Out Now: How I Saved the World by Victoria J. Coe!

Victoria J. Coe is the best-selling author of the popular Fenway and Hattie chapter book series written from the perspective of Fenway, an energetic Jack Russell Terrier. And when she’s not writing, you’ll often find her dancing on her Instagram as she shares behind the scenes sneak peeks into the life of a published author, plus writing tips too!

This project was a little different, Victoria J. Coe reached out to a small number of bookish people about a new idea… a book drop, without the fanfare and promotion from a marketing team, just word of mouth on social media! (Honestly, kind of fitting because this whole story has to do with the power of social media, but more on that in a bit!) I am so excited to be a part of this book launch, so let’s dive in!

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How I Saved the World

This story is about a young girl who has grown up in front of the camera sharing the YouTube spotlight with animals around the world. But, when she must attend the Earth Day Festival in New York City, she ends up freezing during and interview with her family’s sponsor. A former reality-star kid swoops in to steal the spotlight and maybe her sponsor too! So, what’s a girl to do, but go on a wild scavenger hunt across New York City with a mysterious super-fan in hopes of securing her sponsor and saving the animals.

I really enjoy Victoria’s work because you can tell she enjoys writing for kids and meets them where they are. Her stories are fun and exciting, but also very accessible and speak to kids on their level about family life, school, friendship, and so much more. So, needless to say, I am so excited to be a part of this project!

Eleanor, our main character, lives out her life on screen as she and her parents move around the world sharing glimpses into the lives of animals in the wild. She’s been doing this work for her entire life and doesn’t know anything else. But due to extenuating circumstances, she ends up at the Earth Day Festival in Central Park with her sponsor as her parents’ catch the next flight from L.A. And when she’s thrown in front of a camera without any warning, she bombs an interview with her sponsor, all while a former reality-star kid swoops in to steal her spotlight. Because of the pressure she feels to help the animals her family shares with the world, she ends up on a scavenger hunt/wild goose chase around New York City with the help of a “super-fan” who just may have his own agenda…

Social Media

This story is fast-paced and you’ll want to keep turning the pages to not only see where Eleanor ends up next, but what people are saying on social media. At the start of each chapter, you get a glimpse of the social media feeds about the Earth Day Festival, people’s thoughts on Eleanor, the reality-star kid she’s following, and more! I think Victoria did an amazing job of seeing how people’s viewpoints are impacted and how quickly they change on social media. One minute Eleanor can do no wrong and the next minute, people are saying horrible and untrue things about her.

Social media is a powerful tool and while I know so many kids have access to it, it’s not all good! And whether you like it or not, kids know social media, even if they don’t have accounts of their own. My niece, a couple of years ago, was visiting and borrowed my phone to make her own videos (they are not posted online), but halfway through her slime/dance demo, she paused to say, “If you like this video, make sure you like and subscribe” and it just rolled off her tongue as if she’s heard it a thousand times.

My nephew was playing Mario Kart on our Wii this summer and promptly went to YouTube to find play through videos. And both of these kids had minimal screen time when they were super little, but have gotten more as they’ve gotten older. They’re both love playing outside, are into sports and theater, dance and reading, but social media is still there. And it’s everywhere, the kids talk about it at school, watch it with friends, etc.

I think this book is a fun and easy introduction into a larger conversation about social media and both the benefits and the drawbacks. It would make a great discussion book with kids about the realities of being a YouTube star and what that actually means. Eleanor, our main character, doesn’t know any differently, until she gets to experience a little bit of life away from the spotlight and realizes what she loves about her life and what she’s missing.

New York City Setting

I can’t write up this review without talking about the epic scavenger hunt across New York City! I love these kind of adventures and think it would be a fun way to see some of the highlights of the city if you wanted to retrace Eleanor’s steps! (Although, I’d probably do it over the course of a couple of days, maybe not a couple of hours!)

I think animal-loving, adventure-seeking, social media-intrigued kids will love How I Saved the World! And without spoiling the ending, I think saving the world doesn’t have to look the same for everyone!

Order Now!

I want to thank Victoria J. Coe for allowing me to be a part of this very special book launch! It was fun to share a little secret among a few book people! Make sure to stop by her website for more info! You can purchase How I Saved the World on Amazon or Bookshop.org both in paperback and digital formats. Grab a copy, because you won’t want to miss this fun and ultimately timely conversation about the power of social media!