Short

October 24, 2016
Julia Marks, 11, is short for her age, doesn’t dance, can’t carry a tune like her brother Randy, and definitely doesn’t want to spend her summer acting in community theater. All of that changes when she and Randy are cast as Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz. The play forces Julia to challenge her perceptions of herself: being a dreamer isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and being short doesn’t mean one can’t do great things. It also allows her to engage with people she wouldn’t have otherwise met, like elderly neighbor Mrs. Chang (who turns out to be both a skilled seamstress and an agile Winged Monkey); Olive, one of three adult Munchkins; and Shawn Barr, the play’s charismatic director. Sloan (Counting by 7s) again captures the authentic voice of a child dealing with weighty topics, including loss and identity, in a charming and often funny way. Julia’s natural naïveté (such as not knowing that L. Frank Baum is not “El Frank Bomb”) and inability to self-censor make for a narrative filled with lighthearted and candid moments. Ages 8–12. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House

October 15, 2016
Julia Marks is taking readers somewhere over the rainbow and embarking on a summer of self-discovery.Always considered short for her age, Julia is used to being picked last for sports teams in school, even by her closest friends, and is self-conscious enough of her height that she never uses the dreaded S-word. Her outlook changes, however, when her mother forces her to audition for the local university's summer-theater production of The Wizard of Oz, in which she is cast as the lead Munchkin dancer. Chance friendships with her neighbor Mrs. Chang, a costuming genius, and Olive, an adult cast mate who is her exact size, help transform Julia's summer from one of grudging obligation into an inspirational experience that enables her to put her own insecurities into perspective. Sloan combines Julia's interior monologue with events in real time to create a winning portrait of an inquisitive white adolescent girl whose shrewd observations of family members and cast mates reveal a keen mind and a delightfully quirky sense of humor. Her musings about the play also serve as a well-crafted introduction to theater terminology and convey drama's ability to open participants up to new experiences. A charming read with an important message that no matter one's stature, "the way we move tells the world who we are." (Fiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-Middle schooler Julia Marks reluctantly lands a part as a munchkin in a summer stock production of The Wizard of Oz. Tentative at first about her performing abilities, she's helped along by a group of adults who see what she has not yet realized about herself: she makes a big impression for such a small person. Julia is indeed very small; the title of the book describes the protagonist, who is several inches shorter than her classmates and has been uncomfortable about her height since she overheard her parents discussing it negatively. Julia's rambling first-person narration is very funny as she resists every new opportunity (lead munchkin dancer; second string winged monkey) and then decides she loves it once she tries it. Julia finds mentors in the well-drawn characters who make up the theater group, especially the charismatic director, who works lying down after he breaks his tailbone, and a septuagenarian costume designer and former prima ballerina. She changes her perspective on her own size when she befriends Olive, an actress with dwarfism who wows the protagonist with her singing and dancing chops, her fashion sense, and her confidence as she dresses down the director for his bias against an aspiring cast member. Brief chapters and an accessible writing style add to the novel's appeal. VERDICT Theater kids and fans of Tim Federle's "Nate" books will love this.-Beth Wright Redford, Richmond Elementary School Library, VT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2016
Grades 3-7 *Starred Review* In this sweet and uplifting story, quirky middle-schooler Julia grows up in unexpected ways after winning the roles of a Munchkin and a winged monkey in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz. She can't dance or sing, but she's ideally suited for the roles because she's very short. Julia hopes being in the play will help take her mind off the recent death of her beloved dog, Ramon. She's not the best student, isn't a good listener, and tends to daydream, but she's wryly observant, especially of the adults around her, who often act more out of control than the kids. She finds friendship and great role models in an elderly neighbor and in a number of people involved with the show: her director, a talented costume designer, and Olive, a woman with dwarfism who plays a fellow Munchkin. Julia's tendency for self-analysis and her unique view of things is often very funny, as in the way she compares blue cheese to the tops of her grandmother's legs when she's in her swimsuit. It's refreshing that Julia doesn't mind being short and believes she's little, but big inside. Her self-acceptance is inspiring, and the joy she experiences in her foray into theater is irresistible.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2017
While mourning the loss of her beloved dog, short-statured Julia Marks gets cast (much to her chagrin) as a Munchkin in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz. The play helps her mature and make new friends, including adult dwarf Olive. Julia's interior monologue--full of insights and frankness--is humorous, refreshing, and appropriately childlike; theater fans should also enjoy this behind-the-scenes look.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)