Take It from the Top by Claire Swinarski
ISBN: 0063321734
Genres: Emotions & Feelings
Format: Chapter Book Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction
Goodreads

Take It From the Top

Claire Swinarski

This middle grade novel for ages 8- 12 is set at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp, a residential musical theater camp for those with Broadway aspirations, and follows the friendship evolution of two girls over the course of six summers.

Eowyn Becker comes from a privileged family and has an older brother who performs on Broadway. Her father is often too busy managing her brother’s career to attend her performances. For her, camp is a place where the pain of her mother’s death is eased and she gets to reunite with her best friend, Jules Marrigan. Jules comes from a family that struggles financially, but her parents provide her with unwavering support for her dreams. This summer’s end-of-year production is Wicked, the girls’ favorite musical, and Eowyn and Jules earn leading roles as  Elphaba and Glinda.

But when Eowyn arrives at camp, everything is wrong. Jules will barely even look at Eowyn, let alone talk to her, and Eowyn does not know why.

Told in a series of alternating chapters that flashback to past summers, the girls’ story reveals how wealth, class, money, and privilege can adversely affect a friendship. The story contains frequent references to musicals and songs, which feels a little isolating and exclusionary to readers unfamiliar with the theater world.

4 stars

Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay