Chapter 1 Ellie's Big Break The last note of Ellie Mitchell's song hung in the air, clear and strong. It echoed off the walls of the dark theater. Ellie felt the glowing spotlight on her face. Inside her chest, the warm feeling was half relief and half pride. Nailed it , she thought. Ellie had always dreamed of singing on TV. And now here she was, trying out for a spot on the Santa Vista Singers show. One step closer to her dream! Out of the silence, the three judges began to clap. "Great job, Ellie!" said Leah, one of the judges. "Such lovely high notes." Off to the side, a crew member behind a TV camera zoomed in on Leah, then on Ellie again. Ellie stood up straighter. If she got a yes from the judges, this recording might end up on the next episode! Jal, the judge sitting to Leah's left, commented next. "I can tell you practiced a lot," Jal said. Two out of three judges liked her singing! Ellie's mind started racing. Which dress would she wear for her next performance? And how would she do her hair? Ellie couldn't sing on TV in just anything! Meera was the last judge to speak. "Definitely very well done," she said, nodding. Ellie gasped. She had Meera's approval! Behind the judges' table, Ellie saw her best friends, Liz, Marion, and Amy. She flashed them a big, bright smile. She couldn't wait to celebrate with them! Except that Meera was not quite finished. "Your singing is technically very good," Meera went on. "But..." Wait , thought Ellie. Why is there a but ? Leah jumped in and said, "I think we would have liked to see a little more oomph. Some more sparkle." Ellie's heart sank. She looked down at her dress, twinkling with all the sequins that Nana Gloria had sewn on. She already had plenty of sparkle! "You are very talented," Jal said. "But we wanted to see a bit more heart. For now, it's going to be a no from us." The warm spotlight now felt way too hot. Ellie's throat tightened as she stifled a sob. Ellie kept her eyes on the floor as she thanked the judges. Then she rushed off the stage. Excerpted from Ellie Finds Her Voice by Callie Barkley All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
