayer Photograph by Brigitte Jouxtel(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit

