While shows AREN’T going on, we have 2 perfect books for you to read!
The Mom here! Like everyone else in NYC, when we learned that everything – including Broadway!! – had shut down, we were of course saddened on so many levels and for so many people, along with ourselves. With so many shows, events and KidTerviews lined up, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time, in regards to “Kids’ News Stuff.” I told Waverly that I was sure that pretty soon, there would be all kinds of fun things to do at home. We never expected just how many options there would be, though. One such option came our way and truly lit up both our lives by bringing the magic, drama, and “pizazz” of Broadway in the form of…a mouse. But not just ANY mouse! Ladies and Gentleman, introducing:
Waverly here! I was sooooooooo bummed when Broadway shut down. So much of my life is spent watching shows that I barely knew what I was going to do. Where would I get my drama fix? When would I meet another awesome, funny, dramatic character to make me laugh and learn something while I was watching? Little did I know that I would meet that character, and others, in just a matter of days when Lulu the Broadway Mouse, and Lulu the Broadway Mouse: The Show Must Go On! found their way into my home. The author, Jenna Gavigan, has real-life Broadway experience (she starred in Gypsy along with Bernadette Peters!), so I knew right away that this book would really take me right into the world of Broadway like I have never seen.
This book has everything – drama, a mean girl, all kinds of behind the scenes Broadway insider info and the best setting ever! It takes place at the Shubert Theater, where Lulu lives! Yes, Lucy Louise, aka Lulu, lives with her mouse family at 225 West 44th Street in New York City, right inside the “most jaw-droppingly fabulous place in the world.” Her whole world is Broadway, but the one thing she can’t do is be ON Broadway, of course, because as everyone knows, mice can’t be on Broadway! Hmmm…..all I can say is…
That’s a clue! I can tell you that Lulu learns about herself, about what it means to be a good friend, and about how dreams can come true even if they are not exactly how you envisioned them to happen. This book has some very dramatic characters in addition to Lulu herself, who is very funny and witty. Reading this made me feel like I could actually be friends with a mouse (as long as it’s Lulu!). The other characters were funny and interesting, too. Her mom reminds me of my mom, always worrying about my manners! Of course, there’s a mean girl, there always is! But this mean girl, Amanda, helps turn the whole story around and also taught me a little bit about why people sometimes act mean. It also taught me to hold onto MY dreams!
Ready for another Lulu The Broadway Mouse adventure? I sure was, immediately after reading the first one! Lucky for us, there’s a brand new book out March 31st! Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing:
This book has even more drama – the show is closing! There are all kinds of problems, like low ticket sales and a critic that hates mice…but those problems are not making Lulu give up now that she finally is living her dream. Do they save the show? And if so, how do they do it? I would tell you but I really don’t want to make Lulu mad. She’s pretty tough. 🙂
I learned a lot about what it takes to run a Broadway show. It is much more than just having awesome actors! I also learned about how it’s what we DO that matters and how never giving up is the really heroic thing to do, because, after all, we all need a little hope, especially now. Last night at 7 pm I clapped along with the whole city for all the emergency workers who are out there risking their lives every day while we stay safe inside our homes. It made me think of this passage in the book:
“They are cheering for hope. They are whistling for chutzpah. They are applauding the idea of never giving up. Of trying, of being better, of being kind. Of being different.”
The Mom here again! I know I’m not the only one who has chills right now…when I say these books are the perfect books for kids staying inside right now and dreaming of Broadway, I mean it. Yes, there is magic in the Shubert Theater, “so full of love and energy, and blood, sweat, and tears,” but guess what? That magic is inside of all of us, and this little mouse won’t let you forget that. So while there are no shows, the show can certainly go on, at home, and your dreams can still be ignited, so be like Lulu, and never give up. Get your copies here:
Lulu The Broadway Mouse
