Talent Show
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-- School Library Journal, 6/4/2008 12:28:00 PM
Just the mention of a school talent show can send young ones into orbit—those who know they have a talent want to show it off, while those who don’t often feel inadequate. And what if your best friend wants to do something different than you? When it comes to talent show time in your school, put these titles on display to give students some pointers on handling different scenarios.
D’AMICO, Carmela. Ella Sets the Stage. illus. by Steven D’Amico. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Bks. 2006. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-439-83152-9.
PreS-Gr 2–Ella so wants to be part of the talent show, but is convinced that she has nothing special to offer like the other young elephants in her class. She tries music and juggling, with embarrassing results. Then Ella finds her real gift is in organization, and she slowly evolves into the talent show manager. When Tiki the monkey gets spooked by an exploding volcano, she saves both him and the talent show from disaster, earning special recognition from her classmates.
DURANGO, Julia. Pest Fest. illus. by Kurt Cyrus. S & S. 2007. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-689-85569-6.
PreS-Gr 2–Getting up close and personal with a bunch of talented bugs is the name of the game! As each of the neighborhood insects shows off their skills–Cricket sings, Firefly twinkles–Housefly grows more and more certain that he has no talent to demonstrate. But when he reluctantly joins the competition and describes his daily routine, he is crowned “Prince of Persecution.”
KLEIN, Abby. Talent Show Scaredy-Pants. illus. by John McKinley. Scholastic. 2005. pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-439-55604-0.
Gr 1-3–Freddy feels he has nothing to offer for the upcoming talent show. He already thinks he is a loser, thanks to that bully Max and his know-it-all big sister. But with the help of his grandfather, Freddy finds just the right trick to boost his confidence. Readers who empathize with Freddy will want to check out the whole “Ready, Freddy!” series.
MARSDEN, Carolyn. The Quail Club. Candlewick. 2006. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2635-8.
Gr 3-6–Oy, aka Olivia (her “American” name), is thrilled when the fifth-grade talent show is announced. She immediately decides to perform a traditional Thai dance–that is, until her friend Liliandra decides differently. Both girls struggle with questions of identity, culture, and family responsibility.
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