The Renegade Reporters - by Elissa Brent Weissman (Paperback)

About the Book

Sixth-graders Ashley and her best friend Maya were banished from the live "News at Nine" broadcast at John Dos Passos Elementary in Baltimore after an embarrassing incident in the previous year; at loose ends the pair, together with their classmate Brielle, decide to become investigative reporters with their own online broadcast: "The Underground News"--and soon they stumble upon a major story about an educational software company that is illegally tracking and selling student data.

Book Synopsis

When Ash gets kicked off her school's news show, she becomes a renegade reporter--and makes a big discovery about technology and her fellow students' privacy.

Ash and her friends are reporters. They were ready to lead their school news show, The News at Nine, sponsored by Van Ness Media, when an unfortunate incident involving a dancing teacher, an irresponsibly reported story, and a viral video got them kicked off the crew. So Ash, Maya, and Brielle decide to start their own news show, The Underground News. And soon they stumble on a big lead: Van Ness Media, the educational company that provides their school's software, has been gathering data from all the kids at school. Their drawings, their journals, even their movements are being recorded and cataloged by Van Ness Media. But why? Ash and her friends are determined to learn the truth and report it.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Renegade Reporters

"Absolutely delightful! We need more renegade reporters in the world--please!" --RJ Palacio, bestselling author of Wonder

"The story features current issues and a diverse cast of characters who encounter problems and family situations that are now a part of life for many. The students have supportive adults around them as well as some who are not quite so nice. The novel is well worth rereads and discussions, but can also be enjoyed for the empowering feeling it imparts." --School Library Connection

"The unfolding of the investigation is skillfully handled, and kids will cheer for the perspicacious young reporters . . . A solid mystery that discusses data privacy and journalistic integrity." --Kirkus

"Weissman develops the rivalry and lunchroom shenanigans well against a Baltimore backdrop with recognizable local details . . . triumphant conclusion makes a solid case for kids' digital literacy." --Publishers Weekly

"Weissman uses a diverse cast to tackle the issue of data privacy in a way that will be accessible and understandable for a tween audience . . . The timely topic and author's note on privacy offer opportunities for further discussion, making this a solid choice for libraries and social justice book clubs." --Booklist

"In this entertaining, thought-provoking novel . . . Brent Weissman's lively narrative (and an author's note at the end) offers the target age group much to think about when it comes to issues of online privacy." --The Buffalo News

"Dili­gent research and report­ing by the Rene­gade Reporters grad­u­al­ly uncov­ers cor­rup­tion per­pe­trat­ed by Van Ness Media . . . The mem­bers of the rene­gade crew are inquis­i­tive, coura­geous, and moti­vat­ed . . . In addi­tion to the afore­men­tioned Rosh Hashanah con­nec­tions, Yom Kip­pur is treat­ed thought­ful­ly and sub­stan­tive­ly." --Jewish Book Council

Praise for Elissa Brent Weissman's The Length of a String
Sydney Taylor Honor Book

"Told in two voices which Weissman weaves together like a double helix, this is a story of family ties, some of which are broken by war, some broken by choice, some broken by unanswered questions. But by the end, readers will see that love and faith--from strangers, from friends, and from long-gone ancestors--have the power to knit us together with strings that are so much stronger than genetics. I loved this sweet refuge of a book." --Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Underneath and The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

"You'll yearn with this wonderful heroine as she searches for long-ago Anna and her own hidden past. The characters are unforgettable, and the ending is entirely satisfying. A book readers will love; I know I did." --Patricia Reilly Giff, Newbery Honor-winning author of Lily's Crossing

"The Length of a String is a resounding continuum of connection and search for self. As universal as it is personal. A must read." --Rita Williams-Garcia, Newbery Honor-winning author of One Crazy Summer

About the Author

Elissa Brent Weissman is the award-winning author of several middle grade novels, including The Length of a String, the Nerd Camp series, and the editor of Our Story Begins, an anthology of writing and art by today's kids' book creators back when they were kids themselves. She is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and earned a master's degree in children's literature at the University of Roehampton in London. After spending many years in Baltimore, where she taught creative writing to children, college students, and adults and was named one of CBS Baltimore's Best Authors in Maryland, Elissa currently lives with her family in Christchurch, New Zealand.