Here's How I See It--Here's How It Is

by Heather Henson

Props are important, and so is making thunder and closing curtains. Junebug takes these jobs very The Blue Moon is a serious playhouse, and her parents’ pride and joy. But lately the stagehand mindset—go unnoticed, don’t say a word, be as invisible as you can—is applying to Junebug’s life offstage as well. And that’s not a role she’s happy with.

As Junebug starts speaking up—about her sister’s ego, about the weird kid on staff, about her mom’s abrupt departure, and about her father’s new leading lady—she begins to realize that it’s hard to work without a script...and that sometimes scenes play out in ways that aren’t intended.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens, Contemporary, Coming Of Age, Family

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Emcat_13 · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first saw the cover of the book, I thought, 'Oh! This looks like the cover of The Fault in our Stars!' Yes, I know I shouldn't be comparing books and judging it by its cover, but "Here's How I See It- Here's How it Is" is a catchy title, and I picked it up. So a five star rating for the cover art and kudos to the author for such a nice title.
But as you can see, I only gave it two stars.

HERE'S WHAT I LIKED
- the cover art (as explained above)
- the little bits of Shakespeare put here and there (the author did her research)
- the family crisis (okay, I sound a little morbid, but it's kinda exciting)
- Stella, the beautiful sister of June, an actress, bossy and demanding
- the after/before/after style (it's suspenseful)

HERE'S WHAT I HATED
- June. She's weak and cries a lot. A good female protagonist should be able to be a strong inspiration. Now, I know she's gone through a lot, but she should stay strong and fight to get her 'golfering' position back and get the 'child 1' part. Instead, she goes with the flow instead of rebels. I may be biased, but I like a rebel.
- The whole heart attack scene. I can't decide if it was overdone or underdone. With a little research (and help from the book Hatchet), apparently people get spasms first before the heart attack. But I didn't see them in this book. And the fact that he was so calm confused me. I would be freaking out!
- Thespis. No, just no. His stutter was okay, but after a while, reading about it got annoying. You said it once, Heather! You don't have to say it again! (I mean no offense to people who have that syndrome, just the way the author portrayed it was bad.) He knew too much about theatre for my likeness, and sadly to say, I would have blurted out my annoyance about him to my sister, too.
- Simon. Was I the only one who had to look back to make sure he was a man? I couldn't be sure after a few pages into his introduction.
- June/Scott/Thespis. I got worried at the beginning that they would become a love triangle. I'm going to go against normal critics, because I kinda like a love triangle. But not with such undeveloped characters.
- That whole 'bullying' thing. I get it, she's antisocial. But can you at least give me an example? I love examples. Maybe I would like it better if Heather Henson started it at school so we could see her woes. But she started it in the summer, escaping all possibilities of that.

I'm glad to say that I'm done with Here's How I See It- Here's How It Is. I would suggest it for third to fifth graders, who just want a time filler. If it were a movie, I would rate it PG. Overall, it was undeveloped character wise, and I'm just ready to move on and forget about this read.

[260731 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love how this book was written. In fact the reason I took it was because I liked the title and opened it and saw how different and uniquely cool the format is from other books. Though I do feel bad for June; all she wants is attension but nobody even notices her in the way she wants. The part where that other character came in and immediatly got the type of part she wanted seems so annoying for her. It's like I know I'm not her but it still triggers me. She seems like such a nice character, maybe a bit full of herself but not like someone who deserves to not even be on her dad's play. Her dad doesn't deserve her kind heart I'm sure she could've been such a valuble asset to his theator. I still love the book though, especially how it was written.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's How I See It--Here's How It Is is a book about a young girl that has a family that loves theater, her dad is the director of the shows, her mom used to work with them but she moved back to their farmhouse, and her older sister is always on of the main roles in the plays, the girl loves theater and has small roles on the show because she is too young to have main roles, and she also helps with the sets and costumes. However one-day one boy her age comes in and also wants to take part in the broadway shows, he comes in on opening night on the blue moon.
On the season her dad gives her bigger roles and pushes her ability to the fullest possible, but the show must go on, the boy that also joined the cast on the blue moon opening night only stutters and says random facts about theater history.
I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to people who like theater and who like to read about it, this book also talks a lot about theater and how it is, the plays, the behind the scenes and how they prepper for shows and after they finish. I enjoyed it and someone who likes to read about theater would also enjoy it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

June Olivia Cantrell, called Junebug, is a 12 year old girl growing up in a family that runs a summer stock theater. Summer is Junebug's favorite time of year, the only time when she feels she can be herself, but this summer everything is different. Her mother and father are "taking a break," and her father takes on a young intern, Trace (or Thespis, as Junebug calls him), to help with her stagehand duties. Told from Junebug's perspective, the story is at turns amusing and heartwrenching, as the young girl struggles with her uncertain place in the world that summer. The characters feel real, and the story is not predictable at all. Readers interested in acting and theater will especially love this story, as the author does a great job of describing and explaining summer stock, compelete with theater terminology. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didnt love the cover or title, but the book was excellent! Tear in the eye, lump in the throat, touching but not cloying and with a nice ending. Hope the show goes on!

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junebug, a twelve, almost thirteen year old girl is working at the summer theater run by her father as she's done all her life but this summer is different. Her mother isn't here. She's only 3 miles down the road on the other side of the family farm but her presence is missed. Junebug doesn't understand why she and her siblings got to choose which parent to spend the summer with. Choosing her father was easy since he was running the theater and Junebug just couldn't have a summer without theater. But her father doesn't spend time with her like he used to, he spends time with the female lead actor though which makes Junebug mad. Then they stick her with a new kid as an intern. They've never had an intern before but Junebug has to follow orders, it's who she is. But that doesn't mean it doesn't bug her. Trace is weird. He doesn't look at you when you're talking, he doesn't even respond when you ask him questions. What's up with him and why does Junebug have to "show him the ropes"?
Junebug has a lot she's struggling with this summer. Are her parents heading towards divorce? Why is she so afraid to ask? Her sister, the pretty one, the talented one stars in the first play, Macbeth while Junebug is the thunder. Backstage out of the lights she makes the thunder sound, she IS the thunder....but what she really wants is to be on stage....like her sister. Instead she's the gopher, the props person, the one who sets out breakfast for everyone....never the star. When a child part comes up and the speaking role goes to Trace it's too much for Junebug to take.

[Jillian]

In this book the main character, June goes through her summer, but it's very off from the way it usually is. Her parents own the Blue Moon Theater where they do plays all through out the summer. Usually her mom makes costumes and her dad directs the plays, but June gets a rude awakening when she realizes this summer is very different. Her mom and dad split up and she has to pick which parent she wants to stay with for the summer. On top of that she wants to be an actress, but the best she can get in the plays are thunder and helping backstage. All through the summer June is faced with many obstacles that she has to deal with.
I found this book to be very good and I really liked it. I could connect to certain parts of the story which made me like the book even more. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes theater or is interested in playwrights like William Shakespeare.I also could make some connections to English class when they talk about Shakespeare. I overall think that it's a very well written story and I would recommend it to other people.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! Although it may not be the usual horror, mystery, or thriller genre that I like, it was still a great, heartwarming book. The story was wonderfully narrated story by June, the main character. I expected the story to be a bit boring because it was about theatre and plays, and in my opinion, they are not the most interesting thing in the world. I learned a bit more about Shakespear's plays and many other famous writers. I would recommend this book to readers who like plays and a story about a typical middle school girl. I love how this book has two viewpoints on scenes, one of how June sees the scene, and the other about the reality of the scene. Again, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about ancient plays, and about the hard life of a theatre girl named June.

[Kamil L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting read with the theater history weaving throughout the whole book. I was not expecting that to be there! but the book seems to heavily rely on it, which is not a bad thing! Although the plot wasn't my favorite due to there being conflict, maybe that's because the characters are more real and have flaws unlike my personal liking for pure characters.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite interesting. In the beginning I was quite confused, but in the end I understood everything, and everything came together. I really enjoyed it.

[Carlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book relates so much to my life. I love theater and acting and hope to act and write. This year I felt like I was "in the mourning of my life" and struggled with friends like Junebug. My dad also had a heart attack and I know exactly how scary that is. I felt like it was meant to reach me and I'm glad it did. An amazing book!!!

[M J · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a beginner reader, i would say that this book made me want to read more and see other story lines develop as beautifully as this book.

[MAC · Rating 5 out of 5]

woah

[Chloe Persinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s How I see It Here’s How It Is
By : Heather Henson
Genre : Realistic Fiction
Chloe

June Olivia Cantrell is 12 years old girl that wants to be a real actress one day. That shouldn’t be so hard knowing that her family runs a summer-stock theatre also known as The Blue Moon. Despite all this, June isn’t much of an actress. Her role for the current play is the thunder which is just a sound made backstage. She is also a gopher, always running around to help the other actors with their props and such. Her point of view tends to completely differ from reality. June wonders what is in store for her.
June is often called Junebug, a nickname given to her by her family. Her dad made and runs the place with help from her mother, but this year things are different. Her parents have decided to “take a break”. With that, Junebug’s mother has moved out and left her dad staying at the theatre. Junebug also has siblings. Her older sister Stella is much more of an actress than June, actually having a part in the play and going on stage. She is beautiful, but vain. They tend to fight a lot. Her older brother Beck prefers farming over acting. When her parents decided on a break, each sibling had a choice to stay at the theatre with their dad or go to the farm with their mom. Stella and June decided to stay, however Beck chose the farm.
The change this summer starts to affect Junebug in many ways. She feels that her dad doesn’t talk to her as much and she misses her mom. She doesn’t quite understand why her mom left and if this will be permanent. With all this going on, dad welcomes someone June’s age to the theatre named Trace. Junebug calls him Thespis because her dad said he was “quite the young thespian.” He follows June around everywhere she goes. She thinks he’s weird because he is always spilling random information about theatre and won’t look her in the eye when he talks. With all this pressure on June, she starts to build up sadness and anger. One day when her and Stella were talking, she started going on and on about Trace not realizing that he was standing right behind her. She then learns from her costume designer that he has asperger’s syndrome, causing him to think differently than others. After this, she breaks down.
Junebug knows she has to tell Trace that she’s sorry and explain to her dad how she feels, but she can’t. She starts to consider herself as the villain, a coward. After running out on her birthday party, she lie thinking in her room. She got an idea to write down the anger she had built up towards her dad. She wrote down 5 whole pages, put them in an envelope, and placed them on her dads bed. When she woke up the next day she heard her dad calling her name. He looked sick and lifeless. He told her to call 911 and she did. She searches for the letter, but she can’t find it anywhere only to discover that her dad had a heart attack, she gave her dad a heart attack. She told Trace everything while her dad was in the hospital and she learns that Trace’s dad died 4 years ago after they had gotten into a fight. She finally comes out and says she’s sorry and Trace forgives her. In the end, her dad survives and her mom comes back to make the family whole again. June asks if the Blue Moon will be closed and her dad responds with something he has always said, “The show must go on.”
This book was spectacular. Being interested in performing arts myself, it was great to experience this summer-stock theatre. The author was able to portray the characters very well, allowing me to undergo an enjoyable adventure with them. The story was very unpredictable with lots of twists and turns. All the suspense drove me to keep on reading. I loved the way that I could really feel the character’s emotions and picture images in my head. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves an emotional, suspenseful book.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

At 12, nearly 13, June Cantrell, nicknamed "Junebug," seems to be doing everything in her parents' playhouse, The Blue Moon, except what she really wants.

Between supplying sound effects, acting as Prop Mistress, and being the gofer for all of the summer stock actors, all Junebug really dreams of is getting on stage and saying a few lines herself. Until then, she has to settle for being the very best Thunder she can be, and imagine what her life might be like if it really went "how she sees it."

This summer's season, however, pushes Junebug a bit too far. Her mother has moved out and gone back to the family farmhouse, and Junebug has no idea if it has to do with her father's new leading lady or not. Junebug's dad has been running himself ragged, taking on more of the leading roles than he usually does, and Junebug's older sister, Stella, can only complain about the measly roles she does have, when all Junebug craves is to just HAVE a role.

What's worse is the new apprentice her father has taken on, a 12-year-old boy with an annoying stutter and a strange habit of spitting out random facts about theater history that Junebug doesn't care to know. Although her father has asked that Junebug help him along and show the new boy what to do, Junebug can't help but suspect that she is, in fact, training her replacement, and that soon she'll be even more invisible than she was before.

Junebug has always believed that the show must go on, but now, she has no way of knowing which way the show will go, or what part she will play - that of hero, or villain.

As one well experienced in summer stock theater, the author brings to life the familial workings of this intimate band of characters. Junebug's plight, emotions, and reactions make her a very real, easy heroine to connect with. Also, I appreciate the way that the reader is introduced to select plays and theatrical concepts without being inundated with boring details, and the material is presented in a way that makes it interesting and easily understandable.

[Suebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 year old Junebug, younger sister of Stella (named after Streetcar character) and older brother Beck (named after playwright Becket), is always in the background at her parent's summer stock theater company, the Blue Moon. It is an open air theater, and she is in charge of the thunder for The Tempest, the first of 3 plays that summer (followed by the Seagull and Alceste). Junebug longs to be in front of the lights and fantasizes about her Broadway future but she is overshadowed by beautiful Stella. She adopts the opening line of The Seagull - "I am in mourning for my life."

To make matters worse, her dad shoves a new boy onto her - a boy she dubs Thespis for his neverending fount of theater triva - so she can "show him the ropes" of being a props assistant/stagehand. She doesn't want to help Thespis and gets annoyed at his obssessive behavior (like lining up cereal boxes for the cast breakfasts), his constant trivia, and his stuttering. She bemoans everything to her "flamboyant" friend, a grown up named Simon (also a longtime family friend and costumer). However, one day Thespis overhears her ranting about him and she doesn't have the nerve to apologize to him for a long time, even though they're both cast as children in the play Alceste, which her dad directs AND is playing the leading role in.

June learns that Thespis has Asperger's and she feels terrible. June's parents are separated - presumably because her dad has some interest in a young actress named Lelia - and June's mother lives on the other side of the farm. June's dad has a heart attack on opening night of Alceste, and the healing process of the family begins, as he realizes what's important. June apologizes to Thespis, who had been giving a speaking role to help him overcome his stutter.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

June wishes that she could escape into one of her beloved plays rather than deal with life as it actually is. Her mother and father are split for the summer, and forced to choose sides, June has decided to stay with her father, for "the show must go on". June's father runs a summer stock theater, which is the only place June ever feels like she fits in. But everything is changing. Her father is distant and seems to have a crush on the new female lead. Her older sister ignores her or puts her down. And a new intern has come to the theater, making June feel like her place there is threatened. June has to learn how to deal with the grief that change brings, before it explodes.

Such a wonderful, strong, coming of age novel that deals with family relationships and how difficult change can be. Plenty of theater too, which anyone who's ever had the theater bug will love. One of my favorite summer reads so far.

[addie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

It was NOT GOOD.

Here’s why:

1. Normally, drama books are boring anyways. (example: short by holly sloan. bad book, never read it.) it’s just a normal human with a normal life who gets cast as somebody bad in a play.
2. Junebug is kind of a brat. No offense, June. But… she’s basically living the life of luxury, and her mom is only 3 miles away, which is an easy place to get to. She’s just so sad that she’s not ACTUALLY in the play, but at least she gets to BE THERE!!

Reason why I liked it:

*MAJOR SPOILER HERE DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVN’T READ THE BOOK*













(it’s so far down here because i really don’t want your world to be spoiled)





















1. It’s really, really sad when Junebug is talking trash about Thespis, and then the stylist says ‘He has Aspergers.’
BUT,

BUT, HUMANS

June was being really mean and she shouldn’t be talking about anybody that way at all. Grow up, june, and be NICEEE. at least she feels bad.

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The exotic world of the theater is seen through the eyes of a 12-going-on-13-year-old girl, who has grown up with an actor father and a costume-designer mother in their summer playhouse. Longing to be front and center rather than in the wings, June begins each chapter with a dreamy "Here's How I See It", then "Here's How It Is"--the reality of her situation. Her father is having a midlife crisis and has split up from her mother--her older sister, once Nice, is now a Teenager, and worst of all June's own role as Props mistress and gofer is threatened by the arrival of weird, stuttering Trace. Then the unthinkable happens and June is sure it is her fault...a lovely book from start to finish. 6th grade and up.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very character driven, and Junebug is definitely a dynamic character. The first part of each chapter is about what she imagines for the future, and does not follow the plot line, although relates a bit to what is happening. The second part is what actually happens. Junebug spends her summers as an actress in her fathers summer theater, although often gets very small roles or just works backstage, while her sister gets some of the biggest parts. How Junebug sees it, she is a Broadway star. Then, a boy around her age joins the theater and begins to help her with her jobs. Junebug feels replaced, and throughout the book learns to be happy with who she is, and that maybe things will turn out, she just has to wait for it.

[♥-ℜachel -♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

picking up this book, i was SUPER excited! i mean, first of all, it's about performing arts, let alone about STAGE!! however, this book didn't live up to my expectations. this book talked mostly of tragidies such as shakespeare and more.
because of my limited knowledge of tragedies, this book was a little bit confusing and boring to me. it wasn't untill the middle/end of the book that things started to pick up.
the plot was pretty easy to follow, and even though some things were predictable, not all of it is. I found it easy to relate to most of the charactors, but mostly Lila.


** I recomend this book for a light/medium read.

[Claudia Fett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Junebug's parents own the Blue Moon Playhouse. She has always loved being a stagehand and yearns to become a leading lady someday. This particular summer things aren't going very well. Her mom has moved into town, the current leading lady shows too much interest in her father, the leading man, and a young boy is supposed to learn the ropes from her, but he seems to just take over her jobs. Kids will love how the story is presented in two parts: how Junebug sees the world and then hear how the world really is as Junebug grows and tries to understand what is happening around her.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. It had a lot of conflicts and heartwarming times. This book has alot of Shakespere. And the auothor is even from Kentucky! Junebug is the main character who goes through alot on summer break. Her family owns a theater workshop- The BlueMoon. Of what seems like a perfect summer turns down for the worst- her mom and dad could possibly get a divorice, a new prodigy comes to study and perform(who is Junebug's age- she never got to perform!),and there are soooooo muchn more happens that accure that-hopefully- will be resolved.

[Leila · Rating 3 out of 5]

June Olivia Cantrell, also known as Junebug, believes that she is destined to be a star. She carries this belief so far that and creates her own little world where everything is as she dreamed. Along the way Junebug meets new people and goes through challenging experiences that eventually lead her to make a world that includes her dreams and reality. I loved the development of Junebug. I was able to relate with her family problems and I was glad that the book didn't end in a romantic relationship like most books do.

[Emily Bowlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I added this book to my favorites as soon as I read the first few chapters. I was able to relate to this story in more ways than one. I also see students in the grades of 5-7 relating to this as well as they are growing and figuring their way through life. I would love to read bits from this book when explaining how to write in first person. Reading the characters mental thoughts along with what was truly happening was brilliant. This realistic fiction book will be one that I will recommend in the future.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty good. Not one of my favorites, but okay. I didn't want to abandon the book, but it wasn't easy to finish it. It kind of ekpt on going and going and going. I wasn't sure when it was going to stop. there was a lot of theatre terms in it which confused me at times. I love theatre and acting, but I'm not too familiar with all of the terms. If anyone wants to read it you have to be into theatre and it's more of a girly book.

[Patsi Trollinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather showed her talents for voice, character and setting. The writing style intrigued me, too, with all the nods toward play scripts. Language arts teachers will love all the material she manages to pull in from Shakespeare and other classic dramatists. A librarian friend declares that the book should have a Newbery nomination.

[random name · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good, Stella changes really quick though. First she's a "bratty Hollywood Superstar" then she was the "Good sister". And I didn't quite understand why the added Beck in there, he only appeared once in the whole book! They just said he was "Drop dead gorgeous, easy, and out-going". Nobody cares. Other than that, the book was really good. Heather Henson is a Daaahling!

[Leonela Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book about how girl Ahmed june survives a summer where her mom went to her live at her grandmothers house and her brother becket went to. Then her dad gets a new employe that takes her place at everything and her dad gets a heart attack.