A Very Young Actress

by Jill Krementz

A nine-year-old girl who starred in a workshop production of "Annie 2" describes her experiences on and off stage, from auditions through rehearsals to opening night.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Biography

64 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 1991

About the author

Jill Krementz is an American photographer and author. She has published 31 books, mostly of photography and children's books. She was married to Kurt Vonnegut for almost 30 years.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a child my biggest dream was to appear in the Broadway production of Annie. So imagine the envy I felt while turning the pages of this book featuring a little girl chosen to star in Annie 2! (In my defense, the likely hood of being "discovered" in Kent, Washington was rather low. Now had I grown up in New York City...Oh, wait! That's right. I have a voice that should not be heard without the protective sheath of a shower door and the dulling effect of running water.)

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Initially I only bought this book to see if there were any rare pictures from Annie 2 (yes!) but I ended up reading the book from start to finish and it was super cute.

[Hunter Lubawski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a short bibliography.
"A Very Young Actress" is about a young girl, Lauren Gaffney, getting to play the title role in a workshop version of "Annie 2". They not only take us through Lauren's journey, but they also use lots of stage terminology and lingo that they define.
I enjoyed the book more as a child than I did rereading it as an adult. I remember getting this book and knowing that I was going to be successful like Lauren and all of the other actresses in the book. I do like that its very hopeful, and it has lots of interesting photographs taking us through the rehearsal process and Lauren's everyday life. I would definitely recommend this book to aspiring actresses, and I would maybe even read it in a theatre class or lesson. It feels very inspiring, especially to a young reader.

[Gena Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short read about how this young girl auditions and works through the stage play of "Annie."
Fun for 3rd-5th grade readers interested in theatre.

[MsAprilVincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought the book for two reasons:

1. When I was eight, I used to check out Krementz's A Very Young Dancer from the Roanoke Public Library every few weeks. I loved that book, and I love it still. So nostalgia is to blame for this purchase.

2. I thought that there would be a more complete picture of the process of auditioning for a role up to the performance, and that I could share that information with my theater students. I forgot that the series is written for eight-year-olds.



p.s. I'm totally counting it toward my goal of 75 in 2011, and I don't feel bad about that.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A great idea, but poorly executed. The quality has plummeted from the golden days of these series. They should not have bothered.