FINISHED:
Shevah, Emma. (2016). Dara Palmer's Major Drama. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky.

Appreciated this one even more the second time!
[Dara Palmer, a 5^th-grader who lives in London after having been adopted by her Caucasian parents from a Cambodian orphanage when she was a toddler, more than anything in her entire life wants the lead role of Maria in her school’s production of The Sound of Music.  When the part goes to someone else, she begins to wonder if it’s because she doesn’t look like what Maria “should” look like… when really it’s because she just can’t act.  Dara’s narration brims with hyperbolic-tween personality, showcasing her flair for being dramatic – with lots of asides such as “huuuggghhhtttt”, “whuuhhuuuhhhhh”, and the like – and occasionally zoning out while having a “mind movie” (which usually involve her celebrity crush, Bradley Porter).  Fun spot art and doodles adorn every page adding an amusing flippancy, but while humorous, Shevah’s novel is also surprisingly insightful as Dara becomes increasingly aware of her “otherness”, noticing that no one in movies, on TV, or featured in magazines resembles her (“I looked like a giant chocolate bunny in a room full of snowmen.”), while, at the same time, learning the importance/value of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes when taking part in a drama exercise to better understand her sister Georgia, adopted from Russia, with whom she has an adversarial relationship.  A thoughtful look at adoption from the adults’ side, with Dara’s parents reassuring their love for her while also encouraging her to explore her Cambodian heritage through its food and language, and from the perspective of a child who is finally old enough to begin asking questions.  Hilarious, touching, and important.]

STARTED:
Mull, Brandon. (2017). Dragonwatch:  a Fablehaven Adventure. Salt Lake City, UT: Shadow Mountain.

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