Old Story, New Twist cover

Old Story, New Twist

by Rachel Wise

Samantha loves being a star reporter for the school newspaper, and she especially loves it when she’s teamed up with her crush, Michael Lawrence. So she’s especially upset when Mr. Trigg doesn’t pair them together—will Michael forget all about her if they don’t work together? And to make matters worse, Sam’s best friend likes a boy whom Sam can’t stand. How do your tell your best friend you think she has terrible taste? To keep her mind off of her own problems, Sam concentrates on writing her Dear Know-It-All advice column. While encouraging a letter writer who’s too shy to try out for the gymnastics team, Sam realizes that she’d secretly like to try out for the team herself. Sam advises the hopeful girl to “Go for it! Don’t be afraid! Reach for the stars!” But can Sam take her own advice?

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?