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Description
After twelve-year-old Anya fails to make the soccer team, she decides to pursue her true passion, musical theater, and with the help of her sister and new friend Austin, pulls together a summer theater troupe. The coauthor is Anya Wallach. Book #1
Quick Summary
If you've ever felt like you failed at something you really wanted, this book is for you. Twelve-year-old Anya doesn't make the soccer team, and instead of just moping around, she decides to chase something totally different musical theater and ropes in her sister and a new friend to start a summer troupe from scratch. There's something really relatable about watching her figure out how to put on a show with zero experience, a tiny budget, and a whole lot of enthusiasm. It's funny in that middle-grade way where kids will genuinely laugh out loud, but it also has this warm, encouraging vibe that makes you root for Anya the whole time. The friendship dynamics, especially between Anya and her new friend Austin, feel real and not at all preachy. Parents will appreciate that it's about perseverance, teamwork, and finding what you're actually good at, while kids just get a fun, fast-paced story. If your kid loved "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" or books with humor and heart, they'd probably devour this one. It's the kind of story that makes you want to try something new yourself.