Short, Holly Goldberg Sloan
Short, Holly Goldberg Sloan
7 Rating(s)
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
Club: $10.00

Short

Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan

Narrator: Tara Sands

Unabridged: 6 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/31/2017


Synopsis

In this heartwarming and funny middle-grade novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s, Julia grows into herself while playing a Munchkin in 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. As 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—and 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, this is an irresistible story of self-discovery and of the role models who forever change us.

About The Author

Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent her childhood living in Holland; Istanbul, Turkey; Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and Eugene, Oregon. After graduating from Wellesley College, she began writing family feature films, including Angels in the Outfield and Made in America. Her first middle-grade novel, Counting by 7s, is a New York Times bestseller. Holly lives with her husband in Santa Monica, California.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nicole

Nuts. I loved Sloan's COUNTING BY 7'S, and I thought this book would be amazing based on the description...but I just thought it was okay. There was something about the voice of the young protagonist. I could tell she was supposed to be quirky and funny, but it didn't always play that way for me.........more

Goodreads review by Akilah

2.5 stars, rounding down. I liked this book better when I started reading it than when it ended. After the middle, this book started to drag a lot for me, and I found myself forcing myself to see it through. The big issue is that Julia has a great voice, but after a while it got tiresome--mostly becau......more

Goodreads review by Sarah

Endearing novel seen through the eyes of the oh so charming preteen Julia Marks. Discouraged about her lack of stature and grieving the loss of her beloved dog, Ramon, Julia isn't looking forward to her summer. Her life changes dramatically (no pun intended) when her mother signs her and younger bro......more


Quotes

Praise for Short

New York Times
 Bestseller

Short joins other middle-grade novels . . . in celebrating the transcendent power of theater for kids.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Holly Goldberg Sloan is skilled at creating sympathetic and utterly charming young characters, and in Short she succeeds once again. . . . Sloan manages to deftly weave in tough topics like grief and identity with both the same humor and tenderness that made Counting By 7s such a hit.” —Entertainment Weekly

* "Sweet and uplifting. . . . It's refreshing that Julia doesn't mind being short and believes she's 'little, but big inside.' Her self-acceptance is inspiring and the joy she experiences in her foray into theater is irresistible." —Booklist, starred review

"A charming read with an important message that no matter one's stature, 'the way we move tells the world who we are.'" —Kirkus

"Very funny. . . . Theater kids and fans of Tim Federle's 'Nate' books will love this." —School Library Journal

"Sloan again captures the authentic voice of a child dealing with weighty topics, including loss and identity, in a charming and often funny way. . . . A narrative filled with lighthearted and candid moments." —Publishers Weekly

"A joy to read."—School Library Connection

"This is . . . a jubilant story about the way a new context can give kids a whole different perspective on life and themselves, and readers feeling stuck in their roles will particularly appreciate the implication."—BCCB 

"The funny narration is in Julia's rambling, middle-school voice, which allows readers to experience her emotions and maturation with her. . . . Highly recommended."—VOYA