Not Starring Zadie Louise
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- €11.99
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- €11.99
Publisher Description
In this “entertaining and moving” (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade novel that’s perfect for fans of Tim Federle and Gordon Korman, Zadie is determined to spend the summer helping at the community theater—but things go hilariously awry!
Zadie loves Tae Kwon Do, comic books, and outer space. She also loves visiting the community theater that her mom runs, especially the lighting grid over the stage and the stage manager’s booth, which is filled with levers and buttons like a spaceship control panel. So when the family’s finances suffer a blow and Zadie has to give up her usual activities to spend the summer at the theater, she doesn’t mind too much. After all, she’s always wanted to tech a show.
She knows she’d be great at it, but her mom and the new stage manager are totally opposed to the idea of having a kid do tech. Instead, Zadie’s stuck handing out snacks and folding flyers. But the future of the theater rides on this show, and Zadie is determined to help. She’s going to make Spinderella the hit of the season—unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On Washington State's Bainbridge Island, 10-year-old Zadie Louise Gonzalez is an aspiring astronaut who loves tae kwon do. But as she heads into summertime freedom, her parents reveal that money's tight, and that neither she nor her sister, 12-year-old Lulu, can participate in their usual activities. Instead, their Guatemalan father will join the gig economy as a Ryde driver, and the siblings will take part in a local youth theater production of Spinderella—headed by its artistic director, their mother, who reads as white. Budding diva Lulu takes happily to the boards, but stage-averse Zadie flees her audition, heading straight for the catwalk before learning that the venue doesn't allow minors to work in tech theater—and that the cool new stage manager won't let kids into her booth. Zadie nevertheless rallies, doing her level best to put her science and technology skills to good use, but the universe and a pair of mean girls conspire against her, rendering each of her efforts a disaster. Employing Beezus and Ramona–like family dynamics surrounding financial worries, sibling spats, and a significant transition involving a beloved family member, McCollough (Across the Pond) writes a relatable fish-out-of-water story, centering themes of passion and perseverance amid life change. Ages 8–up.
