Not starring Zadie Louise

On Washington State's Bainbridge Island, 10-year-old Zadie Louise Gonzalez is an aspiring astronaut who loves tae kwon do. But as she heads into summertime freedom, her parents reveal that money's tight, and that neither she nor her sister, 12-year-old Lulu, can participate in their usual activities. Instead, their Guatemalan father will join the gig economy as a Ryde driver, and the siblings will take part in a local youth theater production of Spinderella--headed by its artistic director, their mother, who reads as white. Budding diva Lulu takes happily to the boards, but stage-averse Zadie flees her audition, heading straight for the catwalk before learning that the venue doesn't allow minors to work in tech theater--and that the cool new stage manager won't let kids into her booth. Zadie nevertheless rallies, doing her level best to put her science and technology skills to good use, but the universe and a pair of mean girls conspire against her, rendering each of her efforts a disaster. Employing Beezus and Ramona--like family dynamics surrounding financial worries, sibling spats, and a significant transition involving a beloved family member, McCollough (Across the Pond) writes a relatable fish-out-of-water story, centering themes of passion and perseverance amid life change. Ages 8--up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (June)

A 10-year-old spends the summer inadvertently wreaking havoc at her mother's children's theater. Aspiring astronaut Zadie Louise Gonzalez hoped to spend the summer at a science camp and taekwondo classes, but her music teacher father's new gig driving for a ride-share app means she and her older sister, Lulu, must accompany their mom to the Bainbridge Youth Theater camp she runs. That's good news for Lulu, who loves acting, but Zadie only likes the technical aspects of the theater, and kids aren't allowed to assist with sets, costumes, lights, props, or sound. After freezing when it was time for her to audition, Zadie accepts boring duties like stuffing envelopes and setting out snacks. She also observes (and idolizes) the overqualified new stage manager, Ana María, who has a no-kids-in-the-sound-booth policy. Despite causing a series of mishaps and minor catastrophes, as well as dealing with news that her beloved grandma might be moving from the Pacific Northwest to Florida, Zadie finds a way to fit in at the theater and accept her family's new normal. McCullough adeptly gives voice to a plucky, STEM-focused bicultural girl growing up in an intergenerational family whose members work through their problems together. Zadie's father is from Guatemala; her mother's side is cued as White and American, and there is diversity in the supporting cast. An entertaining and moving story about family, friendship, and finding your place. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Chapter 1: No Gravity 1 No Gravity These are the most cosmically awesome places at my mom's theater: The lighting grid, where I pretend I'm an alien, studying the bizarre behavior of the earthlings below. (And I tell you what: actors might as well be a whole other species.) The trapdoor, but really the hidden space underneath the trapdoor, where it sounds like a rocket ship heading into orbit when a bunch of kids clomp across the stage up above. The stage manager's booth, with more screens and switches than the control panel at the International Space Station, where I've never been but will go someday. And this is the absolute-no-doubt-about-it least cosmically awesome place in the Bainbridge Youth Theater: The stage. Excerpted from Not Starring Zadie Louise by Joy McCullough All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.