Il mondo da quaggiù

by Holly Goldberg Sloan, Loredana Baldinucci (Translator)

«Holly Goldberg sa creare personaggi assolutamente deliziosi, affrontando temi importanti con umorismo e tenerezza.» «Dolce e incoraggiante… Il modo in cui Julia accetta le proprie difficoltà è motivo d'ispirazione per il lettore e la gioia che prova nella sua incursione nel mondo del teatro è irresistibile.» «Dolce e incoraggiante… Il modo in cui Julia accetta le proprie difficoltà è motivo d'ispirazione per il lettore e la gioia che prova nella sua incursione nel mondo del teatro è irresistibile.» «La voce autentica di una ragazzina che parla di argomenti fondamentali, fra cui il dolore della perdita e l'identità personale, con un tono incantevole e allegro.»

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Audiobook, Humor, Childrens

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2017

About the author

Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent her childhood living in California, the Netherlands, Istanbul, Washington, DC, and Oregon (where she graduated from high school). She wrote the screenplay for Angels in the Outfield and directed The Big Green, as well as a number of other successful family feature films.

The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband (the writer/illustrator Gary Rosen) in Santa Monica, California. I'll Be There was her debut novel. Her next book, Counting By 7s, was Amazon's best novel of the year for middle grade. Her book Just Call My Name is a follow up to I'll Be There and takes place several months after the ending of the first novel.

Appleblossom the Possum was written by Sloan and Illustrated by Rosen and comes out of Sloan's love for Charlotte's Web. Her next novel will be published in January of 2017 from Dial/Penguin Random House.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nuts. I loved Sloan's COUNTING BY 7'S, and I thought this book would be amazing based on the description...but I just thought it was okay. There was something about the voice of the young protagonist. I could tell she was supposed to be quirky and funny, but it didn't always play that way for me... Still an enjoyable read, just not as good as I wanted it to be.

[sAmAnE · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب قد کوتاه درباره‌ی دختری به نام جولیاست که به‌دلیل قد بسیار کوتاهش، هیچ‌وقت برای تیم‌های ورزشی انتخاب نمی‌شود. این موضوع باعث می‌شود با چالش‌های درونی روبه‌رو شود و به‌تدریج یاد بگیرد چگونه با تفاوت‌هایش کنار بیاید و توانایی‌های دیگری را در خود پرورش دهد...
این کتاب برای بچه‌های ۱۰ تا ۱۵ سال بسیار مناسب است، چون آن‌ها را تشویق می‌کند تا خودشان را بهتر بشناسند، تفاوت‌های فردی را بپذیرند، مفهوم عزت‌نفس را درک کنند، از احساسات واقعی‌شان حرف بزنند، به اهمیت دوستی و همکاری پی ببرند، و در برابر ترس‌هایشان شجاعت نشان دهند.

[Jonas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A summer production of the Wizard of Oz explores many themes including grieving and concept of self based on height. A very entertaining read. Funny at many parts, serious at others. A great journey for fans of the theater and YA genre. Two of my favorite quotes are:

“The world is filled with bias, and it’s consumed with judgment and opinions that are hardened and even institutionalized. That’s why we do theater. That’s what it’s about. We are asking people to take another look at themselves and at each other

“We are all passing away.
Maybe that’s why I’m crying now. The old us is a new us every day, and we have to accept that we will have a beginning and a middle and an end.”

[Akilah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounding down.

I liked this book better when I started reading it than when it ended. After the middle, this book started to drag a lot for me, and I found myself forcing myself to see it through.

The big issue is that Julia has a great voice, but after a while it got tiresome--mostly because Julia spends most of the book in her head. Also, I realize this isn't the story Sloan set out to tell, but I would have probably liked this a lot better if Julia had actually interacted with some kids her own age so I got to see her actually being a kid instead of the mini-adult she thought she was.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit off topic for a book review is why libraries and librarians are so important. Sure buying e-books and online can be cheap and delivered straight to your hands, but a library is a special place. You can flip through books in a brick and mortar store, but sometimes the thought of shelling out hard-earned money for what's in your hands just changes your mind for you. But libraries? Browse the shelves. Any of them. ALL of them. You can widen your genre or stick to your comfort zone -- all at no cost -- the world is wide open to you in a library.

So, I give a standing ovation for this book, which has reinforced my never ending love of libraries (as did Inkheart... the book is always better than the movie). Why? It's a book I wouldn't have purchased for myself in store or online, but once I started reading an advance copy from a librarian friend, I fell in love with it and didn't want it to end.

If I didn't know any better, Holly Goldberg Sloan went back in time with her current writing prowess and wrote this when she was a preteen. She gets it. She IS the voice of Julia as a kid growing up, just trying to make sense of the world as she knows it. Not just the short kid, Julia also appears to have some learning differences.

I fell in love with all the characters, found myself routing for opening night, and was taken aback when it didn't all fall into place near the end as you may think a YA novel would. Sloan worked this well into the storyline and I enjoyed how she recovered it.

Pulling in many aspects of life for young readers that helps them deal with family, love, death, friendships, new experiences, and more, Sloan does a great job of explaining unknown terms young adults and non-theater readers. She even glosses over terms that young adults just don't seem to need to know yet. It's a young adult book for all ages.

Only after I read the book did I note that Sloan also wrote Angels in the Outfield. I'm definitely going to search the shelves for more of her books!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endearing novel seen through the eyes of the oh so charming preteen Julia Marks. Discouraged about her lack of stature and grieving the loss of her beloved dog, Ramon, Julia isn't looking forward to her summer. Her life changes dramatically (no pun intended) when her mother signs her and younger brother, Randy up as Munchkins in a semi-professional production of The Wizard of Oz. During the course of the nearly daily rehearsals Julia is introduced to the world of theatre and a quirky cast of characters who leave a lasting impact on her young life. Had I read this as a child it would have undoubtedly been one of my favorites. I've long loved the theatre and would have enjoyed Julia's astute, raw observations about the world around her.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl who is short, doesn't want to he short, gets cast in play to be short, and learns that being short is a very tall order and she is ready to tackle it. Wizard of OZ meets realistic fiction. Loved it!

[Millie Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It sounded interesting and I had hoped I could relate to Julia a bit, being someone "not tall" myself. That's about where it ends for me, though. Julia was "forced to try out" for a local production of The Wizard of Oz by her mother and she is cast (along with her little brother) as a Munchkin. That's pretty much the entire book right there.

I had to keep reminding myself that Julia wasn't six or seven years old because she acted so much younger than the preteens I've had experience dealing with. She spent a good part of the book being upset about her dog dying (understandable) and pretending to be an adult with the other adult cast members, to the point of whining about how childish the actual kids were. She seemed pretty flat to me and one dimensional. I couldn't really get into the story and only finished because I'm one of those people that figures, "Well, I've put this much time into it, I might as well see how it ends."

The ending wasn't bad. It was nice to see Julia finally realize that complaining about her height and the fact that she's in a play and her dog dying wasn't all there was to life. I'd have liked to read more about Mrs. Chang and Olive and not just have them be someone that Julia is trying to imitate. She has the usual non-filter of children, but I kept expecting it to come from someone much younger. I expected more from the story and was kind of disappointed. (Also, Julia's constant remarks about something "not being a good look" for someone got annoying pretty quickly. Judgmental little thing, isn't she?)

Would I read it again? Nope. Recommend it? Only if you want to feel your brain leaking out of your ear.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Sloan is a super writer so (in addition to the good reviews I'd read) I fully expected to enjoy this. I thought this was super. I loved the frank age-appropriate voice of Julia as she observed the world around her and did not get everything. It's tricky to write a child character who's not too preciously precocious and savvy, but can talk about feelings, and I think Sloan did an amazing job of it. I loved seeing things through Julia's eyes, including how a play gets produced, what it feels like to be part of a cast, discovering how interesting her neighbor was, and observing a possible adult romance. I thought this was funny and refreshing and look forward to putting this into the hands of my students! I especially want to recommend it to my daughter's 4H group who will be performing The Wizard of Oz this summer and, just like Julia, my daughter gets to be a Munchkin and a winged (not "flying") monkey! (though she won't get to fly.)

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I think I would've enjoyed this more had I read it with my eyes. I don't generally enjoy Sands' "young" voices. They tend to come off too quirky for my taste. I loved Julia's meandering self-centeredness.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't fully engaged in this story of an amateur summer production of The Wizard of Oz or Julia, the shorter than average protagonist cast as a munchkin. I liked the supporting cast of characters, but Julia herself was a bit too annoying for my taste.

[Sara. · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان در مورد دختری به اسم جولیاست که برخلاف میلش سر از اجرای تئاتر درمیاره، ولی درس بزرگی می‌گیره: «ممکن است چیزی اولش واقعاً افتضاح باشد، ولی بعد از تجربه کردنش بفهمی فوق‌العاده است.»

اکثر کودک‌نوجوان‌هایی که خوندم جادوشون در این بوده که وسط سیاهی اکلیل می‌پاشیدن و باعث می‌شدن رگه‌هایی از نور ببینی، توی «قد کوتاه» خبری از سرطان و مرگ و فقر نبود، امّا مشخصه‌ی اصلی ژانرش رو داشت، اکلیلی بودن.

بخش‌هایی از کتاب:

«خانم چانگ می‌گوید بیش‌تر وقت‌ها در زندگی، قبل از این‌که آماده باشی قضاوت می‌شوی.»

«حسادت سمّیه که هر روز اون رو سر می‌کشی.»

«همه‌چیز به هم مرتبط است و هر اتفاقی روی اتفاق‌های بعد از خودش اثر می‌گذارد.»

«تیم فقط شانه بالا می‌اندازد، برای این‌که به قول مامان و بابا به سن بحرانی رسیده. نمی‌دانم این بحران اوست یا ما که داریم با او زندگی می‌کنیم.»

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've read contemporary middle grade. I think kids will LOVE this -- it has the right mix of heart, relatability, humour, and seriousness that speaks to kids that age. Especially fun for kids who like theatre but I was never a theatre kid and I really enjoyed it. Just FYI, if you are an adult it may make you cry, IDK what to tell you.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book! It was a sweet story of Julia and the summer she spends playing a Munchkin in her town's production of The Wizard of Oz. There were some very funny moments and observations made by Julia and overall, it was a good story. Great for those middle grade kids who like realistic fiction without any edgy parts whatsoever.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m considering this the first must read middle grade novel of 2017. More accessible and just as good as Counting by 7’s, which I also loved. Maybe I just have an instant fondness for books with short people being part of musicals. Fans of Tim Federle’s Nate books will enjoy this.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking for read alouds with unrepresented characters and this one qualifies. I've loved Holly Goldberg Sloan's writing since I discovered her in Counting by 7's. This one was right up there. So many great lines.

[Karly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids. There are so many life lessons explained in a kid-friendly way.

[Tiffany S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite an enjoyable realistic fiction book. I normally don't read realistic fiction, but i found this book surprisingly good. Julia finds the benefits of being short, and it's also because she's short, that she is accepted into the play The Wizard of Oz, which changes her life. She gets new experiences, learns how to interact with adults and people older than her, and makes new friends. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good realistic fiction book. It doesn't capture your attention in every part of the book. It's a more calm book, and more of a gondola ride than a roller coster ride type of book.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I feel like the voice of this character would be hard for many ofy students to enjoy. Julia is a very sweet girl who goes through a fun, life-changing summer, but I'm not sure how relatable her voice/character is... I can only think of maybe three students from my *short* teaching career that would relate to Julia. Still a very sweet book. I would recommend it to students, but only a select few. There are also some references and events that I think would go over the heads of many students- they were a bit advanced I think for 4th/5th graders.

[Ginger Ciminello · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! We loved this as a read-aloud. I sobbed through the past two pages. My seven-year old, “Can we find the author and ask her to write more about Julia and Shawn Barr and Mrs. Chang and Olive and the ducks?!”

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very excited for this book to come out. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations. I think it definitely could with some revising.

The narrator, who also serves as the protagonist of the story, is the major issue. I don't believe we ever learned of her age, but she appears to be very young throughout the majority of the text. In fact, several adult characters refer to her as "Baby" during the plot which, in reality, comes across more as being creepy rather than endearing. There are other times when she is described in a way that makes her appear to be older. I'm not sure if this is due to her struggling with self-esteem; it very well could be the result of how she sees herself.

Perhaps my biggest critique of the character is in how she views the world and speaks about it. Based on her limited social interactions and just how she talks about the every day, it appears that she is on the autism spectrum. In fact, I think that declaring this is exactly what is missing from the book. If readers knew this early on, the story would make more sense and the ending would be extremely profound. I found myself distracted by this the entire length of the text.

I think with revising this story could be magical. As it stands now, however, its flaws cast a shadow that is difficult to get beyond.

[Simay Yildiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okuduğum iki kitabından genelleme yapacağım: Holly Goldberg Sloan insanı iyi hissettiren hikâyeler yazmakta oldukça başarılı. Yine Domingo’dan çıkan Mucizeleri Saymak kitabını okuduğumda da iyi hissetmiştim, Kısa da iyi hissettirdi gerçekten. Her iki kitabın da kalbinde bir tür “tuhaflık” olması da çok hoşuma gidiyor açıkçası çünkü gerçekten “Kime, neye göre tuhaf? Niye tuhaf?” sorularını sordurtarak başkalarının tuhaf gördüklerini sorgulatıyor ve sonunda da hep bir kabulleniş, kendin olduğu gibi kabullenmeye, sevmeye gidiş var. En sevdiğim gerçekten!

Holly Goldberg Sloan Kısa kitabında da yine herkesin seveceği bir ana karakteri, Julia Marks’ı yaratmış. Bazı yerlerde “Ah, yavrum!” diyerek sarılarınız geliyor Julia’ya; bazı yerlerde de çocuk olduğunu unutturuyor. Bir tarafıyla hayal gücüne bırakıyor kendini ama bir diğer yanıyla da bir an önce büyüsün, ayakları yere sağlam bassın diye uğraşıyor gibi.

Devamı: https://zimlicious.com/holly-goldberg...

[Christina Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I grew this summer. Not on the outside, but on the inside. And that's the only place where growing really matters." Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan features Julia Marks, a matter-of-fact girl who does not like people referring to her as short. In fact, she has banned the word from her vocabulary. To make matters worse, her mother is forcing her to try out for the theater production of The Wizard of Oz, and what does she get casted as? That's right, a munchkin. Plus, her two best friends are gone for the summer, she may need to get braces, and her dog, Ramon, passed away a few months ago. Talk about wanting the summer to be over before it even starts. Will Julia follow the yellow brick road and find new friendships, new experiences, and a new hobby? Short was a fun read full of drama/theater references, energetic characters, and a few fantastic flying (winged) monkeys! 🎭👠🐵

[Allison B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I gave this book 3 stars because it was a 'cute' book. There really wasn't an amazing plot line to the story but it had some good life lessons. This story is about a girl who participates in a play over the summer. She makes new friends and finds out new things about people she already knew. She is just a normal girl, in no way special or unique, really. In the Wizard of Oz play she is in she tries new things that she never thought she would do before. But again there is really no grand finale other than the play being put on. I liked this book and am glad I got to read it because of all its little relatable things. I would recommend this book really to any age there isn't anything 'inappropriate' and it's a fun book to read if you're feeling lazy because it doesn't take a lot of comprehension to understand, in my opinion.

[Kari Yergin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The semi-professional production of The Wizard of Oz that Julia’s mother signs her up for the summer that Julia seems like she’d like to just stay in bed is, of course, life changing. As happens with theater. “Come out, come out, wherever you are...” says Glinda to welcome the Munchkins to the stage and to welcome Julia to her new thoughts and feelings about how to be in the world as she moves from being a grieving girl with a very rich inner life to a confident young lady figuring things out by watching the new adults around her. This is one of those books that reminds you of the positive power that you can have as an adult.

Could it be that it harkened back to my summer after 5th grade when I, too, got to be in a production of The Wiz with teenagers and adults I had never met, and costumes made of silky polyester and deep emerald velvet, and acting drills in a cool, tiled studio, and a big stage with spotlights, and the whole thing just felt surreal? Probably.

Mrs Chang: “How’s everything in your life?” This is a very big question, and I’m not sure she is looking for a real answer or if she’s just trying to be nice.

I am always amazed at how a simple song can be crazy inspiring. My parents often play an old one called “Let It Be.” I guess it calms them down. I wonder if other things in life are like this. Maybe the key is that Big Ideas are Little Ideas but told in Big Ways?

Maybe the biggest question for me is, what is art? Maybe the answer is: imagination mixed with emotion. Or maybe not. Maybe art takes time to understand. Also, maybe the artist is the person to KNOW the art, and the rest of us are there to FEEL the art. Or maybe the other way around. (she wrote in her diary). I decide I might get a headache if I don’t stop thinking about this, so I quit.

A while later I go back into the kitchen and eat eight apricots. I will probably get a stomachache, but I can’t help myself. When I’m around apricots I just lose control. They are perfect. Fortunately they are only in the house in the summer. I feel bad for the family because I just ate the whole bowl.

I put Ramon’s collar and also the wooden Ramon carving next to me on the blanket. My dad once said that giving away something you don’t want isn’t generous. Giving away something you do want is. So if you aren’t going to eat your tuna fish sandwich at lunch, and you turn to a kid and say, “hey, do you want this?” Then you aren’t a generous person. You might even just be a person who can’t stand the smell of tunafish.

It’s been two weeks since I started going to both rehearsals, and I’m too busy to think about anything like my scrapbook or writing a letter to Pieper. I’m not even looking for Ramon so much, which feels wrong. But I just don’t see him in all of his old places like I used to. Maybe I’m getting more comfortable with the empty space. Or maybe having so many new things in my life is filling it up.

“Thanks, mom. Thanks for making me try out for this play.” I think I might just have made being a mother totally worthwhile for her. I will try to never forget her face. It’s too bad I don’t have a cell phone, because I could’ve taken a picture and that would’ve been great for my scrapbook. Mom‘s got tears in her eyes and she’s smiling. It’s an amazing look. I have to remember how powerful it can be to say thank you. Especially to the people you live with.

Right now I wish that I had brought flowers for the three of them. I suppose I could tell them I was thinking about doing it, or I could surprise them tomorrow. I will make a plan about giftgiving later when I have more time, and also I will look for more clues about what’s going on in the adult world of broken hearts. Shawn Barr says that there are always two things happening in any situation: what we see, and what we don’t see. But what we don’t see we can feel – if we are paying attention.

Young people need models, not critics.

I wish that Brock Wacker would come back to the play now, but that’s not how it works. He sees it once and he writes his opinion. Mrs. Chang says that you are judged often in life before you are ready. She’s not talking about spelling tests, but I understand.

There should be a word for the kind of moment when you are excited but also sad and at the same time you know that what’s happening is important. Maybe there is a word but I don’t know it.

I try not to cry, because my nickname is baby but I’m not a baby. I say in a very small voice, “I don’t want it to end. Why does it have to end?” I realize tears are leaking out of my eyes, which I know is not a good look for me. He says, “everything has to come to an end sometime.” “ why?”
“ that’s a line from the marvelous land of Oz by L Frank Baum.”
“ oh no. I haven’t read that much of his stuff.”
Sean bar doesn’t know that I don’t do that great in school for that sometimes I’m not a good listener and that I can daydream. He doesn’t know that I got fired by my piano teacher. He doesn’t know that I miss my dog so much, people were worrying. He sees a different me than other people.

[ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

I mostly read this because I love Sloan's other book, Counting by 7s, and also because my sister read it and said that it was about theatre.

I did love the theatre aspect of this book, and Julia's voice was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times. It was just hard for me to believe that Julia was ten or eleven because she had the filter of a younger kid. For instance, there was an older character who wanted to be a flying monkey, which entails getting a harness and flying. Julia thought that said older character was seventy-six and "older than dirt" to another character. She also says that the tea a character gave her tastes like "dirty flowers". I think it would've been better if she was younger?

This was definitely not as good as Counting by 7s but it was amusing and a fun read

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages: 9 - 13

Cleanliness:

Children's Bad Words
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 4 Incidents: stupid, h*lluva
Name Calling - 1 Incident: jerks
Religious Profanities - 1 Incident: Oh my gosh

Religious & Supernatural - 1 Incident: “I used the word ‘possessed’ to talk about demons. Randy doesn’t have those. At least not that I know of.” Sarcasm.

Romance Related - 22 Incidents: “Plus part of their statement was sexist, which was also wrong.” Parents had commented on it being better that a girl was short and not a boy. As the reader, you kind of assume that the main girl likes a certain boy, Stephen Boyd, but it is not mentioned often and not even detailed that it’s a crush. He’s mentioned just a couple times throughout the book and at the end he’s in a scene. An old woman tells about how she once dated one of the Beatles. It’s referenced later. A lady really likes a man and tries befriending him to get noticed. They go on a date but then he becomes interested in another lady who’s popular. Several scenes are throughout the book of her talking to him, doing something with him or trying to sit with him. A man and lady go on a date. “I don’t want to set my goals low, but when I’m ready, I think it will probably be easier to find a boyfriend if the person already likes me.” An old man kisses an old woman’s gloved hand. A girl says how she’s just a kid so has never had a boyfriend. But she thinks about it as she’s trying to process her friend’s (who is a woman) breakup. A lady leans her head on a man’s shoulder. A boy peeks behind a sheet at girls/women changing. “It’s not a quick kiss; it’s a real one that looks like they are locked together by magnets in their lips.” A boy that a girl likes shows up, compliments her on her acting and invites her to his house to see his dog. An old man kisses the top of a girl’s head. A dog has underwear on his head. Boys and girls are separated at school to watch a film called “Our Changing Bodies.” Mentions someone has a broken butt. “I hate the word ‘puberty.’” “I decide when you look at a real monkey sitting, you can’t tell if it’s a girl or boy. Or at least I can’t because there’s so much fur.” Transgender reference: A girl wonders if her dentist switched from a guy to a girl because of some confusion. The dentist didn’t - the girl didn’t know that the office had dentists that are brother and sister with the same last name. Mentions a similar rule to changing underwear. A girl sees some underwear in a laundry room. A girl sees an old man’s chest and describes it.

Attitudes/Disobedience - 15 Incidents: A girl lies (and "half" lies) quite a bit throughout the book. Either to hide her true emotions or to not get caught. A girl is upset so hides in the bathroom. She won’t come out and say hello to a neighbor when her mom asks her to. A girl sneaks coffee from her parents. A girl makes a rude comment to an elder. A girl is embarrassed about being seen with a midget. She changes soon after. A girl admits to cheating on tests in school. A girl is selfish, not thinking of how her brother might feel. “I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I nod like I do.” “Everything is connected. I wasn't trying to get Randy a new friend. I was being selfish, but I guess it worked out.” A girl is selfish for a moment. A girl is upset because she doesn’t understand something and is rude to her brother and his friend. Scene to resolution provided.

Conversation Topics - 19 Incidents: Some people smoke. Mentions Santa Claus. “My mom said that Mrs. Murray is older than God, which isn’t true but is mabe nicer to say than that Mrs. Murray is older than dirt.” Mentions to circle of life a few times throughout the book. The main character is chosen to be in a play of The Wizard of Oz so it mentions the witches. It is throughout the book.
“Sitting is the new smoking.” Meaning both things can be hard on your body. Mentions Halloween and Halloween costumes a few times. Mentions wine. Mentions Bart Simpson’s red shirt. A girl mentions dog heaven but is not sure where it is. Mentions yoga. References cavemen. Mentions tattoos. A girl struggles with death and shares her thoughts. At the end, she hopes a lady drinks some wine to help cope. Mentions a horoscope. “He says a swear word.” A girl takes a sip of champagne. A girl wonders if maybe a woman tells adult jokes. Suicide: “What if this [man] makes Randy so sad, he wants to throw himself off a bridge?”

Parent Takeaway
While the main character isn't a perfect role model, she's still decently good; and the book is a fun one for mature tweens. She's likable, quirky and learns some valuable life lessons throughout the book. Such themes as having friends of various ages, trying new things and branching out from your comfort zone (acting in a play), how to handle criticism and perfectionism (the play she's in gets a bad comment in the newspaper) and how to cope with the loss of a pet (which later comes into perspective when an old lady shares about the death of her daughter).

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[Sebeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After losing her dog, 11 year old Julia Marks was trying to find happiness in her life. But after being casted as a munchkin in the play Wizard of Oz, she discovers her performing abilities. As Julia meets new people in the play and develop new relationships, she begins to discover the happiness in her daily life. The novel shows her smallest details of changing emotions, which makes Julia Marks look like a person in real life, not just an imaginary kid. Julia is small for her age, but during this chance she grows internally. The thematic topic of this novel is "finding happiness", which all of us could experience, just in different ways- including Julia.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of the 2017 Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club.

This is the book I have been waiting for all summer (at least in terms of the KidsPost Book Club). For me, it was the right combination of funny and sweetly insightful. Take, for example, this quote from p. 198: "...Correcting people isn't very fun and just ends up being extra work." Words to live by, especially if you have a personality like mine.

I could also relate to Julia's desire to be appreciated and taken seriously by adults. I had friends my own age when I was a tween, but I always felt more comfortable around grown-ups and wanted to be friends with them, so I liked the way that Olive and Mrs. Chang, especially, connected with Julia.

Recommended for grades 5 - 7 (or even up to 8).

[Riley Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, the main character, Julia, shows the character strength of perseverance. She shows this because after the death of her beloved dog, Ramon, she is feeling like she has no talent at all. Along with her small size, she feels like she has no talent to showcase. However, by the end of the summer, Julia grows and pushes through all of her challenges to join her local theatre's show of the Wizard of Oz. This will help Julia overcome all of her self-doubts and realize her importance and impact in the world. Julia is cast as a munchkin along with her younger brother, Randy