Sam in the Spotlight

by Anne-Marie Conway

Published 1 March 2011
Sam's a bit of a show-off and is always the first one up on stage bragging about how fantastic she is. But when she turns down the chance to play the starring role in Star Makers' latest production The Phantom Face - a musical murder mystery - no one can believe it! Little do they know that Sam's confidence is slipping. All her shouting out and being the best at everything is simply her way of covering the secret she's trying her best to hide. Because when a letter arrives out of the blue, Sam's world is turned upside down - and getting a big part at drama club is suddenly the last thing on her mind. The letter is from Billy, the sister she never knew she had. Until now. As the Star Makers group work towards their production, Sam finds herself caught up in an unfolding drama of her own, a drama of secret meetings, cryptic messages and buried photos.

Meet Phoebe. Big heart, big laughs, Big dramas! Why won't Phoebe's annoying neighbour, Monty B, leave her alone? Can she get her dippy dad and overworked mum back together again? Will class mean-girl, Polly Carter, just get off her case for once? And most important of all - will she overcome her stage fright in time to sing her musical solo? This is a warm-hearted story about the triumphs and traumas at the Star Makers Drama Club - a special place where everyone has their moment to shine.

Polly Plays Her Part

by Anne-Marie Conway

Published 29 October 2010
Polly's dad is busy with his girlfriend, constantly cooing over their new baby, Jake. Polly's mum is so busy planning her year away in Spain she hardly seems to notice her at all. The only place Polly feels important is at Starmakers Drama Club, where everyone is busy working towards their latest production Crash - a thriller about a girl trapped inside her own computer with only a load of nasty viruses for company. But even though Polly manages to get the starring role, Mum won't change her mind about Spain, and Polly is dumped at Dad's. Spending hours playing alone on the computer, Polly discovers a fantasy game and creates a brand new identity for herself - she can pretend life's great! Diving headlong into her new virtual world, Polly withdraws from her school work, her friends and even her drama classes. Can her friends Phoebe and Monty B persuade her to come back to Starmakers before it's too late? A hilarious, yet moving, story containing a life-affirming roller-coaster of tween realities, Anne-Marie Conway is major new voice in fiction for girls.