Dara Palmer's Major Drama

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.