Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller

It’s her talent, her family and her friends. Readers are left with no question as to what life with OCD looks like.īut Shannon’s story is so much more than her disorder. It’s her life.Īuthor Kalen Miller has OCD in real life, and her experiences translate directly to the page. That’s the point, though, Shannon has to deal with it all the time.

Like you’re never allowed to forget about it. The book is OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) heavy. Shannon in the Spotlight is one of those novels that has moments that might annoy or frustrate readers, but there’s a good reason for those moments. As opening night approaches, Shannon feels pressure to save her friendship with Elise, to make Mom and Grandma Ruby act like grown-ups, and to follow the old theater adage “The show must go on.” -Synopsis provided by Delacorte Press To make matters worse, Shannon’s eccentric and opinionated grandmother moves in with her and her mom after a fluke house fire. She lands a lead role, and everyone in her life is ecstatic. But when she braves the audition, she discovers that center stage is the one place where she doesn’t feel anxious. As a twelve-year-old with obsessive-compulsive disorder, she depends on routine. But when the director of the summer musical hears Shannon singing, he encourages her to step out of the wings and into the spotlight.Īt first, Shannon is hesitant. Shannon’s always been content to stay backstage, helping wherever she can.

Not like her two BFFs, Elise, an actress, and Fatima, a techie. Shannon Carter never considered herself much of a theater person. SHANNON IN THE SPOTLIGHT, by Kalena Miller, Delacorte Press, April 25, 2023, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 10 and up)Ī girl with OCD accidentally lands a leading role in the summer musical in Shannon in the Spotlight, a middle-grade novel by Kalena Miller.

Shannon in the Spotlight by Kalena Miller