"Beverly Billingsley Takes a Bow" by Alexander Stadler. Click, July/August 2012, pages 28-34. "Beverly Billingsley Takes a Bow" is a short story featuring the same main character as the 2002 picture book Beverly Billingsley Borrows a Book. It appears in the July/August 2012 issue of Click Magazine. (It was also published as a picture book back in 2007, and it's still in print.)
Beverly wants to be an actress in the school play, but when she goes for her audition, stage fright gets the best of her and she winds up with two very small roles. Her parents encourage her to be the best Wall and Shrub she can be, but Beverly can’t help but learn all the other characters’ lines anyway. On the night of the play, Beverly can feel herself becoming less and less afraid, and ultimately, it is she who is able to help one of the stars remember her lines when she gets nervous.
This is a story line that has been used over and over again, and there isn’t very much new about this version, but kids in the target age group will be unlikely to realize that. Beverly is a relatable character, similar to a Henkes mouse, and her experiences are very believable and likely to reflect the lives of real kids. The writing is strong, and there are some nice moments where the language really impressed me. I especially liked Beverly’s feeling on opening night: “heavy and indestructible, as though she were actually made of stone.” I also got a chuckle out of her studying the stone wall and shrubs at her house to help her get into character.
Beverly Billingsley Borrows a Book is a picture book I like, and I’m glad to see Beverly is still around starring in stories like this one. Though this story is probably intended as a read-aloud, I think beginning readers approaching the chapter book level could read it on their own, too.
I read this short story at my local public library.
Visit Click Magazine online here.
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder