Fearless
Fearless is a fun middle grades read for any kid with Broadway dreams: 12-year-old Monica Garcia has scored the opportunity every theater kid dreams of — an understudy gig in a new Broadway musical at the historic Ethel Merman Theater. With her abuela as her chaperone and a NYC hotel as her new home base, Monica quickly befriends her fellow kid cast-mates and can’t wait for opening night. But there’s a curse on the Ethel Merman Theater, and if Monica and her new friends can’t figure out how to break it, their theater dreams may crash before they have a chance to start.
by Mandy Gonzalez
Fearless is a fun middle grades read for any kid with Broadway dreams: 12-year-old Monica Garcia has scored the opportunity every theater kid dreams of — an understudy gig in a new Broadway musical at the historic Ethel Merman Theater. With her abuela as her chaperone and a NYC hotel as her new home base, Monica quickly befriends her fellow kid cast-mates and can’t wait for opening night. But there’s a curse on the Ethel Merman Theater, and if Monica and her new friends can’t figure out how to break it, their theater dreams may crash before they have a chance to start.
This isn’t the best middle grades book you’ll ever read, but it’s a lot of fun, especially for kids with a passion for theater. It’s a little bit ghost story, a little bit magical realism, and a little bit drama kid, which is a weird combo that works if you’re into those things. Monica is a fun heroine to hang out with — I love her confidence and her close connection to her family — and there’s a lot of fun Broadway backstory, especially around backstage traditions. If all this sounds up your alley, you’ll probably find it an enjoyable read — maybe get it from the library instead of buying your own copy.