How to Stage a Catastrophe

by Rebecca Donnelly

Overview

Sidney plans to be the director of the Juicebox Theater when he grows up. For now, he handles the props, his best friend Folly works the concession stand, and his sister May hangs out in the spotlight. But the theater is in danger of closing, and the kids know they need a plan to save it and fast. When they join a local commerce club to earn money, Sid and Folly uncover some immoral business practices, and it gives them a great idea for saving the theater. That is, if you can call extortion a great idea. Hilarious and heartwarming, the mission to save a failing community theater unites a riotous cast of characters in this offbeat middle-grade novel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623708085
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	04/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Donnelly was born in England, where she got to stand in the rain and wave at the Queen once, and at seven moved to California, where they don't do things like that. She holds an MLIS from San Jose State University. Rebecca runs a small rural library in upstate New York and has written for School Library Journal and The Horn Book.

Interviews

Novel has a unique format — set up like a play, complete with cast lists, stage directions, and settings; First-person narrative voice is witty, warm, and engaging, and speaks directly to the reader; Features a funny, flawed cast of characters who unite for a common cause

Editorial Reviews

...there’s a thin line between business and extortion, as we discover in this equal parts touching and humorous look at the business side of the theatre world.

Barnes & Noble Kids blog

Rebecca Donnelly’s debut novel is a treat on many levels. The format, prose style and story are all appealing, making this middle grade book a solid read for audiences of all ages. . . .The antics of the characters are funny and sincere enough without the play construct, but this format allows readers to understand Sidney while encouraging appreciation for theater as art. The laugh-out-loud moments are tempered by heartfelt character development, as Sidney discovers truths about himself and tries to direct the story to a satisfying conclusion. A fun read from opening scene to final curtain, How to Stage a Catastrophe will be a favorite for many years.

BookPage

Full of quirky fun, this middle-grade debut is given a three-act structure and peppered with witty asides and comments from Sidney about the process of theater making. An ideal introduction for budding thespians.

Booklist

Donnelly’s debut novel for young people focuses on the Juicebox Theater, a children’s theater that is in danger of closing. . . .Parts of the text are displayed in play format and many drama terms are introduced to readers: stage, scene, setting, intermission, cast, director, props. . . .This would be a good introduction to children’s theater. Recommended.

School Library Connection

03/01/2017
Gr 4–6—Sidney loves working behind the scenes at the Juicebox, the local children's theater, but when the Juicebox faces financial difficulties, Sidney and his friends try to find a way to keep the lights on. Initial ideas such as a karaoke machine, a variety show, and better concessions don't do the trick. A fortuitous coincidence provides the kids with the material to blackmail a local businessman. Can they take the high road and still save their beloved theater, or will they stoop to unsavory means? None of the characters are particularly fleshed out, and several secondary characters serve the plot only once and are not brought up again, making them difficult to place in the story. The narrative races around several unlikely scenarios that will keep readers laughing and guessing until the improbable conclusion. There's plenty of fun to be had in this tale, if not cohesion. Still, readers with an affinity for theater may enjoy this peppy outing. VERDICT An additional purchase where books such as Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Kate Wetherhead's "Jack & Louisa" series and Tim Federle's Better Nate Than Ever fly off the shelves.—Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

2017-01-17
"Catastrophe is the soul of the theater" in Donnelly's middle-grade debut. Sid is a precocious young white boy from the Florida Panhandle trying to rescue his beloved children's theater, the Juicebox. He brings his best friend, Folly, an African-American boy who is the type of kid who can "sell sharks to the ocean" and "says wearing a bow tie reminds him of his life's purpose," along for the ride. In cahoots with the boys is Juicebox newcomer Jelly Baby, a Cuban-American puppeteer whose real name is Juliana. When Folly's newest business scheme accidentally lands sensitive documents in their laps, the kids think they have just the ticket to secure the funds the theater needs to stay open. Chapters are written in prose but presented as a script with act and scene designations, a clever choice in theory but that in practice is often confusing, especially when the act and scene order are rebooted awkwardly just as the climax nears. The climax itself is reminiscent of Scooby Doo, as the meddling kids improbably catch the bad guy and manage to save the theater in a foregone but unlikely conclusion that may test even the most credulous readers. Despite this, Sid's first-person, fourth-wall-breaking narration, full of amusing similes and asides, carries the day. Conspiratorial theatrics and all-around good fun. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews