Take It From the Top is a fun middle grade read featuring two young teenagers who are dealing with the loss of their friendship at theater camp. After years of being inseparable, Jules and Eowyn are struggling with all the ways they are different -- Eowyn lives alone with her rich and widowed doctor dad, while Jules lives with her paycheck-to-paycheck parents and little sisters. Told over one summer (with flashbacks), this book does a great job showing how these two girls are both right...and both wrong. I feel like it's a smart way to help kids understand conflict resolution and learning to see the world from other perspectives. Other topics include: financial privilege, panic attacks/anxiety, and working toward your dreams

Set at a musical theater summer camp in northern Wisconsin, kids who love musicals - especially Wicked - should enjoy this book. This is the 6th year that Eowyn has attended with her best friend from camp, Jules. But this year something is off with their friendship. There are some common tropes in this book and the dual narration is very lopsided, but this should be a good choice for theater kids.

What went wrong? It was supposed to be the perfect summer, back at the beloved theater camp with her best friend, co-starring in their dream musical. Thirteen-year-old Eowyn and Jules come from different worlds, but they get each other, want the same thing, and planned on sharing the limelight together. Now Jules can barely stand to look at Eowyn, and Eowyn is almost sure she doesn’t know why. Alternating first-person and third-person chapters trace the story back and forth, from age eight to fourteen, exploring privilege, insecurity, jealousy, and ambition. Fans of friendship dramas and theater lovers will be delighted by the exhaustive exploration, but some readers may wish the curtain had come down sooner. Both main characters are white. Thanks to Quill Tree and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy in return for an unbiased review .

Thank you to NetGalley, author Claire Swinarski, and Harper Collins Children's Books: QuillTree Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Yay, another middle grade home run from Claire Swinarski!! I was thrilled to see her previous book, What Happened to Rachel Riley?, on the Texas Lonestar List for this year, as I really enjoyed it. I was so excited to read another work by her, especially one set at a musical theatre camp, as that is right up my alley. Take It from the Top definitely delivered and was the perfect palate cleanser for this current slump that I am slowly getting out of. I thought Jules and Eowyn were both interesting characters, and I thought the format of storytelling over the course of several summers worked well. I don't know if I particularly loved the first-person perspective by Eowyn and then third-person by Jules (I think it would have worked better both one form or the other), but I felt that Swinarski did a great job of making them both nuanced characters. The setting of the camp was absolutely perfect, and if you were even slightly interested in theater at any point, you will know how true this book rings! It was perfectly paced for a middle grade read and definitely on the sweeter side. I loved seeing the complications of middle school friendship portrayed, and there was so much in both girls I was able to identify with personally. I look forward to future work from this author, as she has really impressed me with her MG catalog!

I really love how Claire Swinarski writes modern day preteen girls. They always have such heart without being overly "good." They have genuine feelings and genuine flaws that lead to real consequences. I appreciate that she seems to truly understand this age group and can write situations that hook them in and keep them interested throughout the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an eARC! This was my first Claire Swinarski novel and I really enjoyed it! I loved the summer camp vibes (I would live at summer camp if I could) and how she very accurately portrayed how friends can truly misunderstand each other’s circumstances. The ending was satisfying. I liked the time hopping and the dual POV and it was done in a way that was easy to follow so I was never lost. The musical theater stuff was fun, even though I’m not a musical theater person. Definitely not a requirement to enjoy this book.

Eowyn's narration was compelling and her feelings very evocative. Her struggles with her family and with navigating the changes around her, including the potential loss of a deep friendship, were really good reading! But it would almost have been better to have no chapters from the perspective of her maybe-no-longer-best friend Jules than the few chapters we did get, because it really highlighted what short shrift that perspective got, and how then unrealistic some of the events of the novel were. The Jules character really deserved an equal part of the book, and it was weird that she got, like, a sixth of it instead. I think die-hard theatre kids will definitely love this, though.

Eowyn and her best friend Jules have always dreamed of heading to Broadway together, becoming stars, and especially starring in <i>Wicked</i> together. But this summer, something is different. Jules won't talk to Eowyn, and Eowyn's developing stage fright is getting worse and worse. And yet, now the whole camp is putting on a performance of their dream musical and the girls have to work past their history to keep their dreams of the future alive.

This book is a love letter to drama camps, and it made me wish for a time machine so I could go back and attend one. I did relate very strongly to Eowyn's longing for her mother and Jules's longing for a more financially stable life. Swinarski has a way of developing characters that it makes it easy for the reader to empathize with both sides of the conflict at the same time. It was so sweet and emotional, that I had a hard time putting it down. I would recommend this for sure!

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this ARC for review!

Take It From The Top by Claire Swinarski is about best friends Eowyn and Jules attending their sixth summer of Broadway Camp at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp. However, when Eowyn arrives, everything seems to go wrong, including her friendship with Jules. Told from the perspective of both girls, things aren't always what they seem.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy ARC of this Young Adult (YA) novel, which I received for free in exchange for my honest review. Not having read any of the author's previous works, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I have to say I am impressed.

The story switches back and forth between the present and past as well as switching from Eowyn's and Jules' perspectives giving the reader an insight to how each girl feels. I loved being able to see the perspective of each girl because they both had very valid points. One of the biggest lessons in Take It From The Top is that the grass isn't always greener on the other side . . . each girl was envious of the others family and life. Additionally, it taught that people from different backgrounds could be friends.

I never went away to a sleepaway camp as a kid, and this story made me wish I had that experience. However, if I had, I'd probably would have been too homesick to enjoy it.

Take It From The Top by Claire Swinarski is a great coming of age story perfect for kids between the ages of 8 and 12, especially those who are fans of broadway plays, singing, and acting. Five out of five stars is what I gave this book.

This will be Eowyn and Jules sixth summer at Lamplighter Lake Summer Camp for the Arts. Eowyn can't wait to reach her cabin, reunite with Jules, and dive into eight weeks of musical theater, dance, vocal training and acting. Escaping the shadow of her older brother, an accomplished Broadway actor and singer, will also be a welcome change. At camp, the busyness helps to ease the pain of her mother's death, yet Eowyn finds herself grappling with an unexpected performance anxiety. Receiving only a spotty few texts from Jules since last summer has not made the situation any easier. But when the two girls get to camp, their reunion is awkward and feels off. Why is Jules being super friendly with everyone else, and standoffish with her? She will barely even look at Eowyn and she can't figure out why.

Take It From the Top spans across six summers at camp, told through flashbacks from present day— their sixth year— to previous summers spent together. At one time the girls shared a really strong bond, they even dreamed of performing Wicked on Broadway together one day. The flashbacks reveal how their friendship evolved and how the current rift developed between them. How Jules' experiences during the times between camp were very different than Eowyn's. Jules family is struggling financially and getting the money for camp has been a huge strain. Meanwhile Eowyn comes from a place of privilege, her dad is a doctor, her brother is a famous actor, and she's able to take private lessons. What is missed in this equation is that both girls think that the others life is so much better than their own. Eowyn is envious of Jules' extended family, how her parents are always present at her shows. Just once she would like her dad to make an effort to come. She feels quite alone and misses her mom. Jules is upset because she was told by one of the instructors that she'll have to work twice as hard as Eowyn to prove herself because things will just be handed to Eowyn. She resents having to work so hard to find ways around her family's money problems to get her headshots, to have proper name brand clothing and to improve her singing without lessons. I felt like Eowyn seemed to be trying harder to reach out to Jules and make amends. It was difficult because she's also slightly clueless to her privilege which is worsened when she lets the source of Jules' scholarship slip.

The story made for a really good summertime read; it had the whole summer camp vibe going for it, minus all the pranks that are usually associated with being at camp. It's perfect for fans of the theater, musicals or acting with lots of references to Wicked. Which is especially timely given that the movie will be coming out soon.

There are demanding teachers and kids doing something that they feel passionate about. I think kids will relate to the feeling of wanting to be successful, receive praise and recognition. Both Eowyn and Jules were searching for a moment in the limelight and a chance for that opening role. While also balancing their hurt feelings and trying to not let it overwhelm all their senses. Their friendship was complex and yes messy but eventually they learned how to let go of the hurt and began to see the good moments that they previously shared. Overall, a really fun story with lots of theater kid appeal.

** A huge thank you to SparkPoint Studio for the E- ARC in exchange for an honest review**

As someone who went to summer camp, this is the type of book I would have loved in middle school. Take It from the Top tells the story of two best friends, Eowynn and Jules, who meet each summer at a performing arts camp. Eowynn tells the POV of their current, sixth summer, while Jules tells the story of their previous summers. Eowynn is confused why Jules is upset with her and slowly the story unravels as to how each girl envies something the other has that they are missing. Eowynn is missing her mom, especially now that her father is so busy with her brother's blossoming Broadway career. Jules is missing the financial security that Eowynn's family has. The story unravels well with just a few kinks in keeping track of the summers in flashback. My one critique would have been to have a few more chapters with Jules POV in the present day to pull everything together at the end, Overall, I can't wait to share this title with my students.

I absolutely loved this story! Eowyn and Jules are both wonderful and wonderfully-crafted characters. I wish I could be friends with both of them…and still I found myself ready to smack both of them at various points throughout the story (okay, so I was a little invested). Like all of Claire Swinarksi's books, character development takes center stage, but Take it from the Top also brings the setting to life in such a tangible way. I could practically feel the stage makeup tickling my nose and imagine the chilly lake and cozy cabins of summer camp (and that says a lot considering I never went to summer camp).

This is an obvious pick for the theater lovers in your life. What might not be as obvious from the description is how much Take it from the Top is a book about families—how they form us, how they hurt us, how they heal us, how they make us who we are and how who we are is not defined by them. The friendship between Jules and Eowyn is the central relationship in the story, but the entire plot revolves around how their two respective families and family situations create a conflict that Jules and Eowyn have to work to overcome. Perhaps this reminds you a little of a very famous play? Maybe the name Jules was chosen as a subtle nod? While these very normal American families may be no Capulets and Montagues with ill blood between them, Take it from the Top presents a more (to my mind) interesting and relevant inter-family dynamic: can our backgrounds be so different that true understanding is impossible? Of course the answer is no…but it is also: it might be difficult. And that's okay. Because so many of the things worth putting our time into in life are difficult. Like family. And friendship. And singing on stage in front of hundreds of people.

As usual, a note to parents on whether this book is right for your child. Here are few topics and themes I'll discuss with my children either before, during, or after they read Take it from the Top:
-death of a parent and how it affects a family
-a couple cases of characters taking God's name in vain (my children are very sensitive to this)
-a lot of crushes… The main characters are 13, and my 13-year-old has absolutely no interest in crushes. :) For that reason, I'll probably give it to my older daughters first. I love that the boy-girl relationships are always innocent—the relationship between Eowyn and her crush is particularly very sweet, but I would discuss with my kids that she sneaks out of her cabin to talk to him at night several times… I know, I know, kids do this. But I'm a mom of teens and my child safety detector is on high alert.
-some of the songs and musicals mentioned are more mature than what I let my 13-year-olds view, so I'll be giving them a heads up before they start searching Youtube…

Performing arts summer camp, friendship breakups and dramas, a bit of romance. Add it all up for a fun summer romp for middle grade readers.

Publication: November 19th, 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Take It from the Top" by Claire Swinarski is a poignant tale that explores themes of friendship and theater. The narrative switches between the past and present, uncovering the misunderstandings that estranged the two friends, Jules and Eowyn.

The setting of a theater camp injects excitement and tension, while the shifting timelines provide insight into the characters' development. A sincere examination of forgiveness and the enchantment of theater renders this book an engaging read for those who appreciate stories about the intricacies of friendship and the performing arts.

Primarily, this book will appeal to young adults, middle graders, or anyone who enjoys this literary genre.

Thank You Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I literally could not hit the request button quickly enough on this one - summer camp? Best friends? Musical theater? Sign. Me. Up. And it veers less into romantic territory than <I>Bye Forever, I Guess</I> did (which was my one and only quibble with that delightful book). I’ve never read any of Swinarski’s other stuff, but I really enjoyed this. It’s one I would have loved to share with my students and fellow musical nerds.

The story mostly takes place during “the sixth summer,” aka, the sixth summer best friends Eowyn and Jules are attending Lamplighter Lake, a musical theatre summer camp. Eowyn has always looked forward to seeing Jules in person during camp, but something has been off this year. They haven’t been having their weekly video chats, and Jules barely responds to any of her texts. But of course, there are two sides to the story, and in the flashback chapters from summers past, we hear from Jules.

I really liked this as a framing device. Each girl feels like she’s in the right and the other is in the wrong, AND each girl feels like the other just has a perfect life. And unlike mysteries where it’s annoying as hell that characters don’t have actual conversations with each other, here it tracks. Like yes, all of their problems could be solved if they could have a civil conversation. But they’re teenagers! Their emotions are on overdrive (plus they’re musical theatre nerds, which puts those emotions on a whole other level) and every time they try to talk, one of them ends up yelling at the other and saying something true but hurtful. It’s how teenagers roll.

So Eowyn’s deal is *kind of* the typical “poor little rich girl” story. Her mother was a famous Broadway actress, and her father’s a doctor who invented some kind of breathing machine, so her family is loaded. But her mother died when Eowyn was eight (cancer - it’s mentioned only briefly, when Eowyn basically says “It happened, it’s sad, but that’s not what this story is about.” I respect the move), and now that Eowyn’s brother is also a famous, Tony winning, Broadway actor himself, both he and her father have less time for her. Sure it’s great that her father pays for all of her lessons, and sends a private car to take her to camp, but wouldn’t it be nice if he took her himself? Or maybe came home for dinner once in a while? I mean, it definitely smacks of rich people problems, but it doesn’t make it any less hard for Eowyn to deal with.

Meanwhile, Jules comes from a bigger family (three sisters), and her parents don’t make that much money. Her dad is out of work and basically just perpetually “looking for jobs”, and her mother owns a hair salon. She lives in a tiny apartment and the only reason she can even go to Lamplighter is because she gets a scholarship. She sees Eowyn’s life as perfect, while Eowyn thinks Jules is the one who has it made, with her two super supportive parents.

As the story progresses, both girls keep digging in their heels about who is in the wrong, and through flashbacks, we see how they first became friends, and all of the little bumps along the way (I’ll say, Jules is kind of a jerk in the sixth summer, but Eowyn is kinda clueless the entire time about how privileged she is). But they’re going to have to learn to work together, because they’ve been cast as Galinda and Elphaba in the mainstage production of <I>Wicked</I>. Eowyn’s been suffering from terrible stage fright ever since a few summers before, when she was Little Red in <I>Into the Woods</i> and kinda blew it (she looked out at the audience and realized that neither her dad nor her brother had shown up because they were too busy). She’s been too in her own head ever since. She also has sort of a complex that anything she gets is because she’s Nick Becker’s little sister, not because she’s actually talented. While Jules is unquestionably talented, even though she doesn’t have all of Eowyn’s fancy training.

Looking back at their previous summers, sometimes it’s hard to tell why they ever became friends in the first place! Eowyn is just clueless about her own privilege, and Jules is remarkably tolerant of it, I guess. But I like that we get to hear both sides of the story, and that, as the song goes “there’s blame to share.” (Although I confess to being a tiny bit more on Jules’s side!)

Claire Swinarski knows how to write about middle school aged girls! This book tackles many themes over the course of several summers, switching from present day (year 6) to previous summers at the same musical theater summer camp that the main characters attend. There are friendship issues, anxiety (performance and otherwise), complex family relationships, a first crush, class differences, and so much more. I'm amazed at how much is covered in such a tightly written book, all while moving the story forward.

For a musical theater fan such as myself, this book was also an ode to some of my favorite shows. My daughter and her friends love musicals, and spend a lot of time singing and playing their instruments to key hits. I loved all the references and deep insight into theater camp.

But at heart, this is a book about friendship. The complicated, messy, hard ways that friendships can change suddenly as friends grow apart. A misunderstanding can lead to hurt feelings, and this is a tough age to process those types of emotions. This books handles it beautifully.

A must read for middle grade readers who love musical theater, summer camp, and Wicked! Please check the content warnings as there are some heavy topics, including loss of a parent and grief. Recommended for ages 10+.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

Last year, I reviewed "Whatever Happened to Rachel Riley", and was excited for another book by Swinarski.

Jules and Eowyn are best friends, drama partners, Galinda and Elphaba...perfect together.

Until they aren't.

Like Rachel Riley, this is a book analyzing a friendship and what went wrong, Each step makes sense. In many ways, it's like watching an accident because you can see it happening, but can't stop it. The author does a masterful job of showing us the inner lives of each of the girls and how this developed, that there's no "bad guy", and that both sides really, really do wish it were different. The ending is well earned.

This book will appeal to theater kids, to kids struggling socially, to best friends. In short, it will appeal to kids. Well done.

As a grown adult, there is just something so nostalgic reading about a summer camp. Even if it's a camp that I wouldn't have attended, but here for the drama. Take It From the Top is set in middle school - so think upper MG, even YA readers would enjoy. (Also, as a previous educator it is good understanding that theatre kids typically do act older than their peers in a lot of ways, so the behaviors match)

The main character balances some topics that are tough for kids to work through: grief, difficult friendships, understanding multiple perspectives, an insight to privilege, and more.

Ultimately, I would highly recommend to upper MG/YA readers.

Another great, middle-grade book from Claire Swinarski! I would recommend this title for middle school libraries and classrooms. The storytelling structure and nuanced portrait of middle school friendship were a fresh and engaging approach and the summer camp setting and theater kid enthusiasm were awesome! Strongly recommend for middle grade readers and their parents/teachers.

I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Harper Collins so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.

This was a middle grade read about a theatre summer came. Both topics being in my wheel house! Despite it being for middle schoolers the book was delightful for an adult! I definitely was older Middle grade and while it was 100% clean, it had young YA vibes as the characters seemed a little older than their stated ages. But then again, theatre kids in that situation do tend to act older in real life.

I think any kid who likes musical theatre will love this book with all the Mat references. It’s an early coming of age type of story where the MC needs to learn to deal with her grief, difficult friendships as well as privilege. It’s handled simply but very nicely.

This would make a great summer reading book for rising 6th and 7th graders. It provides a lot of entertainment with lessons along the way that they may not even realize they are learning.


My rating system for Middle Grade and children’s books

⭐️ Significant problems and would never recommend to the audience.
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea but may have some appeal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ an ok book which I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend but there was nothing significantly wrong with it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Would recommend highly, especially to school programs.