Fashion Fighter: Cheeks-A-Saurus-Rex-A-Maxamus

By Deborah O'Dowd

Seven-year-old Kylie "Cheeks" Acosta is the youngest of three girls, and there is another baby on the way. Cheeks gave herself another nickname when, at four years old, she dressed up in as many clothes as she could fit and announced she was "Fashion Fighter", a sort of clothing superhero. But Cheeks doesn't want to be called Fashion Fighter anymore; she has more important issues on her mind. A smart and curious second-grader, Cheeks meets her biological father, whom she calls R-Daddy, for the first time. She discovers that he lost his legs in the war in Iraq. When she hears about soldiers and innocent children dying, Cheeks feels sad, frustrated, and anxious to do something about it. Rallying her fellow students, Cheeks starts a campaign to educate people about the war. She discovers that not everyone agrees with her, which helps Cheeks make sense of her own growing beliefs about the world around her. But the war is only one of Cheeks' concerns-she has to fight another battle of her own right close to home. Readers will be rooting for Cheeks as she valiantly stands up for what she knows in her heart to be right.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595442676
• ISBN13: 9780595442676
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 148 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great!

I'm the same age as Kylie, 7 1/2-years-old. I thought the book was really great and fantastic. Kylie thinks she's living with her real father, but then she discovers that she's living with her step-father. Her step-mom, Harriet, is really mean to her, so she thinks she's a witch. She told her sisters that Harriet was mean to her and her sisters told her biological father. Harriet got into trouble and she's not going to be part of Kylie's life anymore. My favorite part was when Kylie and her class did a Swirling Against Death at 9:22 every morning. She does this because she hears that children and soldiers are dying. She tries to help by swirling even when an angry substitute stands in her way. I learned that I should stand up for people when people are being mean. I think that 6-12-year-olds would like this book. Maddie O'Rourke

Fantastic!

Reviewed by Sara McGinn (age 9) for Reader Views (12/08) "Fashion Fighter" by Deborah O'Dowd is a story about a seven-year-old girl named Kylie, who lives in Tucson, Arizona. In this book, Kylie learns to follow her heart. At first, Kylie thinks the dad she has been living with is her real dad. Then her mom tells her that she is not living with her real dad. Her real dad lost his legs in Iraq! Then she found out that children were dying in Iraq! So she and her classmates started a protest called Swirl Against Death. But then Kylie has another challenge; her real dad's wife is very mean to Kylie! My favorite things about this book are: when Kylie and her classmates make up Swirl Against Death, and when Kylie stops her dad, one of her teachers, and one of her principals from being suspended. This book was funny and great. The author did a wonderful job writing this book! I learned to stand up when someone is hurting you and to do what one thinks is right! I would rewrite the first chapter to make it more interesting by putting more action in it. I would also call Kylie "fashion fighter" more often because she was barely ever called "fashion fighter!" "Fashion Fighter" by Deborah O'Dowd is a children's novel but I would probably recommend it for 9 to 12-year-olds, but I do think every one should read about Kylie!

Deborah O'Dowd does an exceptional job of writing about family dynamics, child abuse, the horrors of

Quoting from the back cover: "Seven-year-old Kylie 'Cheeks' Acosta is the youngest of three girls, and there is another baby on the way. Cheeks gave herself another nickname when, at four years old, she dressed up in as many clothes as she could fit and announced she was 'Fashion Fighter', a sort of clothing superhero. But Cheeks doesn't want to be called Fashion Fighter anymore; she has more important issues on her mind. "A smart and curious second-grader, Cheeks meets her biological father, whom she calls R-Daddy, for the first time. She discovers that he lost his legs in the war in Iraq. When she hears about soldiers and innocent children dying, Cheeks feels sad, frustrated, and anxious to do something about it. "Rallying her fellow students, Cheeks starts a campaign to educate people about the war. She discovers that not everyone agrees with her, which helps Cheeks make sense of her own growing beliefs about the world around her. But the war is only one of Cheeks' concerns-she has to fight another battle of her own right close to home. Readers will be rooting for Cheeks as she valiantly stands up for what she knows in her heart to be right." The cover and title of this juvenile fiction novel might convey the impression that Fashion Fighter is a light, simplistic, cartoon-like read. Surprisingly, that is not the case, and Deborah O'Dowd does an exceptional job of writing about family dynamics, child abuse, the horrors of war, and terrorism through the eyes and mind of a seven-year-old little girl. This novel is a contemporary story about real problems, real fears and real solutions designed to entertain and educate young readers. It is unique, well written, well edited, and an inspiration. Deborah has taught high school English for over sixteen years and is also the author of Poetry Made Easy. Keep up the good fight! Kaye Trout Reviewer