REVIEW
and EXCERPT
Reality Natalie
by Katie
Sparks
Reality Natalie is recommended for children ages 8 to 12. This review opportunity is brought to you by Mother Daughter Book Promotion Services.
Description
When the most popular kids’ TV show, Kidz
Konnection, decides to hold auditions for a guest host spot, the show’s
BIGGEST fan decides to audition.
[Cue Natalie Greyson]
Eleven-year-old Natalie is determined to overcome her habit of turning
into a tongue-tied, air ball burping, runny-nose disaster whenever something
embarrassing happens in front of an audience so she can audition for the
coveted role. As the show’s biggest fan, no one could possibly deserve it more
than her!
Except a GIANT obstacle stands in her way: her parents deny her
permission to audition.
To make matters even worse, Natalie’s naturally talented best friend,
Kailyn, decides to audition too, and will stop at nothing to win. With their
friendship suddenly in question, Natalie turns to her blog, In A "Nat"
Shell, to vent her frustrations, but Natalie’s emotional outpouring and lies
only creates more anxiety for herself. With the stakes high, Natalie goes
against her parent’s wishes and decides to audition, but Kailyn has her own
secret plan to be Number One, even if it means doing so at the expense of her
best friend. Can Natalie find a way out of the drama and into the spotlight? Or
will the competitive pressure cause her to lose her ultimate dream along with
her best friend?
Excerpt
“I have an
announcement to make,” I said loudly.
“You’ve decided to
become the next president?” Dad piped up, walking back into the room. “I always
thought President Greyson had a nice ring to it.”
“Actually no. But
personally, I think my news is just as cool, if not better.” I nodded for
emphasis.
Mom shooed Chase and
Sydney toward the stairs. “Go put your clothes in the hamper. I’ll be up in a
second to give you guys a bath.”
“Me first!” Sydney
squealed, running after Chase.
With the twins
finally gone, I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “I have decided to
try out to become a guest talk show host.”
“Have you?” Dad
asked.
I pulled out the
announcement from the Kidz Konnection website I had printed off earlier.
“Remember? Channel 10 is holding a contest to find a Kidz Konnection guest
host.”
Mom adjusted her
glasses and looked over Dad’s shoulder, her lips slightly moving as she skimmed
the article. She raised her eyebrows the way she does whenever she is about to
say absolutely not. I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles. Out of the
corner of my eye I saw the microwave clock tick over to 6:58.
6:59.
“Well,” Dad said
after what felt like an eternity.
“Hmm,” Mom said.
These were not
encouraging sounds. The last time my parents said back-to-back words of “well”
and “hmm”, I was forced to keep an eye on Chase and Sydney for an entire
afternoon while Mom watched “The Sound of Music” in the family room and Dad
went golfing.
Every time a song
came on, Mom would sing at the top of her lungs. If the “hills came alive” once
more, I was going to puke. I drummed my fingers on the table, glancing at Mom
and Dad as they perused the piece of paper. Maybe if I stared long and hard enough,
I could somehow use mind control to force them to say “yes”.
But, mind control is
not one of my talents.
Praise for the Book
" … Author Katie Sparks pleasantly surprised me with her
well-written prose and spunky characters. Reality
Natalie is about a young girl, Natalie Greyson, who has high ambitions and
dreams … [and] wants to audition to be a guest host for a popular kid’s show.
What really impressed me is the way Sparks handled the competition between
friends. Sparks kept it real, she didn’t glamorize her characters … I highly
recommend Reality Natalie. It teaches
life lessons through fun and thoughtful prose. This is Sparks’ debut novel, but
hopefully it won’t be her last." ~ Carol Thompson, Readers’ Favorite
"I like Natalie. She’s a real kid – the kind who’ll try to sneak a
second cookie into her lunch, or get angry at a friend, or offer her
second-best pencil to a classmate in need. She has issues with her parents,
thinking she’s the odd-kid-out as they deal with the stress of twins and
careers, but she has a good relationship with them, nonetheless. They talk.
They work stuff out. Natalie knows she can voice her fears and be heard – when
she tries find a good time for conversation, anyway." ~ 5 Star Review,
V. Rundell, Amazon
"I loved how Sparks created characters with heart and soul. I
cheered with Natalie when something went her way, and could feel her pain when
things didn’t. Reality Natalie truly
is a wonderful slice of everyday life, complete with annoying classmates, pesky
siblings, and friends that don’t always do what you want. Great book filled
with lots of surprises that will make readers everywhere clamor for more."
~ 5 Star Review, Kym B., Amazon
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Eleven-year-old Natalie Greyson is obsessed with the children's talk show
Kidz Konnection. When they launch a competition for a guest host, Natalie
thinks all of her dreams have come true. Now all she has to do is win! But what
happens when she finds out that her talented best friend will be competing
against her? Will Natalie succeed and, if so, at what cost?
The author has a fresh, natural voice. I like the way the book is
written, interspersed with hand-written notes and Natalie's entries on her "In
A Nat Shell" blog. From a moralistic (parent's) viewpoint, I am a bit
concerned about the way Natalie lies to her parents and about the bad feelings
between supposed-best friends, Natalie and Kailyn. But I guess real life is
like that. At least Natalie learns a few lessons and grows as a person as a
result of her experiences. And, from an entertainment aspect, I'm sure the kids
will love the shenanigans the cast of great characters gets up to. Robbie is
especially entertaining.
A funny, fast-paced story especially suited to tween girls. The ending leaves it open to a sequel.
About the Author
At a very young age, Katie Sparks discovered the magic of books. She counted
on weekly library visits and treasured receiving her first library card at the
age of five. At six, she wrote her first story called Baby Carrie (still
in her collection today!). Katie knew then that writing would be in her future.
By day, she is an editor for the parent consumer line at a non-profit
medical association and enjoys working closely with authors and industry
professionals. Immersed in the publishing industry in both her professional and
personal life is a dream come true. On weekends you will often find her writing
and sipping coffee at one of the many unique coffee shops in Chicago, spending
time with family and friends, or curled up with a new book.
Katie has been an active member of SCBWI
for the past seven years. She lives in Chicago with her devoted and extremely
vocal cat Moe.
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