Stars and Sparks on Stage

Clubhouse Mysteries #6

by Sharon M. Draper, Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator)

The Clubhouse kids compete for a big prize—and make some creative moves—in this repackaged and talent-filled tale from bestselling author Sharon Draper.

Ziggy, Jerome, Rashawn, and Rico are sure they’re going to win the upcoming school talent show. And the best part? First prize is $200! With great singing and showmanship, the boys are already envisioning all the new upgrades they’ll give their clubhouse when they win the prize money. But they didn’t count on a little girl with a big, big voice, who just might have what it takes to overcome the Clubhouse kids—and who also needs the money much more than the boys do. Can everyone come out a winner in this contest?

Genres: Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Award, and is a New York Times bestselling author. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6-year-old got bored with this one partway through, but I enjoyed it! The Black Dinosaurs want to win the talent show, but they're forced to think about more serious things after meeting a new student who was made homeless by Hurricane Katrina. I thought it was handled in an age-appropriate way. This book probably has the most outdated feel of the series given all the talk of CDs and DVDs, but it's still a good story. I thought it was odd that Draper seemed to change Ziggy's weird food combinations from something he preferred to a joke he was in on, but it had the same entertainment value for my kid. It worked out that this is the last in the series, as he's ready to move on to something else.

[Dietrich West-Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read every book in this young teen series. Six in all and each one was very good. They all have a reading level of about 3rd or 4th grade. Black boys are the protagonists. With a interesting theme for each book. I wish there were more books in the series. There are not enough books showing black boys in a positive and lighthearted way.
I would like to know if this author wrote any more young teen books.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We loved this series. But I have to say that rebranding it as "The Clubhouse Mysteries" is really odd. The clubhouse barely features after the first book, and there mostly aren't any mysteries. Also I don't understand the new cover illustrations. The interior illustrations are terrific and follow the descriptions of the four boys. The cover illustrations just don't fit.

[Bossy Kiya (Jakiya) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. Ziggy, Jerome, Rashawn, Ashnd Rico are sure they will win the talent show and the prize money and they got a killer voice. There are people who don’t like that Draper takes the time to discuss the skin tone of each of the boys and feels that the insertion of Ziggy (a Jamaican) is a form of tokenism. If the boys in Ziggy all have different families and have different skin tones, there is a great chance of a kid finding that one character that they can connect with. It’s done all the time – think of the girls in The Babysitter’s Club, the use of a brother sister pair in The Magic Tree house series, consider how often one character in a story is a brunette in the story and another is a blonde. Draper is not approaching this differently from any of these other authors except with one notable exception: she’s black and she’s writing about black characters. We all do. I can’t begin even tell you how heavily biased I was towards brunette character he boys are eager to win a $200 prize in their school talent show, planning to trick out their clubhouse. When a newcomer arrives, they just may have to change their plans. Tulip was made homeless due to Hurricane Katrina. Now she’s safe in Ohio, but she certainly could use the prizes as a child, I felt so marginalized by the blonde is better mentality.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

i didn't like the ending because why didn't they just split the $200 with the new girl who needs it most?

[Tabitha Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

[Brittany Elliott]

really good

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it was very kind of the black dinosaurs to donate the money to tulip's family. They could of done something else with it

[SBS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, I would recommend it for people who are just starting chapter books - a little bit easy.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this one 3 and 1/2 too!