Reviews

Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan

thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition

Julia is short for her age, and she sees that as a negative thing until she gets cast as a munchkin in the local production of The Wizard of Oz. She is also inspired when her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Chang, gets involved with the play by making costumes for the cast, and even offers to play a flying monkey. Julia realizes that she should embrace her stature, and herself, the way she is, and begins to have a more positive outlook.

Thanks to Penguin Random House for an advanced copy of this book.

aliwhitley's review against another edition

3.0

Took forever. So much “in her head” time that was honestly not my favorite. Kids might enjoy.

esther0naut's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

emklem's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

margardenlady's review

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Delightful story about an elementary aged girl who is enjoying her first theatrical experience. Julia is a small person and gets cast as a munchkin but soon shows her outsized personality to the director. She develops confidence and a variety of skills in this important summer. 

aepbuilder's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

linneamo's review against another edition

3.0

Not what I expected. Very heavy on characterization. You know Julia by the end of this book. She's such a unique and perceptive kid. I really enjoyed the read but I'm wondering about the kid appeal. Would they like it? I'll have to give it to some of our readers to try.

shakgraph's review against another edition

4.0

"Mrs. Chang says you're often judged in life,before you are ready." - Julia

This was very cute. Julia, who is extremely short, is forced to addition to be a munchkin with her little brother for "The Wizard of Oz" musical being put on by the near by college. Julia's language reminded me a lot of how I think and talk.😂 I'm assuming she's in middle school, but I don't recall reading it. Julia, though hilarious at times,was definately a flawed character. Some of her less likeable traits annoyed me. Julia cared a little too much about what other people thought of her and always tried to say things to make herself seem older. Julia was pretty selfish most of the book and most of the actions she made was to better herself. However, I did like how confident Julia was considering how her parents thought it was unfortunate that she was so short-that really broke my heart. I related to her parents being whatever-you-would-call-that-nonsense. There were some other things that I wasn't sure how I felt about with the other side characters. The director, Mrs. Chang and Randy were some of the coolest characters that I would want to be like in real life.

This story was heart warming and made me appreciate what makes each of us unique. Plus, it gave lots of laughs. It's a must read if you like "The Wizard of Oz."

cooper_michael's review against another edition

4.0

Julia Marks Is Vertically challenged (She doesn’t like being called short). She Tries to look past this fact. When her mom forces her to try out for a musical she gets cast as a Munchkin In The Wizard of Oz, She finally realizes that it's not top bad to be short. In the Musical Julia makes a new friend. Olive is an adult and has dwarfism. They bond over the musical, and Julia falls in love with theater.


SHORT was a very good book. It had the right amount of excitement and humor. It was fun to follow Julia as she made friends, art, and music. It was a nice break from the monotony of young adult books. The only problem was the narration. I loved the style, but Julia sounded very young. I could tell the book was meant for a younger audience.

dblue236's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I picked this book up mainly because I liked the idea of a middle grade book with a "theatre kid" feel, and it definitely met that criteria, but it was also so much more than that. The running themes of dealing with loss and finding your place in the world were relevant for any age group, and the ending left me wishing there was more of the story left to go. It's definitely geared toward a middle grade audience, but that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying it and becoming totally invested in the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Grief