Hi everyone, I hope this first week of April is going well for everyone. Down here in New Zealand we’re getting ready for the colder days as autumn makes her voice heard around us with windy days and a few rain clouds!! This week’s booklist post has a selection of reads about tweens and the arts that inspire them in their daily lives. Press below to find out more…
The first title in this booklist is a mysterious historical/fantasy read I found myself mesmerized with. One of the reasons I’m including this is because of how the love of music threads its way from beginning to end. Echo: A novel by Pam Munoz Ryan (Scholastic Press, 2015) begins with young Oto who meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest, involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven with the very same harmonica. They face daunting challenges and are ultimately pulled by the invisible thread of a destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge into an orchestral crescendo. This enchanting musical story intricately weaves the three children’s stories into an uplifting masterpiece. It is not surprising that this amazing read was nominated for the Newbery Medal in 2016!
My next selection is an inspiring little novel titled The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2017). We meet ten-year-old Cadence Jolly as she nears her next birthday, another one without her mother who left town to become a singing star. The thing is, she’s inherited that musical sound but is not as confident. Making a promise to herself to break out of her shell, Cadence prays for courage to do so as her eleventh birthday nears. However, when a secret recording of her singing leaks and catches the attention of her whole church, she needs to decide what’s better, deceiving everyone by pretending it belongs to someone else, or finally stepping into the spotlight. In a story filled with whimsy and hope, music and joy, Sherri Winston inspires readers to embrace the voice within. This beautiful story had me crying until the very end!! Filled with heart and courage, Winston kept me captivated and took me on a lyrical journey in this read. Music-lovers will enjoy the anecdotes and lyrics in these pages. An awesome read for budding singers!!
This next title, Saving Marty by Paul Griffin (The Text Publishing Company, 2017), gives an unforgettable story about the power of friendship and how singing helps strengthen it. We meet eleven-year-old Lorenzo who thinks he’s ordinary, not brave like his dead father or an amazing musician, like his best friend, Paloma. When Renzo adopts a runt pig he names Marty, he finally gets the chance to do something heroic. Marty is something special – he thinks he’s a dog and acts like one too – and the bond he forms with Renzo is truly one of a kind. After Marty causes a dangerous accident, Renzo’s mother says he has to go. Will Renzo be able to save Marty? This was a story of an unconventional family and the tragic losses and challenges they face. I found this story quite charming with elements similar to Charlotte’s Web mingling within.
In the wings by Elsbeth Edgar (Walker Books Australia, 2013) was a title that captured my interest especially from the unique cover image. The main character, Ella Jamison dreams of acting. But it’s an impossible dream when you suffer from stage fright. While working as backstage crew for the school play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ella watches her friends and new boy, Sam, tread the boards. But first impressions can be deceiving. And help can arrive when you least expect it. This lovely story tells of acting, friendship and the threads of family that binds us. I enjoyed the description of the backstage action behind school dramas along with the many school scenes. Young Ella is creative and talented but her stage fright stops her from fulfilling her potential. When her estranged grandfather, a renowned actor in his youth, returns to Melbourne to live with them; she finds herself turning to him for help. Along with unexpected friendships Ella blossoms into her own. A really good story!
The next story, The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007) may not have theatre and acting as a main theme, but the way Shakespeare’s plays are interwoven into this award-winning story kept me gripped. Our protagonist, Holling Hoodhood has just started seventh-grade, and knows that his teacher Mrs. Baker is out to get him. Why else would she make him read Shakespeare… outside of class? It’s 1967 and everyone has bigger things to worry about, like Vietnam, and the family business. As far as Holling’s father is concerned, nothing is more important than the family business.he’s expected to be on his best behaviour but Holling doesn’t see how he can when he has Mrs. Baker to contend with. What an entertaining and thought-provoking read this was! Newbery medal recipient in 2008, Schidt has delivered a masterpiece in this middle grade read. Set amidst the background of the Vietnam war in 1967, we’re thrust into Camillo Junior High in Long Island where we meet the most fascinating cast of characters. Told in Holling’s unique voice we’re taken through a school year as he navigates seventh grade. The characters seem to bounce off each other in the most amazing way, even those evil rats, to give a most hilarious read. Themes of bullying, family tensions, loyalty, friendship and that subtle hint of first crushes ring through in every chapter. I love how the sense of everyday life of that era seeped in every single paragraph. The bomb drills, ‘flower generation’ and references to baseball and all things important to Americans then transported me to that time. The added joy of a young boy finding himself through Shakespeare’s work was a bonus!
This last story is another tale about the theatre and acting, but with a bit of a twist. The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker & Stacey Davidowitz (Amulet Books, 2021) is a collaborative project all about summer theatre. We meet thirteen-year-old Nat Bacon who loves many things but only one thing tops the rest: musicals!! From Hamilton to Les Miserables, there’s not a cast album she hasn’t memorized and belted along to. She’s never actually been in a musical, though, or even seen an actor who uses a wheelchair for mobility on stage. Would someone like Nat ever get cast? When Nat’s family moves from California to New Jersey, Nat stumbles upon auditions for a summer production of Wicked, one of her favourite musicals ever! And she gets into the ensemble! The other cast members are super cool and inclusive – well, most of them – especially Malik, the male lead and cutest boy Nat’s ever seen. But when things go awry a week before opening night, will Nat be able to cast her fears and insecurities aside and ‘defy gravity’ in every sense of the song title? This was truly a gorgeous read!! Summer theatre at its best with an amazing cast of characters. Our young lead Nat, although confined to a wheelchair, is a burst of inspiration and born to fly and create amazingness!! One thing to remember though, this is purely fiction as schools and young people are NOT allowed to actually perform Wicked. I really loved that Ali Stroker is an actual Tony-award winning actress.
I hope you all enjoyed this little tween booklist of stories on the Arts.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 