This book is about a girl and her mother who gives her a hard time, who she compares to being a bully. Some kids may be able to relate and this would be a great book for them to read to know how to handle the situation. Hope, the girl, basically makes an agreement with her mother to stop being mean and creates a point system. Every time her mom does something that is bully-like, she will mark it down. If she reaches a certain point number, her mom has to stop. I rate this 4 out of 5 because some students can relate. ( )

This was quite a good little story until the end. Throughout the book I was appalled with how Hope's mother spoke to her and continually put her down no matter how hard she tried. However, I admired how Hope refused to be a victim and found ways to work through her despair, often using Anne Frank as inspiration. Unfortunately, the last few chapters of the book were a disappointment. The resolution was too quick and tidy to be believable, and the ending felt rushed. However, this book does show younger readers how words can hurt. ( )

I really got into this book from the beginning. Hope is an 11 year old girl and this is her story. Hope lives with her brother, Tyler and their mother. Hope starts 6th grade at the beginning of Call me Hope.

Hope's mother is verbally abusive to her and you see and feel her struggles throughout this book. I found myself crying while reading this book. Some of the things that Hope goes through really broke my heart. You always hear about the physical abuse but not how words can be just as dangerous.

Hope was resilient in this book. Finding ways to cope and survive. It was great how this book ended and really touched me. ( )

Sometimes words hurt. Especially if you can’t go to your mother for help because she is the bully. For eleven year old Hope, this was her life. From struggling to come out of her shell to constantly getting called “stupid” or “worthless”, Hope had no one. As a sixth grader she got to go with her fellow classmates to Outdoor School. This was the light at the end of the tunnel for Hope, leading her to a new love and finding new friends. Hope has to be careful with every word that comes out of her mouth as well as her actions. If she slips up she could lose the one thing that got her through sixth grade.
Call me Hope is a heartwarming read that puts life into perspective. Hope’s negative emotions are unique to her situation but, are heartfelt just the same. As a reader you feel the sadness mixed with disappointment and hope that dwindles and rises throughout the novel. I recommend this book to anyone who needs a quick read that is good and heartfelt just the same. This book deserves 4 stars. ( )

Call Me Hope, by Gretchen Olson is a great book, a book that I just couldn’t put down! It is a story about an 11 year old girl named Hope and how strong and independent she is even though she has a tough life. Hope is bullied every second of every day and can’t even go to her mother for help, because the bully is her mother. Her mother doesn’t bully her by hitting her, but instead she bullies her verbally by telling her how bad she is and useless and any other mean thing she can think of. Hope’s mother bullies her so much that Hope makes up a point system to use for every time her mother says or does something mean. At the end of each day Hope gets to at least 1,000 points! Over the summer Hope to goes to summer camp and her mother decides to take some parenting classes because she thinks things don’t seem right. In the end the book is about appreciating and respecting your family above anything else. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories about real issues that can happen in families with real emotion. ( )