Julia Marks is short, and she does not have a lot of musical talent, unlike her brother Randy. When Randy wants to try out for The Wizard of Oz, Julia's mom makes Julia try out also. Because Julia and her brother are so short, they get cast as Munchkins along with other kids and three adults with dwarfism. During the summer, Julia makes friends with Mrs. Chang, her artsy neighbor, Olive, and adult with dwarfism who is also a Munchkin, and Shawn Barr, the director. As Julia works harder and harder, she begins to see her potential and begins to see that being short is okay, maybe even good. This book really inspired me, and I am sure it will inspire other people too. I give this book five stars. I recommend this book to ages 8+.
Short
By Holly Goldberg Sloan
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grade 6 | n/a | 5.3 | 64955 |
A New York Times Bestseller
In this heartwarming, funny middle-grade novel by the bestselling author of Counting by 7s, Julia grows into herself while playing a Munchkin in a production of The Wizard of Oz
Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she'll realize how big she is inside, where it counts. She hasn't ever thought of herself as a performer, but when the wonderful director of Oz casts her as a Munchkin, she begins to see herself in a new way. Julia becomes friendly with the poised and wise Olive--one of the adults with dwarfism who've joined the production's motley crew of Munchkins. With her deeply artistic neighbor, Mrs. Chang, Julia's own sense of self as an artist grows. Soon, she doesn't want to fade into the background--and it's a good thing, because her director has more big plans for Julia!
Bubbling over with humor and tenderness, while emphasizing the importance of role models, this is an irresistible story of self-discovery.
In this heartwarming, funny middle-grade novel by the bestselling author of Counting by 7s, Julia grows into herself while playing a Munchkin in a production of The Wizard of Oz
Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she'll realize how big she is inside, where it counts. She hasn't ever thought of herself as a performer, but when the wonderful director of Oz casts her as a Munchkin, she begins to see herself in a new way. Julia becomes friendly with the poised and wise Olive--one of the adults with dwarfism who've joined the production's motley crew of Munchkins. With her deeply artistic neighbor, Mrs. Chang, Julia's own sense of self as an artist grows. Soon, she doesn't want to fade into the background--and it's a good thing, because her director has more big plans for Julia!
Bubbling over with humor and tenderness, while emphasizing the importance of role models, this is an irresistible story of self-discovery.
ISBN-13: 9780735229891
ISBN-10: 0735229899
Binding: Paperback
Book Reviews (36)
Super cool! I totally want to read this book!
Short is about a girl who is short of course. She stars as a munchkin and a flying monkey in the productions of the Wizard of Oz. The story is funny and sad and Julia is a likable character. I felt like the plot was interesting, but could have been a little more fast paced. Julia changes in the end and appreciates herself which is an important thing to do.
Julia Marks doesn’t have what you would call any type of musical talent. So she doesn’t understand why her mother is making her audition for the Wizard of Oz. She is even less thrilled when she finds out both she and her little brother Randy got roles as Munchkins in the play. Now the thing she dislikes most about herself, her shortness, will be magnified. Things get even worse when Julia is appointed lead dancer. But there are perks. Three of her fellow Munchkin are adults, who have dwarfism, one of them a woman named Olive. Quickly Julia becomes friends with Olive, and learns not to be ashamed because she is short. The director, Shawn Barr, although he is set back by a ladder accident, quickly befriends Julia and she and Olive are given another role-the flying monkeys! Julia is thrilled to learn how to fly with the theatre wires. Along the way Julia makes new friends, learns how to avoid discriminating other people, how to live up to your full potential and dream big. I think this was a wonderful story for middle and high school kids and even adults. Holly Goldberg Sloan did not disappoint in another one of her inspiring stories! I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
This is one of my all time favorite books! Julia Marks is very short for her age, and she isn't the best singer, or dancer. When Julia is cast as a Munchkin in a regional theater for a summer production of "The Wizard Of Oz" with her little brother Randy, a new experience opens up for her. Also, three adults with dwarfism are also Munchkins in this show, and Julia becomes great friends with Olive, an adult who is Julia's height, and doesn't want to be judged by it. Then Julia becomes friends with Shawn Barr, the director of the production and someone who inspires Julia to live up to her potential. By the time the summer's over, and "The Wizard Of Oz" production has finished, Julia learns that being short isn't always a bad thing, and that it could be a great thing. Julia is such a brave, responsible, confident person, who wants to be treated like an adult, not a kid. This book inspires you to chase your dreams, and to never give up. I recommend this book to kids in between elementary school and middle school ages. I hope you like this book as much as I did!
Julia Marks is not a good dancer, or singer, but she is short ( shorter than her younger brother Randy ) which is why she is cast as one of the munchkins in the university's play production of the Wizard of Oz. Julia doesn't like being short for one she is always looking up to everyone, but then she meets Olive an adult with dwarfism who is a fellow munchkin in the play, and the play director who is also short but has a tall voice she begins to see that being short doesn't always mean you are not tall. I really liked this book. I had read Holly's other book Counting by Sevens and really enjoyed it so I decided to try this one and was not disappointed. I recommend this book