Drama- Book Review

PLACES, EVERYONE!

Callie loves theater. And while she would totally try out for her middle school's production of Moon Over Mississippi, she can't really sing. Instead she's the set designer for the drama department stage crew, and this year she's determined to create a set worthy of Broadway on a middle-school budget. But how can she, when she doesn't know much about carpentry, ticket sales are down, and the crew members are having trouble working together? Not to mention the onstage AND offstage drama that occurs once the actors are chosen. And when two cute brothers enter the picture, things get even crazier! (goodreads.com)


It's embarrassing to say but I relate a lot to this book, not because it reflected my middle school life, but because it reflected my high school and college life. (Sigh). Callie is crazy about all theatre, her goal in life is to design beautiful stages for Broadway plays and musicals. Her life is made, that much more complicated when she's turned down by the a guy she likes. Trying to distract herself with the upcoming musical, he life is rocked once again by twin brother Justin and Jesse.

Although, at first appearance, the book seems to revolve around pre-teen romance, there is a greater foundation. Yes, Callie does have feels for first one of the brothers, then the other, but it's very innocent and appropriate, and that's what middle school is about, first crushes and taking baby steps toward figuring out what kind of person you're going to be.

I really appreciated Callie's focus on her dram and free spirit. One of my favorite scenes in the book was where Callie took Jesse and Justin to a book store in the mall to look at her favorite book, it was filled with images of famous play, and consequently their stages. When Callie spoke about her dream to design large stages, like the one that appeared in her book, it was in the tone of a child who would shout from the rooftops to anyone who would listen that she was going to accomplish her dreams no matter what. I also love the fiasco with the working cannon. I actually began to seriously step into theatre when I was in high school and by the time I was in college I was the head of the wardrobe department and in charge of costume pieces and quick changes and basically anything that involved clothing. If I had a dollar for every time I ran into an issue with my costumes that Callie ran into with that cannon, I'd have been rich years ago :) it was nice to be able to compare Callie's life with my own past. 


There are some who don't like this book because of the fact that the book takes place in a middle school instead of a high school, or they feel that the sexual orientation of some of the characters makes it inappropriate, but the fact of the matter is that these things are happening in middle school now and needs to be address in a controlled and appropriate manner that sparks conversation amongst out tweens, and I think Regina Telgmeier did a great job with that.