Short

Julia has overheard her parents worrying about her lack of growth. She has to get a step stool to get the beef jerky out of the cupboard as a treat for Ramon, her dog, and Randy, her little brother. Now, she is grieving the loss of Ramon, while Randy is auditioning for the community summer play, and her parents are determined she joins him. She thinks nothing will come of it.

When ‘The Wizard of Oz’ takes over her life, thinking and learning, no-one is more surprised than Julia. We travel her journey, from small steps, to breaking down stereotypes, to building understanding of and respect for differences. Julia is more than short. She is more than a Munchkin or a Winged Monkey.

‘Short‘ is a quite wonderful book. We love Julia for all her shortcomings, lack of confidence, preconceptions, fears and misunderstanding. She is a very realistically sketched character, who narrates her experience so truthfully and movingly.

We recommend ‘Short’ to readers who really love travelling with a character, who appreciate considering feelings and society along the way.