Summer in the City

Gr 4-6–Mango Delight Fuller has returned! In this sequel to Mango Delight, Mango is settling into the summer and her middle school drama has come to an end. It seems she has found her place with her “drama nerd” friends. This summer seems happily predictable: She’s watching her baby brother Jasper, and is having fun bestie time with Izzy. Things ramp up when her teacher offers a wondrous opportunity to put on their school play, Yo Romeo!, in an off-off Broadway theater with Mango as the lead. Miraculously, her parents let her go, and Mango can’t wait to experience a real theater with real actors. But Mango’s drama nerd friends think that the whole cast will be joining the new performance in NYC, and Mango doesn’t quite know how to tell them the truth. When Izzy becomes jealous of not being included, Mango is not sure where she stands with her own BFF. Mango begins to realize that being the star of a real play is intense work, and navigating the egos of the many professional actors can be just as challenging as middle school drama. Still, she works very hard to stay true to her real self and learns to be comfortable outside her comfort zone. Mango is a likable and relatable protagonist, even if parts of her adventure seem a little unbelievable.