Fourteen-year-old Ava is thrilled when she lands a part in a play based on the true story of orphans sent to Canada in the 1800s to work on farms. But is she good enough to hold her own in a professional production? As the rehearsal pressures crank up, Ava struggles with her character, with the vocal demands of outdoor theater and with the annoying ego of her castmate Kiefer. But as she learns more about the historical Lily on which her part is based, things begin to fall into place.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Holly Bennett is the author of numerous young adult novels published by Orca Book Publishers, including Drawn Away, a modern retelling of The Little Match Girl. Holly hasn’t been in a play since elementary school, but she knows lots of actors, musicians and “theater people” and loves going to their performances. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario.