Maya Plays the Part
Description
A Children鈥檚 Book Book Council Spotlight selection!
A heartwarming middle-grade debut with autism representation and a musical flair.
Maya lives and breathes musicals. When her chance to finally be a part of
the summer musical program at the community theater comes up, Maya is
convinced she will get the lead. After all, who knows The Drowsy Chaperone better
than she does? However, things don鈥檛 turn out exactly the way Maya鈥檚
planned, and the summer turns out to be jam-packed with problems:
dealing with her best friend鈥檚 move, her parents鈥� busy jobs, and鈥攕ince
her autism diagnosis鈥攖he ongoing puzzle of how to be Maya in Public. But
perhaps most important of all, Maya has to figure out how to play the
part that truly feels like her own.
Awards
- Nominated, IBBY Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities 2025
Reviews
"A winning and insightful portrait of a girl with big dreams. Maya Plays the Part deserves a standing ovation."
- Cary Fagan, award-winning author of Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door
鈥淎 wonderful book . . . authentic autism representation shines on every page.鈥�
- A. J. Sass, Sydney Taylor Honor award-winning author of Ellen Outside the Lines
鈥淢aya, like all of us, is messy. She can be overconfident, inflexible, and unfair to her friends. But she鈥檚 also passionate, hardworking, and struggling to cope in a world not built for her. . . . A highly recommended read, for autistic and allistic readers alike.鈥�
- Meg Eden Kuyatt, author of Good Different
鈥淎 charming and relatable middle grade story. . . . This former drama kid and autistic girl loved it!鈥�
- Jackie Khalilieh, author of Something More
鈥淲e inhabit Maya Robertson鈥檚 body, mind, and soul as she treads and trips over friendships, theater camp, and 鈥榟ow to be鈥� in the world. This is a heart-pounding and honest peek into a world we all need to know more about. Go Maya go!鈥�
- Teresa Toten, author of The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B
鈥淎n in-depth and loving portrayal of the elation, heartbreak, and offstage drama that comes with community theater. A must-read for theater kids.鈥�
- Vikki VanSickle, author of P.S. Tell No One
鈥淯tilizing an empathetic narrator who鈥檚 easy to root for, debut author Erb, who is also autistic, crafts a personal and vulnerable story about one neurodivergent child鈥檚 experience in discovering how to be herself as she learns to set boundaries and communicate with others.鈥�
- Publishers Weekly, *starred review, 12/14/23
鈥淎 relatable middle grade read with authentic autism representation and important lessons for readers everywhere.鈥�
- School Library Journal, 02/24
鈥淎 celebratory story of acceptance and creative expression.鈥�
- Kirkus Reviews, 02/17/2024