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About The Book

Roll with It meets Absolutely Normal Chaos in this funny, big-hearted novel about a young girl “reminiscent of…Junie B. Jones” (School Library Connection) and her campaign for student council president, told through letters to her hero Susan B. Anthony.

Susie B. has a lot to say. Like how it’s not fair that she has to be called Susie B. instead of plain Susie. Or about how polar bears are endangered. Or how the Usual Geniuses are always getting picked for cool stuff over the kids like her with butterflies in their brain. And it’s because Susie B. has a lot to say about these very important things that she’s running for student council president!

If she’s president, she can advocate for the underdogs just like her hero and fellow Susie B., Susan B. Anthony. (And, okay, maybe the chance to give big speeches to the whole school with a microphone is another perk.) But when the most usual of Usual Geniuses also enters the student council race, Susie realizes this may be a harder won fight than she thought. Even worse, Susie discovers that Susan B. Anthony wasn’t as great as history makes it seem, and she did some pretty terrible things to try to help her own cause. Soon, Susie has her own tough decisions to make. But one thing is for sure—no matter what, Susie B. won’t back down.

About The Author

Margaret Finnegan is the author of the Junior Library Guild Selections Sunny Parker Is Here to Stay, New Kids and Underdogs, Susie B. Won’t Back Down, and We Could Be Heroes, which was a USA TODAY bestseller. Her other work has appeared in FamilyFun, the Los Angeles Times, Salon, and other publications. She lives in South Pasadena, California, where she enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog, and baking really good chocolate cakes. Visit her online at MargaretFinnegan.com.

Why We Love It

"I don’t think I’ve ever been more in love with a character than Susie B.! Everyone knows a Susie B.: a little too eager, a little too loud, but so sincere and good-intentioned and lovable. She’ll have you rooting for her from the very first page and laughing all the way through.”

—Alex B., Editor, on Susie B. Won’t Back Down

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (October 5, 2021)
  • Length: 272 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781534496385
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12
  • Lexile ® 770L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Resources and Downloads

More books from this author: Margaret Finnegan