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Emma Shevah

Dara Palmer's Major Drama Hardcover – July 5, 2016

by Emma Shevah (Author)

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"Dara's larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls."―School Library Journal, STARRED Review

Dara Palmer is destined to be a star, and she's writing herself the role of a lifetime. In this book, Emma Shevah tells a heartwarming story of one girl's experience with transracial adoption and the drama of middle school.

Dara longs for stardom―but when she isn't cast in her middle school's production of The Sound of Music, she gets suspicious. It can't be because she's not the best. She was born to be a famous movie star. It must be because she's adopted from Cambodia and doesn't look like a typical fraulein. (That's German for girl.)

So irrepressible Dara comes up with a genius plan to shake up the school: write a play about her own life. Then she'll have to be the star.

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 to 7

Great for parents and educators looking for:

A story told with doodles and illustrations, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readers
A great conversation starter for parents to talk to their kids about being unique and growing up with differences from their fellow classmates or community
A story about a girl who takes the initiative and isn't afraid to forge her own path.
Books for kids about transracial adoption

Praise for Emma Shevah's Dream On, Amber:

A Booklist 2015 Top 10 First Novels for Youth

A Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2015

"[This] novel is a charmer...While its humor and illustrations lend it Wimpy Kid appeal, its emotional depth makes it stand out from the pack."―Booklist STARRED review

"A gutsy girl in a laugh-out-loud book that navigates tough issues with finesse."―Kirkus STARRED review

"Amber's effervescent and opinionated narration captivates from the start."―Publishers Weekly STARRED review

"By turns playful and poignant, in both style and substance, this coming-of-age novel will hook readers from the first page to the last."―School Library Journal STARRED review

Reading age

8 - 12 years
Print length

288 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

760L
Dimensions

5.75 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches
Publisher

Sourcebooks Young Readers
Publication date

July 5, 2016
ISBN-10

1492631388
ISBN-13

978-1492631385
See all details

Emma Shevah
5
Hardcover
63 offers from $1.70
Elissa Brent Weissman
109
Paperback
34 offers from $2.73
Emma Shevah
51
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20 offers from $1.46

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3–6—British fifth grader Dara Palmer is a natural-born actress, destined for Hollywood stardom. At least, that's what she and her best friend, Lacey, think, until neither of them lands the lead role in their school's musical production of The Sound of Music. Dara, who is adopted from Cambodia, believes that she may have been passed over for the role because she doesn't look like the original Maria. After seeing that the cast includes other nonwhite students in important roles and talking to the director, Dara realizes that it is her acting skills (or lack thereof) that landed her a spot on the stage crew. Amid all of this drama, a friend of Dara's, another Cambodian adoptee, invites her on a trip to her birth country. Grappling with her sense of self, both as an adopted child and a failing actress, Dara must decide which of these grievances she wishes to face—taking the expensive trip to Cambodia or signing up for acting lessons at home. The challenges Dara faces paint a well-rounded and realistic picture of the life of a foreign-born adoptee. The typography enlarges important phrases and bolds Dara's signature onomatopoeias like huuuggghhtt and kzzzcchhh. There are also plentiful doodles found on every page. Once readers adapt to the on-page asides and visuals, Dara's larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls. VERDICT A funny and fresh addition to older-elementary collections. Hand to fans of Shevah's first book, Dream On, Amber.—Brittany Staszak, Eisenhower Public Library District, IL

Review

" Fun and thought-provoking." ― People Magazine

"Following Dream On, Amber (2015), Shevah returns with another book, this time deftly navigating the complexity of being a transracial adoptee... this funny, charismatic heroine will capture her readers' hearts. " ― Kirkus Reviews

"Dara’s larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls" ― School Library Journal, starred

" Like Shevah’s Dream On, Amber, this entertaining insight into the mind of an adopted child, snappily narrated and exuberantly illustrated, is sure to win readers over, one teaspoonful at a time." ― Publishers Weekly, starred review

"With themes of transracial adoption, racism, identity, friendship, and sibling rivalry (not to mention a hyperactively decorated page design), there’s a lot going on here, but Shevah’s novel raises interesting questions without attempting to neatly answer them all….[Dara’s] emotional growth is believable and appealing, and her super-chatty narration is never not funny." ― Horn Book Magazine

"As she did in Dream On, Amber (2015), Shevah takes an insightful look at tween life, exploring themes of identity, race, and family with a liberal dose of humor. Dara is a winning, fittingly overdramatic character who starts to grow once she takes a more serious look her life and those in it...A heartwarming, diary-style novel (with decorative doodles by Crawford-White) that deserves a place on library shelves." ― Booklist

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Young Readers (July 5, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1492631388
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492631385
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 760L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.97 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,374,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,042 in Children's Books on Adoption
- #1,484 in Children's Europe Books
- #2,208 in Children's Books on Prejudice & Racism

Customer Reviews:
37 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		77%
4 star		11%
3 star		2%
2 star		5%
1 star		5%

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Top reviews from the United States

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ronald v aprahamian

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

My granddaughter loved this book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 23, 2016

Good read!

Emma Shevah does a masterful job of presenting some pretty serious ideas in the context of a seemingly light-hearted novel

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 18, 2016

In DARA PALMER’S MAJOR DRAMA, Emma Shevah introduces readers to a loveably flawed heroine, and to the complicated concepts of home and identity --- all in the context of a hilariously heartfelt comedy.

Dara Palmer and her best friend, Lacey, are convinced they’re going to be Hollywood stars someday. They’ve already got all the dramatic pauses and over-the-top facial expressions down cold. So when Dara fails to get any part in the grammar-school production of "The Sound of Music," she’s sure the drama teacher, Miss Snelling (known as Miss Snarling in Dara’s head) just doesn’t recognize true dramatic genius when she sees it. Either that or she just can’t imagine Dara, who was adopted as a baby from Cambodia, as the Austrian Fraulein Maria.

Regardless of the rationale, Dara is outraged by Miss Snelling’s decision (and utterly oblivious to the possibility that there might be any other reasons for it) and flat-out refuses to take Miss Snelling up on her suggestions that Dara join drama club and/or serve as the production’s stage manager. What an insult! But the notion that there might be a connection between Dara’s Cambodian heritage, her “difference,” and how others might view her, starts her thinking about adoption, belonging and personal history in new ways. When Dara’s fellow Cambodian adoptee, Vanna, decides to return to Cambodia to explore her roots, Dara grows increasingly thoughtful about her identity both within the world and within her family.

In DARA PALMER’S MAJOR DRAMA, author Emma Shevah does a masterful job of presenting some pretty serious ideas in the context of a seemingly light-hearted and humorous middle-grade novel. Complete with hand-drawn illustrations (presented as Dara’s doodlings in the margins of her notebook) and Dara’s own emotive language (“kssszzzzzhhhhhy” or “huuuugghhhhhhhhht”), the novel appears at first glance to be a breezy first-person narrative, along the lines of the Mallory McDonald or Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. But the novel quickly tackles much more complicated topics, including portraying a narrator who is profoundly unreliable, not because she’s knowingly deceiving the reader, but because she’s deeply deluded about her own personality. Dara might not be as great of an actor as she initially imagines, and she might not be the world’s greatest big sister, but she is admirably open to learning about herself and to exploring avenues for change and self-improvement.

The novel’s plot does have some weaknesses, namely the too-quick and frankly unnecessary shift into a production of a play based on Dara’s own life story. Dara’s verbal quirks may also grate on some readers. But readers who enjoy watching protagonists grow and change --- and who also enjoy reading about protagonists from diverse backgrounds --- will give this quirky, endearingly flawed heroine a standing ovation.

Reviewed by Norah Piehl

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Tasha Saecker

Gorgeous

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2016

Dara knows that she is a star. She can make all of the facial expressions in her favorite teen movies, has huge posters of her two favorite actors on her bedroom walls, and has lots of imaginary conversations with them as she dreams of her future in Hollywood. Her first step to stardom is landing the lead in the school production of The Sound of Music, and she just knows that her name is going to be called. But then it isn’t. Dara starts to wonder if it’s about the color of her skin, since she knows she’s an amazing actress. Dara was adopted from Cambodia. Then she notices that others with different skin colors are in the cast. The teacher offers her the role of stage manager, but Dara won’t agree to that. The teacher also invites her to join her acting classes, but Dara knows she doesn’t need them. As Dara slowly realizes that she may have a lot to learn after all, readers become convinced that Dara may just be the star she always thought she was.

Shevah has created in Dara a character who is both repulsive and compelling. Dara is unthinking, rather vain and unable to listen at the beginning of the book. Wisely, Shevah frames the book as looking into the past and Dara knowing that she wasn’t a very nice person back then. This gives readers permission to dislike Dara and yet also enjoy her humor, drive and sparkle. It also makes Dara’s deep changes all the more believable. Various characters also help Dara see herself anew, including her siblings, her parents and her best friend. This is done in many different ways from overt to subtle and is a skillful way to create change in a character.

The voice throughout the book is entirely Dara’s. The fonts change with Dara’s emphasis on various words, showing the passion and emotions behind them. The book design is fresh and friendly, having designs around the page edges and illustrations that break up the text a bit.

A strong and funny protagonist becomes much more self-aware in this gorgeous novel. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Janet Hamilton

Funny narrator who also grows and changes

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 1, 2016

Summary: Dara Palmer is shocked and dismayed when—once again—she is passed over for a part in the class play. Although the drama teacher suggests she and her best friend Lacey join her theater class, the two girls are certain they are destined for stardom without any outside help. Things are no easier at home. Dara was adopted from Cambodia, and she can’t help feeling like an outsider with her parents, older brother, and super annoying younger sister, also adopted (from Russia). As her fifth grade year progresses, Dara slowly and painfully finds her way to a greater maturity, first by admitting she could use some help bringing her acting skills up to the same level as her passion for theater, then coming to terms with her history and learning some empathy for the friends and family members in her life. 282 pages; grades 3-6.

Pros: Extremely annoying at the beginning of the story, Dara grows and changes without sacrificing her strong (and ultimately winning) personality. Kids will enjoy the humor and true-to-life situations in this British import.

Cons: Dara’s insights and maturity sometimes seemed a bit of a stretch, given how bratty and self-centered she is at the beginning of the book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Joannah Yacoub

wit and a wonderful ability to present these conflicts from within the child ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

Emma Shevah is a bright new force in children's writing.She handles complex and sensitive issues, such as adoption, the lack of "belonging" felt by many adopted children, the sense of being strangers especially if they are from another country, with verve, wit and a wonderful ability to present these conflicts from within the child and totally from the child's perspective. The voice throughout is Dara Palmer who speaks for every child who doesn't quite fit in and who then discovers their real self. Emma Shevah achieves this without ever being didactic or pedantic. The story is beautifully written and fun from the first to the last word.

One person found this helpful

Claude VW

Another winner from Emma Shevah!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

I really like this author's style of writing which is very street-smart and engaging. This is most definitely recommended for young adults (and even their parents!)

One person found this helpful

Leah

Amazing story for all ages

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

Amazing story for all ages, A sweet story about a confident girl, who finds herself in different ways and gets help from unexpected places.

Keren David

Major success

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 11, 2018

Verified Purchase