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CM . . .
. Volume XXIV Number 4. . . September 29, 2017
excerpt:
High school student Adina, has been dreaming about performing in the school’s yearly fashion show for years. It’s almost all she has thought about, and now is her chance. She and her friends create a dance routine and have been rehearsing, but Adina can tell that they aren’t taking it seriously. Adina quickly becomes a task master, trying to cajole her friends into practicing more and trying harder. When that doesn’t work, she finds herself criticizing them. Her friends respond by distancing themselves from her. Adina begins to wonder if she will ever be able to realize her dream of being in the Fashion Show. As Adina deals with the looming deadline for auditions and what she considers her friends’ lackadaisical attitude toward their routine, her frustration grows. Incidents of hurt feelings occur, and Adina finds herself pitted against her friends. Things come to a crisis point when one of her friends storms off leaving the dance group, and it looks like performing in the Fashion Show will not be possible. Adina begins questioning her own motives and methods of dealing with a difficult situation and realizes she has a lot to learn when dealing with people. It was refreshing to read a book which pushes the boundaries of the dominant culture in so many ways, first, with the main character, Adina, then with Seth, a boy who not only dances but also creates and sews all the costumes for their dance routine. The main character, Adina, is a young woman of South Asian descent. There are glimpses of Adina’s culture throughout the book via the foods she eats, the music she and her brother listen to, and to some background information about her family. I longed to know more about Adina’s culture and wished to have it figure a little more prominently in the story, especially at the beginning. Show Mode is another title in the “Orca Limelights” series. The series contains stories with performance themes, and they are written with simplified at level vocabulary but with enough action and drama to keep the story interesting. Show Mode fits this series and is a good read with strong and interesting characters who learn and grow from their mistakes. The quick moving plot keeps the story interesting and gives the reader a realistic glimpse into the world of performing. Recommended. Mary Harelkin Bishop is the author of the “Tunnels of Moose Jaw Adventure” series published by Coteau Books. She has also published a biography about Canadian Paralympic Champion Colette Bourgonje, entitled Moving Forward and a picture book version called Gina's Wheels. Her latest book, Mistasiniy: Buffalo Rubbing Stone (2016) deals with the relationship between a Cree boy and a boy of European descent as they get to know one another and realize the land is important to both of them. Currently she is an Instructional Consultant for Saskatoon Public Schools.
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