Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (realistic fiction, YA)
Songs, poetry, family, heartbreak, addiction, love, forgiveness, soul-searching, traveling, beautiful! Living in a family of famous rock stars might sound awesome, but for seventeen-year-old Blade it is anything but. While the rest of his family likes hard rock music, loud parties, paparazzi, and living life in the fast lane, Blade prefers softer rock love songs, staying out of the spotlight, and spending quiet time with his girlfriend. Blade is haunted by dreams about his mother (who passed away many years ago) and is tired of dealing with his dad's addictions. So, when he learns about a huge family secret that changes everything, Blade sets off on a journey to Ghana, Africa in search of who he is. While there, he finds what he is looking for and so much more! Similar to Alexander's books The Crossover and Booked, Solo is written in free verse. However, Solo is meant for an older audience. The writing is captivating and music fans will love all of the references to famous rock songs throughout the book. I loved this book! Solo will be released on August 1, 2017.
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelly Pearsall (realistic fiction, grades 5-8)
Arthur threw a brick and clobbered the old "Junk Man" on the shoulder causing it to break (luckily the brick didn't hit him in the head!). Arthur is a good kid so why did he do it? He had his reasons but now he's in deep trouble. Facing a possible sentence in juvvie, Arthur is shocked when he learns that the Junk Man (Mr. Hamilton) petitioned the judge to instead sentence Arthur to community service helping him with a special project. Now, every Saturday, Arthur must go through other people's disgusting trash to help Mr. Hamilton find the seven most important things: glass bottles, foil, cardboard, pieces of wood, lightbulbs, coffee cans, and mirrors. Why does Mr. Hamilton need all of these things? What is he building? Along the way, Arthur learns seven important things about himself and about life. This interesting story is on the 2018 Rebecca Caudill Award list.
Esquivel!: Space-Age Sound Artist by Susan Wood and Duncan Tonatiuh (picture book biography, grades 1-5)
Juan Garcia Esquivel began making music when he was just six years old. He loved playing on the piano whenever he could. At age seventeen, he began conducting an orchestra. However, it wasn't a regular orchestra. This orchestra played interesting, funny, silly music that was used as the background for a popular comedy show on the radio in his home country of Mexico. He soon moved to New York City where he learned about many new instruments and enjoyed experimenting with sounds and rhythm to make music that nobody had ever heard before. Esquivel! became famous! I had not heard of this musician before reading this book and while his story is interesting, it's the beautiful language in this book that makes it really stand out. "He was an artist, using dips and dabs of color to create a vivid landscape. But instead of paint, Juan used sound. Weird and wild sounds!" "He tinkered with tempos...". This book would be a great read aloud to introduce imagery, adjectives, and word choice in writing. It would also be a perfect read aloud in a music classroom.
Happy Reading!
