Eleven-year old Doris Kozlowski spends her days trying to get through Grade 6. It doesn’t help her desire to fit in when her family is bananas: her mum sings and dances in TV commercials – dressed up as fruit and vegetable no less. Her little brother talks to inanimate objects. Her grandma is just as embarrassing. To avoid any kerfuffles, Doris always works to keep her family and school life separate. Her best friend Felicity, the most perfect girl in school, is the only saving grace in Doris’ life. Until Felicity suddenly morphs into a completely different person overnight, ditching Doris and taking up with the popular ‘mean girls’.
Doris needs to work out a way to get back into Felicity’s good graces and have someone else in her life that is not embarrassing like her family.
When the school’s yearly talent show comes round, Doris hatches a plan to win it, showing everyone at school, and especially Felicity, how cool and exciting and un-embarrassing she is. Maybe then, Felicity will be her friend again. But it won’t be an easy road when Doris’ singing-and-dancing family is right there, trying to ‘help’, but making things worse without realising it.
Get Your Act Together, Doris Kozlowski brings heart and hilarity. Dabrowski’s strong characterisation and distinctive voice for Doris, and all supporting players, makes for fun reading. Light-heartedness may be big but the plot, which is strongly-structured, offers poignancy at appropriate moments especially in the themes of learning to love yourself, being true to who you are, and discovering true meaning of friendship. The entertainment and musical elements through the talent show plot line add pizzazz and double the fun.
A recommended read by a welcome new voice to Australian middle-grade.
Reviewed by Brenton Cullen
Age Guide 8+
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