When I look at it with my analytical skills though, there are various things which didn't convince me or didn't care for. I recommend you to read I'll Be There if only for Riddle. His thoughts, his story, his drawings, the world seen through his eyes were the best part of the story for me and the main reason why I liked this book. If I had to choose a kid to adopt, this kid would be like him. Said judgement was purely based on emotional reasons, namely on the character of Riddle Border.

I'll admit straight away that I liked this book against my better judgement. Sam, our modern male Cinderella, has been on the road with his little sick brother for as long as he can remember, obliged by their psychotic father to live a miserable life, not going to school, kept out of society.Įmily is just a regular small town girl, reserved, introverted.īut when Emily is obliged by her father to sing a solo in church and sees Sam sitting on the back pew, something in the cosmic order of things shifts and their encounter will trigger a series of events which will change, once and for all, not only Sam, Riddle and Emily's lives profoundly but the lives of all people who will get caught in this devastating snowball effect. Readers will root for Julia as she stumbles through her time on the stage, but never gives up and emerges triumphant by the end.Ĭons: For all the director was supposed to be so creative, it sounded like his production of The Wizard of Oz was a carbon copy of the movie.It reads like a fairy tale and it's got the tropes of a fairy tale, though revisited in a modern key. Pros: A heartwarming, funny story by the author of Counting by 7’s. By the end of the play’s run, Julia is seeing herself in a whole new way, embracing who she is with a newfound confidence. And Julia reaches out to an elderly neighbor, who turns out to have a surprising talent for the theater and some wisdom to share as well. The director, Shawn Barr, sees something special in Julia, and gives her an additional role as a winged monkey. A little person, Olive becomes a friend and mentor, pairing with Julia in the role of lead dancer for the munchkins.

Much to her surprise, she gets the part of a munchkin, and her summer quickly takes a surprising new turn. When her mom drags her to an audition for a local production of The Wizard of Oz, Julia is sure that the only member of the family to be cast in the play will be her talented younger brother. Her beloved dog has recently died, and she’s feeling at loose ends as the summer begins. Unusually short for her age, she daydreams a lot in school and hasn’t been particularly successful in extracurriculars like soccer and piano. Summary: Julia is a girl who doesn’t think of herself as very talented.

Short book by holly goldberg sloan