Shai & Emmie Star in Break an Egg!

Shai & Emmie star in... #1

by Quvenzhane Wallis, Nancy Ohlin (Contributor), Sharee Miller (Contributor)

From Academy Award–nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis comes the first story in a brand-new series about best friends Shai and Emmie, two third graders destined for superstardom.

Shai Williams was born to be a star (or a veterinarian—and maybe a dentist). She attends a special elementary school for the performing arts, and her grandma Rosa and aunt Mac-N-Cheese are both actresses. So Shai is shocked when she doesn’t get the lead role in the third-grade musical. Instead, the part goes to the new girl, Gabby Supreme, who thinks she is better than everyone else.

To add insult to injury, Ms. Gremillion has now asked Shai to help Gabby with the role. Shai reluctantly agrees and enlists Emmie to help, but Gabby isn’t going to make it easy. As opening night draws near, Shai discovers that making a new friend is sometimes like putting on a show—it requires dedication, patience, and lots and lots of practice.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Fiction, Friendship

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Quvenzhané Wallis is known for her role as Hushpuppy in the film Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), for which she became the youngest actress ever to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Reviews

[Hayden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute but I’m not the target audience so i was bored at times.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

11/13/2017 ** Shai (pronounced /Shay/) and Emmie are friends attending an elementary performing arts magnet school in Atlanta; Gabby is the new girl moving from Hollywood and somewhat disgruntled about moving to a "small town." This is the perfect setting for girl drama as Shai and Gabby both try out for the same role. I appreciated Shai's rambunctious family (professional parents, 3 siblings, and uncountable pets). I also thought her elders' wisdom in helping her navigate the rivalries was believable and considerate.

I know I will have girls begging for more in my elementary library.

Source: http://www.readbrightly.com/new-autho...

[Phyllis Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very delightful for young people

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed digital review copies of this book through NetGalley and Edelweiss.

[T.J. Burns]

I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished an adult read so now back to my kiddos--keep my reading varied and fresh..wanted something new, short and amazing to maybe do a readaloud, definitely to recommend and this one is written by a beautiful young Academy-award nominated little actress..This adorable easy to read follows a little girl named Shaianne and her best friend Emmy as they attend a performing arts school and meet a new girl Gabrielle Supreme--a girl who is really a professional actress and just arrived from Hollywood.

It’s not like Shaianne is jealous or anything she believes she is amazing but there is a slight rivalry building between the two-especially as the school’s production of “On this Island” is announced and auditions begin….And then Gabby is selected for the lead of Ti Moune, the part that Shaianne wanted oh so much..

As if losing her part to the new girl isn’t bad enough--she is also enlisted by the director to help her out in her first stage production as her experience is in tv commercials..The girls reluctantly begin working together and make it happen for the sweet school production that they put on--this book had definitions, examples and a sweet lesson on being friends and accepting there are no small parts only small actors and being yourself….It ends with the possibility of even more installments which is great--I can see kids loving this cute one :)

[Kendall Santoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shai, a young girl with big dreams of stardom, competes with the new girl, Gabby, for the lead in a school musical. Shai is inspired by the actress in her family and sees herself fulfilling the lead role perfectly. Gabby, a professional child actress from Hollywood, threatens Shai’s dreams and instils self-doubt. Shai is disappointed to lose the lead role to Gabby, and even more frustrated to be tasked with mentoring Gabby in the musical. Emmie, her best friend, helps Shai work with Gabby, but the trio face many difficulties in working together. Gabby’s arrogance and Shai’s wounded ego spark man y obstacles; however, Shai starts to react with kindness and empathy, leading to an unlikely friendship. Wallis, an Oscar-winning child actress, infuses her story with a realistic perspective to all aspects of performing arts, curating the perfect story that sends the message of working hard towards goals, managing difficult emotions, and choosing empathy and kindness in difficult scenarios. Educators can instill these values in their students by focusing on the difficulties of working with others, encouraging students to be kind and understanding toward their peers.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was fine, but we listened to it on audio at the same time as physically reading another performing arts book and this one was not as good. This book is about 2 best friends who go to a performing arts school and love to act (Shai) and dance (Emmie). Then a new girl joins the school and she has had a successful acting career already so there is some animosity and jealousy. The girls have to learn to work together to make a successful performance. It was fun to hear Quvenzhane narrate. This is a very basic book but it was kind and realistic enough to have my daughter continue.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute series opener for a young chapter book reader. The plot was pretty well developed and layered. There were plenty of lessons and details about acting. The main character has to manage her emotions, expectations, and peers. She has a large supportive family. The art was primitive but cute and age appropriate. I think young readers will enjoy these books.

[Megan Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this idea! I love a performing arts elementary school. So often it’s always a high school, but this is great! And I love that it not only teaches readers about acting and has all of these great SEL elements, but it ALSO told the story of a real theatre production. That makes it so accessible. I love it.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book written by a beautiful young actress. One of the supporting characters was not very redeemable for me and I didn't care for that.
Still, I will recommend to our Junior readers.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice chapter book for 3rd, 4th, 5th graders about friendship and acting. I had wished the mean character had come around a little bit more, but I guess that reflects reality.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! My 8 year old loved it as well. Nice character development and realistic storyline.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Friendship and the competitiveness of an arts academy.

[Carrie Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for 2nd-3rd graders, especially those interested in the Arts

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cool that a young actress wrote this story, and I like the diverse characters in this chapter book for young readers. If you know girls who are into acting, they’ll have fun with this one.

[Keshia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute!

[Sarah LeGear · Rating 4 out of 5]

The girls liked this. It has a good moral to it.

[Cat Fithian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A step above Early Readers, this gr.2-4-ish novel is fun and easy. Handles dealing with "not being chosen" very well.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ages 6 and up read

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

We both cringed every time I had to read the word "amazetastic"

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early chapter book for kids who are interested in the theater or like to act.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

121 pgs. This is a fun series about a little girl named Shai who loves to perform on the stage. When a new girl comes to her third-grade classroom at school and tries to steal the part Shai is hoping to get, it becomes quite a problem. There is a lot of realistic drama going on and the girls have to work it out. Girls will love this series. Highly recommended for Grades 3-4.

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

The audio book may appeal to kids as it was read by the young author. The narration is similar to listening to Peppermint Patty. Cute story. As an adult, you'd be better of reading it than listening to it.