Reviews

Baixinha by Holly Goldberg Sloan

ajaubrey1's review against another edition

funny 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? Yes

3.5

ali_brarian's review against another edition

5.0

What a fun and unique summer read! It was heartwarming to read as an adult and I'm sure this will be a very relatable one for kids. Also in reading the book jacket, I learned that the author wrote the screenplay for "Angels in the Outfield." Coolness points.

cheesehead_reader's review against another edition

4.0

Sweet sweet story about a little (don't say short) girl who learns a lot about herself and others one summer when her mom pushes her to try out for the college production of 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.

rebeccar9891's review against another edition

4.0

I LOVED this book! It brought me back to my childhood when I did children's theatre. I had all the feels!! I laughed, cried and felt like I changed along the journey like Julia did. Perfect for any kid going through the feeling of being different.

carnisht's review against another edition

2.0

I just couldn’t get into this book. The narrator was annoying and her age was confusing. She was supposed to be a 4th grader but she spoke like a middle schooler. Plus, the plot was remarkably slow and dull. I was disappointed.

mdettmann's review against another edition

3.0

Julia, a girl a little on the short side, spends her summer working as a munchkin in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz while healing from the loss of her beloved dog, Ramon. Overall I thought this was a sweet book, but it took me forever to get through because Julia was such a juvenile narrator and I found myself getting really bored with the story. Julie bounces from thought to thought, usually ending up sad about her dog. I think a lower-mid elementary school student would like this story, and definitely any kid that has recently lost a pet will understand Julia's pain. As for writing and plot, I just thought it was so-so. The overall message that it is what inside that counts is always a welcome one to teach in children's lit, but done a lot better in other works.

whitmc's review against another edition

4.0

My aunt texted me: "Now here is an A+ book!! Not heavy plot, but laughter and tears and tears and clever writing. . . . Kindle from library." Couldn't say no to that, and fully agree. Didn't realize it was a middle-grade book until I started, but that made it all the more fun. Great voice of the main character, awesome different characters (the family, neighbor, other actors in the play) and touches nicely on that funny mental process of starting to go from a "kid" to an "adult" and the change in thinking about others and yourself that comes with it.

gmahn's review against another edition

inspiring medium-paced

The book Short is an inspiring story about a young girl named Julia Marks. Julia tries out for her first play and is selected to be a Munchkin & a Winged Monkey in her local communities summer production of The Wizard of Oz. Julia made some friends on the way to experience it together. Julia is considered short for her age and she shows the readers that the most important part is to be big on inside. My favorite character in this book was Julia Marks because she did not let her height stop her from doing things that other kids her age do. I also like Julia because she shows her true character throughout the book.The only thing I disliked about this book was that it was sad at the beginning it could have started a bit more joyful at the beginning. I would rate this book a 4.5 because it was believable and inspirational. 

aishidoodah's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-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

3.0