Emma ShevahRezensionen

Dara is in 5th grade and certain that she will move from England to Hollywood to be a famous actress. When she doesn't get the starring role - of any part really - in the school play, she's shocked and sad. The drama teacher encourages her to join drama club to develop her skills. When she takes this leap, she learns about more than just acting. She learns about how to see the world from someone else's point of view, something that doesn't come naturally for over the top, dramatic Dara.
When one of her best friends goes back to the orphanage from where they were both adopted in Cambodia, it really gives Dara pause and opportunity to think about her feelings about her origins.
It's over the top at first and that turned me off a bit, but the author delves into some deeper issues and Dara gets more complex over the course of the book. Making the book much more than it seems in the early chapters. It would appeal to some younger middle school readers.½

Amber is a half-Japanese, half-Italian little girl with a sister and mother who deal with life after her Japanese father abandons the family. This is a very realistic story dealing with this eleven year old's life and feelings. Amber is a wonderful big sister to Bella. She protects her from bullies and tries to help her deal with the feelings she has for their father. Amber deals with a lot in her life, she is somewhat an outcast due to her size and tries very hard to make friends. she loves art, but does not want to let anyone see her drawings.

I'm a big proponent of Middle Grade books that children can identify with. I also loved that this book dealt with diverse characters. Stories like this are important for Middle grade students especially those who may be dealing with the loss of a parent for any reason. I enjoyed the story but felt that some of the important things were glossed over like the bullying incident and some of Amber's feelings as well as her mother. I would still recommend this book to school and public libraries to add to their collection of middle grade novels especially for girls.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

How do you resist a character like Amber Alessandra Leola Kimiko Miyamoto? Easy answer. You don't. I read the synopsis, fell in love with this half-Japanese, half-Italian little girl, and promptly added this to my reading list. I'm a big pusher of Middle Grade stories. Most specifically, I fully endorse any story that deals with diverse characters and real life situations. Dream On Amber hit all those points, and I couldn't wait to read it.

First off, I want to give a high five to Emma Shevah for writing such a wonderfully realistic eleven year old girl. As a person who worked with children for a huge chunk of my life, I always love to see a character who feels real. Amber impressed me to no end. Her love of art, but her fear of sharing that passion with others was spot on. Middle school is a scary place to begin, and setting yourself apart from others is difficult. Plus I absolutely loved the interaction between Amber and her little sister Bella. Anyone who has been a big sister knows that fine line we walk between annoyance and pure love for our little sisters. Amber and Bella felt like a real set of sisters, and I loved it.

In fact, it was Amber's family life that really stole my heart. From her hardworking single mom, to her whimsical little sister, this group of characters came to life on the page. I think stories like this are important for Middle Graders. How many kids are there out there who are suffering from a dad shaped hole, just like Amber? How many of them wish they had someone to identify with? Plenty. Which is why I'm happy Dream On Amber is in existence. This is important stuff.

So why the three star rating? Mostly, and I'm being completely honest, it's because I didn't identify with this story as a whole. There were a lot of parts that I enjoyed, Amber being the main attraction. However I also felt like there could have been a deeper exploration of her feelings. There's a quick look at some bullying, that kind of blends into the background. Amber's art is in the background, but never quite comes to the forefront. This is the perfect story for a young reader, I just didn't feel like it had the oomph to transcend past that age group.

Still, this is a solid story that I'd highly recommend to any young readers. Especially those who might be missing a dad.

Even though this is a older book I feel little ones can learn from this young Amber.

DARA PALMER’S MAJOR DRAMA by Emma Shevah tells the humorous story of a girl who comes to terms with the fact that she’s not a amazing actress.

Dara and her best friend enjoy practicing their dramatic faces and anticipate getting lead roles in the upcoming musical. When Dara doesn’t make the cut, she thinks it’s because she’s a Cambodian adoptee. However she soon discovers that she simply lacks acting skills. Her humorous voyage of self-discovery will charm young readers.

Librarians will find this middle grade novel will appeal to youth readers who enjoy humorous realistic fiction. Of particular note is the focus on diversity, adoption, identity, and personal development. The title would be an excellent choice for reading groups and class discussions.

To learn more about the author, go to https://emmashevah.com/.

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on July 5, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

Amber begins middle school and soon finds herself in the sights of a bully. Her little sister insists on writing letters to their long-absent father and Amber is compelled to carry out the charade by sending responses. Amber is placed in Inward Reach, a class for kids who are "emotionally scarred by some major trauma or something." And she's having trouble reconciling her Japanese and Italian halves, all while keeping germs and bacteria at bay. Given all her challenges she copes with creativity and humor, retreating to her beloved art. Her voice is funny and dry. By book's end, her problems tie up as neatly as any sitcom which is to say, very quickly and not deeply satisfying. (She overcame her self-doubts way too easily after killing her "beast.") But young readers will readily identify with any aspect of her angst, whether lack of confidence, self-identity or absent father. (Nice touch: the trilingual chapter numbers.)

DREAM ON, AMBER by Emma Shevah is an authentic, humorous story for middle grade readers.

Entering middle school is tough enough for most children, but Amber is a half-Japanese and half-Italian with an absent father making life even more difficult. When her younger sister begins writing letters to their father asking for him to attend her birthday party, Amber decides to answer the letters. Subplots related to art, puppy love, and earning money bring the story to life.

Filled with cute doodles and other illustrations, librarians will find this poignant novel to be popular with young readers. The combination of humor and typical middle school problems will appeal to many readers. Themes related to an absent father and multicultural identity with resonate with many readers.

To learn more about the author, go to http://emmashevah.com/.

Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky on October 6, 2015.

Amber's Japanese father left when she was little, and her sister Bella was just a baby, so now she fills in the frustrating gap in her life with imagined conversations, and writes letters to Bella that seem to come from their father.

Dream On Amber is the story of an 11 year old biracial girl who is spunky and clever who lives with her single mother and younger sister and has a big hole in her heart. Her parents are divorced and she does not see her father. She has just started in a new school and she is lonely, sad and scapegoated by the school bully.

In many ways this is a typical middle grade story of a young girl growing up yet I really appreciated the how genuine the characters felt and how it was easy to relate to Amber's struggles. I liked her and rooted for her. I especially appreciated the story line about Amber's efforts to understand her biracial identity and what it means for her. However, for me, there is a confusing split in the book. Amber's father is absent and that is hard. She is biracial and that is a challenge but the two story lines don't really connect. I think the book would be stronger and deeper if it did. I imagine her father's absence is painful for many reasons, one of them being that her Japanese identity is not reflected in her family and her community.

Finally, I thought that the story ends too pat and easy. Most times children begin to fit in new schools/situations little by little like but Amber becomes the BEST at the art show, becomes instantly popular and she has revelations about her family and identity that most children at that age can't really have (though they can start to). So, all in all, I liked the book but didn't love it. I would recommend it to girls and boys of that age if they want to read an enjoyable and funny, sometimes poignant story with a happy and easy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest opinion.½

Best Audiobook Odyssey Honor 2017