An engaging introduction to the opera for young people opens with a few words from mezzo Frederica von Stade about her own first night at the opera. Siberell answers questions about how opera began, how it gets performed, and how it all comes together by writing about everyone from one of its earliest composers (Monteverdi) to a current opera favorite (Cecilia Bartoli). She describes who is on the stage (and under it, beside it, and behind it), and fills the margins and sidebars with historical tidbits and cool facts—the raspberry-peach dessert Peach Melba was named for soprano Nellie Melba, for instance. She includes a timeline, a map of story locations, diagrams of the kinds of stages, the many curtains, and all the instruments of the orchestra. Her writing is lively and quick (“What You Can Expect in Opera Stories. Suspense! Comedy! Madness! Love! Tragedy! Horror! War!”) and conveys much of the excitement of opera in ways young people can understand. The glossary is a bit abrupt, and the opera plot summaries suffer from acute brevity, occasionally to the point of incoherence. Still, any parent who wants to explain to a child what all the fuss is about will find this useful. Plentifully illustrated with simple, colorful art. (glossary, bibliography, index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2001
ISBN: 0-19-513966-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2001
Fun, honest, and uplifting: applause!
An aspiring actor who uses a manual wheelchair is determined to land a part in a community theater production.
Moving cross-country from California to New Jersey and leaving her best friend, Chloe, behind is hard enough for Nat. Even worse, the new house doesn’t feel like home, and her parents are as overprotective as ever. When Nat, an avid fan of musicals, spots an advertisement for the local theater’s production of Wicked, she’s sure that nabbing a part will make her feel at home. But her father wants her to focus on wheelchair racing, and her mother doubts her ability to fit in; it’s up to Nat to prove she can take the stage. The authors know their stuff—Tony Award–winner Stroker was the first wheelchair user to be cast in a Broadway play, and Davidowitz is a playwright—and it shows. Nat’s relationship with her loving but overbearing parents rings perceptively and painfully true, as does her frustration with inaccessible venues and patronizing attitudes. Her enthusiasm for the theater is infectious, but readers needn’t be theater buffs to relate to her fear of growing apart from Chloe and her desire for independence. A quirky cast of secondary characters lends humor, support, and a little romance as they illustrate the fun and rigor of acting. Nat defaults to White; the secondary cast is somewhat diverse.
Fun, honest, and uplifting: applause! (authors’ note) (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: April 13, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4197-4393-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
An important story about staying true to yourself.
Twelve-year-old Nimra Sharif is attending public school for the first time.
Pakistani American Nimra was home-schooled until she was 8, then attended a private Islamic school where she memorized the Quran, becoming a hafiza. Now her parents have decided that it is time for her to attend public school, where she’ll be with her childhood best friend, Jenna, a White girl. But once seventh grade starts, Jenna ignores and avoids Nimra. Fortunately, Nimra meets other Muslim students: Matthew, a White convert; Bilal and Khadijah, Somali American siblings; and Pakistani American Waleed. When Bilal, Matthew, and Waleed ask her to join Barakah Beats, their Muslim band, she hesitates because of her family’s interpretation of Islamic teachings, which eschews taking part in instrumental music. But she gives in, believing that hanging out with three popular, attractive eighth grade boys will impress Jenna. Her plan to join the band just long enough to regain Jenna’s friendship before dropping out leads to her lying to her parents—and a sticky friendship situation when the boys sign up to perform at a mosque talent show to raise money for refugees. While secondary characters are less well fleshed out, Nimra grows, takes responsibility for her actions, and thoughtfully engages with her faith. Siddiqui has written a sympathetic character who wants to stay true to her beliefs while facing the pressures of school, changing relationships, and diverse beliefs about music within Muslim communities.
An important story about staying true to yourself. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-338-70206-4
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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