Monday, November 7, 2016

Langston, Laura. Stepping Out. (Orca Limelights)

Langston, Laura.  Stepping Out. (Orca Limelights)     Orca  2016  137p  $9.95  ISBN 978-1-4598-0895-9   ms/hs  Conflict  E-BN   

Paige has always looked at life through the lens of humor, even with the struggles she has faced due to her childhood surgeries for a club foot. She posts humorous vlogs based on her experiences and observations about life. Her friends enter Paige into a national contest that is seeking the next teenage comedy star. At the competition, Paige must overcome her fears, as she is required to do a standup routine, something she is uncomfortable doing.  The winner must be a versatile comedian. Paige’s sister causes numerous problems as she insults Paige’s comedic abilities and fashion sense, even telling Paige that she is a freak. Readers will cheer Paige as she deals with the lack of family support, learns to overcome her need to be self-deprecating, and finally makes a change so that a childhood boy friend becomes a boyfriend. Lots of humor is written into her monologues, and the novel tackles a career not often written about in young-adult literature. Supportive teachers are also a nice addition to this novel about setting goals and working to achieve them. It also includes lots of tips for aspiring comedians, as well as performance tips for anyone who envisions himself or herself in a career as a performer.

Summary: Paige enters the comedy arena by posting vlogs, using her experiences as the basis for her comedy. She makes it to the final round of a national competition. Will her disability or her sister sabotage her chances of winning? This novel is insightful and compelling. Grades 7-12.


Comedy-Fiction, Comedians-Fiction                                 --Lois McNicol

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