Other editions of book Dara Palmer's Major Drama

Meet 11-year-old Dara Palmer. She loves dancing and dreams of being a world-famous actress, which means she has to get the main part in the school play. When she doesn't get any part at all, Dara begins to wonder whether it's because of her looks rather than her acting skills. But Dara has big ideas and is determined not to let prejudice stop her from being in the spotlight.

"Dara's larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls."―School Library Journal, STARRED ReviewDara 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 7Great for parents and educators looking for:A story told with doodles and illustrations, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readersA great conversation starter for parents to talk to their kids about being unique and growing up with differences from their fellow classmates or communityA story about a girl who takes the initiative and isn't afraid to forge her own path.Books for kids about transracial adoptionPraise for Emma Shevah's Dream On, Amber:A Booklist 2015 Top 10 First Novels for YouthA 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

"Dara's larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls."—School Library Journal, STARRED ReviewDara 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 7Great for parents and educators looking for:A story told with doodles and illustrations, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readersA great conversation starter for parents to talk to their kids about being unique and growing up with differences from their fellow classmates or communityA story about a girl who takes the initiative and isn't afraid to forge her own path.Books for kids about transracial adoptionPraise for Emma Shevah's Dream On, Amber:A Booklist 2015 Top 10 First Novels for YouthA 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

"Dara's larger-than-life personality and true-to-life middle grade issues command center stage until the curtain falls."―School Library Journal, STARRED ReviewDara 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 7Great for parents and educators looking for:A story told with doodles and illustrations, perfect for readers that love graphic novels and reluctant readersA great conversation starter for parents to talk to their kids about being unique and growing up with differences from their fellow classmates or communityA story about a girl who takes the initiative and isn't afraid to forge her own path.Books for kids about transracial adoptionPraise for Emma Shevah's Dream On, Amber:A Booklist 2015 Top 10 First Novels for YouthA 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

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Fifth grader Dara is genuinely gobsmacked when she isn't given the part of Maria.in the school performance of The Sound of Music. Is it because evil Miss Snarling,.er, Snelling doesn't think an Asian girl would make a good Austrian nun? Nope -- Dara actually doesn't get any part (except a spot in the choir) because it turns out she isn't the extremely talented actor she thinks she is. Dara's eventual realizations, that acting is more than making dramatic faces and that it involves putting.oneself in another's shoes help her become a better actor along with a better friend, and sister. Her older brother, kind and perceptive, is their parents' biological son; her younger sister was adopted from Russia; Dara, adopted from Cambodia, hates sticking out like a sore thumb in her otherwise white family.