Short
Publisher: Scholastic
Julia has always been very short for her height. She's quite used to being picked last for team sports and rarely growing out of clothes. It only started to feel like a problem when she overheard her parents discussing it. Could it be that being unusually short is something to worry about?
In an effort to forget her concerns, and with the summer stretching out ahead of her, Julia auditions for a role in a major production of the Wizard of Oz. It is to be an experience that will change the way she sees both herself and the world around her.
This is a gentle story, told with tenderness and humour. The reader will need to overcome any reservations about the casting of 'little people' as munchkins, to find that there is much to learn about believing in oneself. We see the importance of finding the right role models, in Julia's case a talented adult actor of restricted growth, an inspirational director and an unexpectedly gifted elderly neighbour. The narrative is unusual and quirky, yet thoroughly convincing - Julia's voice is honest, flawed and tinged with an enchanting innocence.
