Atheneum/Simon & Schuster

Available in hardcover and e-book

Zadie loves Tae Kwon Do, comic books, and outer space. She also loves visiting the community theater that her mom runs, especially the lighting grid over the stage and the stage manager’s booth, which is filled with levers and buttons like a spaceship control panel. So when the family’s finances suffer a blow and Zadie has to give up her usual activities to spend the summer at the theater, she doesn’t mind too much. After all, she’s always wanted to tech a show.

She knows she’d be great at it, but her mom and the new stage manager are totally opposed to the idea of having a kid do tech. Instead, Zadie’s stuck handing out snacks and folding flyers. But the future of the theater rides on this show, and Zadie is determined to help. She’s going to make Spinderella the hit of the season—unless she accidentally turns it into a disaster.

“McCullough adeptly gives voice to a plucky, STEM-focused bicultural girl growing up in an intergenerational family whose members work through their problems together. . . An entertaining and moving story about family, friendship, and finding your place.” 

– Kirkus Reviews

“Employing Beezus and Ramona–like family dynamics surrounding financial worries, sibling spats, and a significant transition involving a beloved family member, McCullough writes a relatable fish-out-of-water story, centering themes of passion and perseverance amid life change.”  

– Publishers Weekly