Drama

Callie enjoys theater and will be part of the Moon Over Mississippi spring musical production. She is excited to work on set design and be close to her crush, Greg (who kissed her after breaking up with his girlfriend). Suddenly, they get back together, and Greg starts to ignore Callie. This hurts her, but bounces back when she becomes friends with two brothers that lift up her spirits. Callie struggles to add excitement to the set with very little money but manages to create a canon to gets people interested in the play. The planning of the play continues and the drama does too. Callie becomes interested in one of the brothers she recently met. But, he never showed signs of being interested in her. And, Callie continues to wait for him to ask her to the dance. The drama continues on the set as well. Callie’s cannon is not working properly and she is at risk of not having her precious prop in the play. Ticket sales are low and the cast decides to promote the play during lunch time and give the students a sneak preview. Callie’s cannon is ready and makes a loud explosion. It captivates the viewers, and they dash to the ticket booth. Callie is the day’s hero!

The play was a success on opening night. The next day is affected by the star’s break up. Jesse decides to play the role of the female star and puts on a dress. He does an excellent job and saves the day. At the end of the play, Jesse asks Callie to go with him to the dance.  They are having fun but things change when the D.J. plays a slow song. Jesse avoids the slow dance and excuses himself. Callie is looking for him and he finally confesses to being attracted to boys. Callie feels confused but understands. A crew member confesses his feelings to Callie and the book ends with the stage crew celebrating the play’s success. Callie has a bigger reason to celebrate; she is selected as next year’s crew manager.

This is an entertaining graphic novel that will make students want to read more books written by Raina Telgemeier because she introduces everyday challenges faced by teens in a fun and exciting way. Watch the trailer and see for yourself! If you love drama in your life, this is the book for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysWrqAMktc0

Telgemeier has also written and illustrated Smile, Drama, Sisters, and Ghosts. They are not just extremely appealing to children and teens, but they can be used in the classroom for numerous things. Graphic novels are great for teaching vocabulary because of all the illustrations that can help students understand the meaning of new words.

After reading Drama, you will want to add to your graphic novel repertoire. You will also love All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson. It is about a teen girl who no longer wants to be home-schooled! But, when she goes to a public school, she begins to worry about fitting in. Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom, by Booki Vivat, is another graphic novel that talks about teen issues and growing up. The main character, Abbie Wu, is freaking out because she is going into middle school, and she has no clue what adventures (or nightmares) await!

GoRaina! The Official Website of Raina Telgemeier. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://goraina.com/

Rhuday-Perkovich, O. (2018, October 03). 10 Next Reads for Kids Who Love Raina Telgemeier. Retrieved October 23, 2018, from https://www.readbrightly.com/10-next-reads-kids-love-raina-telgemeier/

Telgemeier, R. (2012).Drama. Broadway, NY: Scholastic.