What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
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Children's book. Girl named Tara gets a singing part in a play. She can't sing on-key unless listening to pre-recorded song on cassette tape recorder. Title includes Tara? Cover: girl with short hair singing. Read in 1980s.
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Joy
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May 01, 2016 09:16PM
I read this in grade school in the 1980s. The lead character is a girl named Tara, as in, the plantation from Gone With The Wind. All I remember is Tara getting a roll in a play where she has to sing. Everyone discovers that Tara can't sing - except Tara herself. Her friend notices Tara can sing on-key when singing along to a pre-recorded song, so she gives her a cassette tape of the song. During the performance, Tara wears a hidden recorder & headphones (no one but Tara & her friend know about it). Everything's fine, until Tara's headphones start slipping, & she starts singing off-key (she's either so into the song that she doesn't realize she's losing her phones, or she's too scared to adjust them & reveal she's singing along to a tape). I think "Tara" might be part of the title.
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:( No, it didn't have anything to do with holidays. I wish I could remember something about the play. I think it was a school play, but I'm not sure. I don't think it was a musical, either. Thanks, though!
Maybe, We Did It, Tara!
?Was it part of a series?
Anything about the cover?
Location story takes place?
It wasn't about cheerleading. I'm pretty sure it wasn't part of a series (if it was, it was the first, but wasn't originally meant to be a series). I don't remember where it took place. All I remember of the cover is a girl with short hair (it was maybe mid- to late 80s), withher mouth open like she's singing. I've tried googling "Tara Sings" but I couldn't find what I was looking for. The title might reference music or plays or musicals, but I can't remember. It might have been a Scholastic book.
Mod
Yes, I'm still looking. :( I'm thinking now that the book was probably released sometime during the early to mid 80s. Even though the character sings in the book, I think it's just one number in the play, so I don't think the play was a musical. Wish I could remember more.
You're sure about the name Tara?Was the school play the focus of the entire book, or just one incident in the novel?
I think it was the focus of the book. I think I remember Tara & her friend learning of the play, preparing for the audition, rehearsals, etc. Tara got a part, but I think the friend was tech of some sort, like stage manager or prop master or something. I think when Tara starts singing off-key (when her headphones start slipping), it was during the performance. She was sitting in something with a window, like she had a chair behind cardboard made to look like...idk...maybe a carriage? Or the outer wall & window of the character's bedroom? Something like that...does that make sense? I remember it was written in first person, & Tara starts the book by explaining that her mom named her after the plantation in Gone With The Wind.
No, that's not it, either, but somehow it feels like you're close. Maybe "perfect" is in the title? In the book I'm thinking of, what happens to her during the play wasn't controversial, or involved anything she had to fight for. It was much lighter. It was just potentially embarrassing for Tara. I can't remember if there's a lesson Tara needs to learn, or if the overall story is just about humorous childhood embarrassments.
That sounds like a cute story, too, but the lead character in the book I'm looking for is definitely named Tara. I the beginning of the story, she explains that Gone With The Wind was her mom's favorite movie & named her after Scarlett's plantation, Tara. Did I mention it's middle grade fiction? It might have been a Scholastic book, too. Could it be out of print? Usually finding old books is relatively easy.
I tried searching Worldcat for the name Tara, and it definitely doesn't come up there. I tried "school play" and other versions of that phrase. It brings up lots of results, but the character names don't fit.Do you remember if your copy was a paperback? It could very well have been Scholastic.
Yes, it was a paperback. I've tried finding it on the Scholastic website, but it doesn't really have a database of old titles. :( Boo to you, Scholastic.
The only Scholastic books I'm finding with girls named Tara are Saying No and Pulling Together, but the MCs are high school age. They're also both part of a series.
Yeah, what I'm looking for is middle grade. I don't remember how old I was when I read it, but I was most likely in 1st - 3rd grade. Maybe it's out of print?
I would assume it's out of print. Most books from the '80s are, unless they're well known.Can you remember anything more about the play? I know you said it wasn't a musical. Could it maybe have been a school talent show instead?
I'm pretty sure it was a play. Especially since singing wasn't her talent. I think her friend would've tried to discourage Tara's singing. I'll look around & see if there are any sites for out-of-print books & see if I can find it that way. Thanks for trying so hard. :)
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You can "bump" your thread every month or so. This pushes your thread back to the top of the folder instead of languishing here on page 181 where fewer eyes will see it. Get back in the game! Bump!
You can do this by typing a new comment at the end of the thread, or even by typing the word "bump."
Good luck!
The cover for The Holly Hudnut Admiration Society make me think of your post!
It's probably not your book, but here's a bump anyhow.
Yes!! Perfect or Not, Here I Come!!!!
Rainbowheart wrote: "I would assume it's out of print. Most books from the '80s are, unless they're well known.Can you remember anything more about the play? I know you said it wasn't a musical. Could it maybe have b..."
If it WAS Perfect or Not, Here I Come, it's available through Open Library. I just checked it out :)
Mod
I think Joy actually ruled out Perfect or Not, Here I Come in message 11.Just in case, I did find some detailed reviews.
From Publishers Weekly
An aspiring playwright, Tara is thrilled when her drama about the Underground Railroad is chosen as her sixth grade class's play. Hoping that a perfect production will get her parents' attention, Tara tries to oversee every aspect of the play, offending classmates and almost losing her best friend Amber. But when Tara faces a real drama, her teacher, a school favorite, is losing her job to budget cuts, she learns to work with others to effect happy results for everyone. Miss Dalton is an extremely loving person; by contrast, other adults look about as sensitive as pet rocks. Still, Tara's attempts to gain favor with her parents will show readers an extra dimension to a person who might otherwise be perceived as just a bossy know-it-all. A gently winning book.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6 Tara Brown tries very hard to be perfect so that her busy parents will notice her. When the sixth-grade historical play competition is announced, Tara strives to write the play that will be chosen for production. In the process of rehearsing, Tara alienates herself from various classmates because she again wants perfection. She also takes on the School Committee which has had to dismiss the beloved sixth-grade teacher because of cut-backs. The play is a success, Miss Dalton retains her job, and Tara realizes that "perfect or not" her parents will not understand her. However, she learns to make the best of the situation. The short chapters, large print, and simple dialogue would be good material for intermediate-grade readers, but the characters' lack of depth, the unfortunate one-dimensional selfish parents, and the tedious dialogue result in one more dull story. Better to have children stay with Beverly Cleary, who writes with humor.
Mod
Joy (OP) last posted in the group in March 2020.
Dang, I was hopeful this would get solved. :(
I'm so sorry I didn't see this! I must've not clicked the notification. Then I forgot all about this thread. :( Perfect Or Not, Here I Come *might* be it after all. It does sound familiar. I'm gonna have to find a copy to read & see if it's what I remember. I'll put it on a new bookshelf so I won't forget again & I'll get back to this thread ASAP. Thanks so much for everybody's help on this. Hopefully, it'll get solved soon.
Fingers crossed!You can read the book on Archive.org. It's free, you just have to sign up with an email address.
https://archive.org/details/perfector...
Thanks! I'd forgotten about archive.org. I was afraid I'd have to buy the book on amazon.
Mod
Perfect or not, here I come by Kristi Holl.Page 17
With a swell of music, the movie faded to a commercial. Tara and her mom stretched and reached for more popcorn. Tara's mom, who led exercise classes at the Body Boutique, had Saturday off, so she was glad to run her Gone With the Wind tape on the VCR for Tara. Her mom loved that movie. Ever since she'd recorded it (absent-mindedly leaving in the commercials), she'd watched it at least once a month.
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL17208...
Actually, I was saying thank you for the link. Sorry for the misunderstanding. :( I looked through the book Perfect or Not, Here I Come, & while I realized I've read it before, it's still not the book I'm looking for. So, thanks for helping me find a book I'd forgotten about, but I'm still looking for the book about the girl who sings in a play while hiding a walkman under her costume. :) :( :) :( Gah! I know I'll find it someday...
Aww, darn, I saw it in the Solved folder so I thought it was solved.No worries, we'll continue the search!!
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Perfect or Not, Here I Come (other topics)The Holly Hudnut Admiration Society (other topics)
Saying No (other topics)
Pulling Together (other topics)
Stage Fright (other topics)
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