Mr. Wayne's Masterpiece

Gr 3–6—Polacco has done it again! She has taken a personal story from her past and turned it into a lesson for us all. In the process, she has praised another teacher, but in this case, it's two teachers. Polacco describes her favorite English teacher, Mr. Tranchina, who asked her to share an essay with the class. She was so terrified that she couldn't utter a single word. That very day Mr. T. conferred with the drama teacher, Mr. Wayne, and Patricia was invited to help with the winter play. She had no interest whatsoever in playing a role, but in the process of participating in the acting exercises, she began to get used to emoting a tiny bit. At the same time, she listened in on all the rehearsals while painting scenery and soon found that she knew every line in the play. A week before the first performance, the lead and her family suddenly moved away. The only one who could fill the role was Patricia—she knew the lines, and she knew the stage directions. What she didn't know was how to get the "dust and sand" out of her throat enough to say the lines. Mr. Wayne's advice to "Let the play take you" and his unshakable faith in her ability gave her the courage to step out from behind the curtain. Polacco's realistic, vibrant illustrations convey a range of emotions, especially her own, which vary from utter terror to extreme exuberance. She credits Mr. Wayne with enabling her to now speak to audiences of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people.—Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID