For all those parents who can't stand Junie B. Jones like me, this book is for you!

If you know anything about me, then you would know that I have a pure disdain for Junie B. Jones. Granted kids love them and they work perfectly as early chapter books; however, the behavior exhibited by Junie is those books is ghastly. As a result, I'm always on the look out for readalikes. Fortunately, when asked to by BYR to participate in a blog tour featuring this title, I jumped at the opportunity to give this title a read and it did not disappoint!

Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules follows a little girl my the name of Rachel who loves being Jewish, but doesn't necessarily like following the rules that are enforced at synagogue. Fortunately for Rachel, an opportunity presents itself where she can meet her favorite gymnast if she simply follows the rules for a week. Of course for Rachel, this is easier said than done. What I loved so much about this novel was that it permitted a young main character to question and challenge the rules in place. So often, youth are taught to "respect" the rules and authority and to never question what an adult tells you; however, I think that this does a disservice to the critical thinking skills. Granted, Rachel has a lot to learn and often breaks rules that are in place for her safety, but Kapit does a wonderful job guiding both Rachel and the adults into reaching a middle grown. Rachel learns that some rules are necessary especially when they negatively impact others while some rules are more flexible and can be updated/changed as necessary. With beautiful illustrations and fun storytelling, this will definitely be one that I recommend widely and broadly to those who enjoy younger chapter books.