When she was very young, Selena Gomez wanted to be an actress. But she lived in a small Texas town, not Hollywood. Her parents were divorced. Money was tight. Selena persisted with her dream, and when she was seven, she auditioned for and won a part on Barney & Friends. A few years later, she landed a role as Mikayla on the popular Miley Cyrus show, Hannah Montana. Selena liked acting and worked hard to improve her skills. During the next few years, she appeared in many TV and movie roles. Then she was offered the chance to star in her own TV show. Read about how Selena Gomez, star of Disney Channel s Wizards of Waverly Place, evolved from an unknown girl into one of today s busiest actors, even receiving the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite TV Actress!...

In just under a year since winning England s X Factor talent show, British pop star Leona Lewis established herself as an international superstar. Her debut album Spirit, released in England in November 2007, set world records for sales. Twenty-something Leona even cracked the tough U.S. market when her single Bleeding Love became the number-one song in America in spring 2008. When Spirit topped the U.S. album chart at the same time, Leona became the first British female solo artist to ever have both a song and an album at the top of the U.S. charts. This former receptionist and waitress from London has taken her music across the globe, appeared on magazine covers, and performed at the Beijing Olympics. Still, she is determined to remember where she came from and help others along the way....

Taylor Swift gave up going to slumber parties at age ten to sing at karaoke contests, fairs, and festivals. When she was eleven, she sang for thousands of people at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. Taylor lived on a farm in a place where country music was not very popular. She often felt alone, isolated from the people around her. It would have been easy to give up on her dream of being a country music singer. But Taylor was determined to do what it took to have people notice her as a singer. She went door-to-door in Nashville handing out CDs of her singing and asking for record deals. Still, the big break eluded her. Read about how hard work and firm belief in herself helped the tall blond from the East mold herself into one of the top singers and songwriters in country music....