I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through LibraryThing’s early reviewers program — thank you!

So, how awesome is Mya’s Strategy to Save the World? First of all, the voice it’s written in — pitch perfect and funny without being glib or too try-hard about it. Mya takes things Very Seriously, and she reminded me of when I was twelve and also took things Very Seriously.

This book is also full of activism, major issues that affect people around the world. It has a real social conscience, and I think it encourages readers to take action or think about the impact they’re having.

And, of course, the growing up stuff is perfect. First dates, friend issues, trying to balance friends and romantic interests, first periods, more responsibilities, and all of the embarrassment that can come with growing up.

This is a great book, and one that I look forward to recommending. ( )

12 year old Mya Parsons has a grand ambition : become a U. N. negotiator, bring the world together and win the Nobel Peace Prize. She and her best friend Cleo create “Kids for Social Justice” to start working toward world peace and life is moving according to plan when, suddenly, Cleo gets a cell phone and everything changes. Mya is on the outside as Cleo starts texting and hanging around with kids, and (gasp) DATING!

As if that isn't enough, Mya's mother has to return to Myanmar to deal with a family emergency. Mya has to help Dad and her little sister keep the family functioning while Mom's away; all the while running a campaign to prove that she too is responsible enough for a cell phone.

Written with a light, entertaining touch, this book is a good presentation of the drama, humor and confusion of the tween years. There are even recipes from Myanmar. As Mya would say, ama-ZING! ( )

Mya's Strategy to Save the World is a hilarious and heart warming story about a young girl trying to save the world while also trying to acquire a cell phone. Throughout the story Mya has to deal with her mother being away, taking care of her younger sister, and also dealing with the challenges that come with growing up and becoming a teenager.

Mya aspires to work for the UN and has started her own social justice club along with her best friend Cleo. This book takes real topics from around the world and adds them to the story which allows young readers to learn more about the social justice system and other problems happening in their environment.

Overall I would recommend this book to young readers who love to learn about the justice system and also love to have a good laugh. I would read this book again in a heartbeat. ( )

I literally laughed out loud a few good times, and I'm all for kids getting involved in social justice. But I guess this heroine's tone/attitude doesn't sit right with me in some places, even though I know it isn't meant to be taken too seriously. I have trouble getting into a story when I don't quite jibe with the lead.

I won't be finishing this one, but I'm encouraged by seeing more diverse books coming out for young readers, including contemporary fiction that tackles topics like human rights.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program for an honest review.

Entertaining with the tiniest hint of romance, a strong sense of humor, and a girl with wonderfully strong opinions.

A phone would make it ever so much easier to spread the word about the causes most dear to Mya’s socially conscious heart, and no cause is more dear than her best friend, who seems to be slipping further and further away with every text. But proving she’s responsible enough to own a cell phone is a tall order when it means minding her pain of a sister, babysitting the most challenging of brothers, and learning to cook recipes from the Myanmar side of her family (there are some recipes included).

Mya’s such an admirable heroine, curious about the world, empathetic to it, she doesn’t just talk, she’s a girl of action, she aspires to a career in the United Nations, yet at the same time she’s insecure when it comes to her bestie branching out with other friends, and it takes Mya some time to understand that having a partner in a school project means actually letting someone else do their share and have their say, and sometimes she needs reminders of just how much she loves her little sister. In other words, Mya is lovably, relateably, imperfect and ever so easy to like.

With Mya so aware of injustices, I thought the author struck just the right note here in conveying some ills of the world without bogging down the story or overwhelming readers with information, and it’s delivered with an encouraging message, that even if you can’t do something that makes a big, immediate change, the smallest efforts matter, they make a difference, too.

Overall I just really enjoyed this, Mya could have come off as whiny for how much she pestered her parents for a phone, instead she’s this good-intentioned but flawed kid, you feel her pain, especially in the awkward moments (her period, feeling left out, dealing with a boy), and then there’s little skateboarding sister Nanda, if you loved Kitty in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, you’ll love Nanda, they’re cut from a similarly feisty cloth, and her ingenious shin pad solution made me smile.

I received this book through a giveaway. ( )