Maya Plays the Part

Starred review from December 18, 2023
Autistic 11-year-old musical theater enthusiast Maya Robertson is psyched to attend a musical theater summer camp at the Grand Theater. There, she and the rest of the campers will rehearse to perform Maya’s favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. Maya knows she’s the perfect person to play the lead. Still, ever since her best friend Jules suddenly moved away, Maya has had to use her “Maya in Public” persona, something she dreads having to do for the rest of the summer. Everything is fine at first; though no one else seems to care about the play as much as Maya does, she befriends fellow camper Aislinn and excitedly talks to Jules every night. When Aislinn lands the lead and Maya is asked to be assistant director, it feels like everything is ruined. But Maya is determined to show her peers that she’s meant to be onstage. Utilizing an empathetic narrator who’s easy to root for, debut author Erb, who is also autistic, crafts a personal and vulnerable story about one neurodivergent child’s experience in discovering how to be herself as she learns to set boundaries and communicate with others. Maya cues as white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8–12.

March 15, 2024
At the theater camp of her dreams, an autistic 11-year-old is determined to be the star. Maya can't believe she's going to attend musical theater day camp with "THE Irene Brown, legendary theater director." And this summer, the camp will be putting on a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone, which is only Maya's "favorite play of all time." Obviously, Irene Brown will see that Maya is perfect for the starring role: She knows all the songs and everything about the show, and she even has a homemade shirt with The Drowsy Chaperone written on it. So why does Maya's mother keep telling her not to take the starring role for granted? This is obviously just another one of her mother's autism rules, like "Don't chew on your hair" and "Don't talk too much about musicals." Maya's even making new friends, but they get mad at her for no reason--she's just trying to be helpful when she corrects their mistakes. She doesn't want to always pretend to be "Maya in Public," her most well-rehearsed role, but she does want to have friends. Can she be happily, obsessively perfectionist about theater and still be liked? Nuances and the messiness of growing up enrich Maya's satisfying journey: Painfully, ultimately joyfully, she navigates the weirdness of friendships with neurotypical kids. Maya is white; Irene Brown is Black, and there's racial diversity among the supporting characters. A celebratory story of acceptance and creative expression. (Fiction. 8-12)

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February 1, 2024

Gr 3-6-Ever since her autism diagnosis, Maya has performed the role of "Maya in Public," everywhere she goes. She works with her parents to follow rules that are supposed to make life easier for her and help her blend in with everyone else. The one place Maya really feels at home is at the theater, so when she has the opportunity to participate in a summer camp at the local community theater, it seems like it's finally her time to shine. Even better, the camp will perform her favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, and no one knows it better! Maya feels destined to play the lead. Unfortunately, the summer doesn't go quite the way Maya has planned as she faces tons of drama offstage. Her best friend moves away, her parents are both too busy with their jobs, and Maya is always struggling with how to be Maya in Public. She is shocked and disappointed when she is not given the lead. As Maya navigates through the unexpected, she learns a lot about herself and also gains some important perspective about the world around her. Erb's middle grade debut offers a realistic representation of a young autistic girl who is experiencing the universal stresses of life and summer camp. Readers will relate and find inspiration in Maya's journey. By the end of the summer, Maya learns how to shine in the most important role: in being herself. VERDICT A relatable middle grade read with authentic autism representation and important lessons for readers everywhere.-Elizabeth Blake

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