Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Follow the Leader
Vicki Winslow · 1997
80/100
👍 Worth It
This award-winning debut handles school desegregation through the eyes of a white girl in 1971 North Carolina with real honesty and historical texture — it shows prejudice as something a child has to actively unlearn, not just stumble past. Publishers Weekly praised its authenticity, and the classroom setting makes it a natural fit for grades 4-7. The resolution ties up a bit neatly, and the Black characters deserved more interiority, but this is a genuinely valuable read.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety92
substance78
craft78
originality72
accuracy82
hype80
age-fit90
human-eye80
Penny’s verdict80
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