Showstopping Books About Music and Musical Theater

Swinarski brings summer camp to life in this sun-drenched story about friendship and the tiny jealousies that threaten it. Eowyn’s family is well-to-do and well-known in the musical theater industry, while Jules is from a poor family and literally goes to school in an overflow trailer. Eowyn’s mom died when she was eight, and her doctor dad has raised her and her Broadway-star older brother since then. Eowyn’s dad is not as present in her life due to his focus on her brother and on his job. In contrast, Jules’ dad is out of commission with a bad back, and her mom works at a hair salon but never misses a show (Eowyn’s dad hasn’t been to a show since the first summer). We go back in time with alternating past and present chapters, following the girls through the last five summers and the present one to see how their relationship fell apart and how their long-awaited roles as leads in Wicked may repair it. Ages 9+

Celia’s life is turned upside down when her Mami doesn’t come home one night. Her reporter father, whom she rarely sees, comes to pick her up in his van, and the two settle in a campground while he works on a new piece about an immigrant detained by ICE for deportation. Soon she meets a group of kids who love music and are planning a concert. They’re delighted to discover that Celia can sing — especially salsa tunes since Celia is her favorite artist. I enjoyed the storytelling in this one and Celia’s voice will draw readers in from the first page. This book will appeal to grades 5-7 because although Celia feels young, there are several big issues being discussed that will appeal to tweens. This is a big-hearted celebration of Latin American music and culture, the power of community and friendships, and a sweet father-daughter relationship. Ages 10+

In Genesis Begins Again, thirteen-year-old Genesis grapples with intense self-hate worsened by her father’s verbal abuse and her grandmother’s backward ideologies about skin color. Readers first meet Genesis when she brings her “friends” home for the first time. In an embarrassing turn of events, they arrive to meet all her belongings in the street. The landlord has put Genesis’s family out because her gambling, alcoholic father defaulted on the rent, again. Things seem to look up for their family when they move into a posh neighborhood. Genesis makes new friends, joins the school choir, and even gets a helpful math tutor. Yet, her self-hate follows her. Genesis Begins Again is a remarkable middle-grade debut with a strong message about colorism, self-love, and the power of music. Ages 10+

Nat has been paralyzed from the waist down since an accident when she was two and is obsessed with Broadway and Hamilton, although she has never actually been in a musical. Upon auditioning, she scores a role in the play and begins to bond with The Boulders, the group’s self-given name. Nat faces several challenges due to the way some people treat her during the musical, but when the show has to be canceled after a fire in the theater, the kids must find a way to get things up and running again. While this sparkling debut highlights several challenges that wheelchair users face, from accessibility to minimal face-to-face interaction with their peers, it is at its heart a book about a love for the stage. Ages 9+

Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class, and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.” Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized. Ages 8+

Some readers may know Connor as Aven Green’s bestie from the book Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, but he’s all grown up in this standalone novel. Connor is entering his first year of high school in a new town where he’s friendless. His dad, who was unkind to him in the past, is also trying to re-enter his life. With all the changes, Connor still has to manage his Tourette’s tics, while trying to find and keep new friends and handle a school bully. This story is tender, relatable, and mature in a way that will appeal to older middle grade readers and young high schoolers. Ages 10+

Lou and her mother live in their truck. Her mom believes Lou has a gift (her voice) and is determined to make it big with her. So she makes Lou sing everywhere, from cafes to karaoke bars to street corners. This is extra challenging for Lou because of her sensory issues. Lou gets some respite from the malnutrition and homelessness when an accident leads to her being taken in by Child Protective Services. Fortunately, she is sent off to live with her aunt and her husband in Nashville, Tennessee, where she begins a new life until her mother can get her back. From private school to new friends and an assistant director role in the school’s musical, Lou begins to experience what it means to be a child again. But will her responses to sensory stimuli get in the way of her shot at “normal” life? I’m a huge fan of Sumner’s storytelling prowess and essentially read this book in one sitting. Ages 9+

This novel is about a violin prodigy on a self-imposed hiatus who encounters the 12-year-old version of her mother during a visit to her grandparents. It is so well-written and includes many interesting elements, such as Jewish culture, improv, time travel, and mother-daughter relationships. Fans of books about music and time travel will enjoy this story. Ages 10+

Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading—anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father—by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports. Ages 10+

Shannon has OCD and lives with her single mom. She’s a member of her school’s theater tech crew and prefers to stay out of the spotlight. But an accidental audition for her school’s latest play, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, lands her a role and immediately makes her the subject of her bestie’s envy. Navigating that, her grandmother staying with them (she believes Shannon’s mother coddles her and is a chain smoker who’s always quarreling with Shannon’s mother), and Shannon’s anxiety is higher than ever. But with the help of her therapist, Shannon finds a way to use her voice. I liked the friendship drama and home challenges better, and there is a lot of tension that will keep readers flipping the pages. Hand to kids who love musical theater, friendship books, and stories about characters overcoming challenges. Ages 10+

In Dough Boys, we reunite with the kids of Pirates Cove, this time through the eyes of Rollie and Simp. The boys work as lookout boys for Coach Tez’s crew of drug dealers, but both feel differently about the gig. Rollie is getting more interested in music and his love for drumming and is less enthusiastic about working for a drug lord. Simp, on the other hand, is working to rise in rank. The disconnect between the boys’ desires eventually begins to wear on their friendship. This is an emotion-charged middle-grade novel about two boys navigating their changing friendship while caught up in a local drug ring. Ages 10+

In this sweet verse novel, we follow young Geetha, who has recently immigrated to the United States from India with her mother. Geetha’s parents are divorced, and her mom is on medication for depression. Between the rocky challenges of assimilation and coming to terms with her parents’ divorce, Geetha is having a rough time. Thankfully, she meets a new friend and gets a chance to rescue a seal, which gives her a new lease on life. I liked the writing in this one and think it could be a good way to introduce the verse format to younger readers. Readers who love books about music, friendship, and environmental activism will enjoy this one. Ages 9+

Lauren is Jewish and Chinese. It’s the 1980s and Lauren and her best friend — who’s blonde and blue eyed — do everything together. They decide that they will audition for their school’s musical so that they can at least have that time together. Lauren’s audition goes swimmingly, and she’s obviously the better singer than Tara (even better than any of the other kids), but when the cast list is released, Lauren is only part of the ensemble, and Tara is cast as the lead. Upon confronting the director, she explains that Lauren’s half-Jewish, half-Chinese looks don’t match the role of “all-American girl” in the “all-American town” depicted in their musical. This encounter opens Lauren’s eyes to several microaggressions and brings to the fore her issues with being biracial and looking different from other at her predominantly white school. This book is a vital look at racial prejudice in the 1980’s through a fun, engaging lens. Ages 9+

In Duet, we meet a young goldfinch, Mirabelle. Mirabelle lives with her mother and brothers in a nest next to a piano teacher’s house. Mr. Starek, the piano teacher, is now aged but has received a new student, Jin, who does not seem pleased to be taking lessons from Mr. Starek. After weeks of reluctance, Jin starts to play, and surprisingly, Mirabelle joins in, forcing Jin to notice her. Soon, the two begin to create duets together during Jin’s practice sessions. When Jin and Mirabelle find out that Mr. Starek’s late sister might have a special piano in her foreclosed home, they band together in a new way to investigate and solve a decades-old mystery about Frederick Chopin’s piano. This is an enrapturing, unique story about music, friendship, history, and birds — especially goldfinches. Ages 8+

Mirror to Mirror is the story of twins Maya and Chaya, who, although opposites are inseparable. Where Maya is quiet and reserved, Chaya is outgoing. Suddenly, Maya starts to pull away from Chaya and the two begin to fight more. Concluding that her sister needs space from her, Chaya starts trying to distinguish herself — getting a pink streak in her hair and dropping music and trying a new art form. But the girls keep butting heads. When matters come to a head, their parents send them off to camp together with the aim of resolving their conflict. This is an immersive middle grade verse novel about sisterhood, friendships, anxiety, and the imperfections in family. Ages 9+

This book is all about Lucy, a new 7th grader at the Windley School of the Arts (Band Track). She plays the flute and was first chair throughout the past year at her former school, so she’s in for a shock when she meets Tolli, a snobby fellow 7th grader who seems better at flute than she is–and very possessive about her best friend. But Lucy has bigger problems. Her dad is a raging alcoholic, and her parents are always fighting. Lucy feels that if she becomes first chair, things will go back to normal; her parents will be proud of her, and they’ll finally stop fighting. So she focuses desperately on reaching this goal, with some disappointing results. This is an intense look at the impact of parental alcoholism. This story is starkly realistic about the rollercoaster that is addiction recovery and how it can affect the children of the substance abuser. I loved the storytelling and the suspense throughout this PLOTTY graphic novel. I loved seeing Lucy make some questionable choices, her friend group, and the three-dimensional characters dealing with their own personal stuff throughout this book. A solid debut with a very moving Author’s Note at the end. Ages 11+

When Nimra joins public school after years in Islamic school, she’s not expecting to become 1/4th of Barakah Beats, a popular boy band in her school. But that’s what happens. When her BFF (at least to Nimra) stops acting so BFF-y after Nimra decides to wear her hijab to public school, Nimra is desperate to keep their friendship. Even if it means joining a boy band when it conflicts with her Islamic beliefs. Can Nimra find a way to use her voice without going against her values or hurting her new friends and bandmates? This is an engaging middle grade book about balancing your faith with your passions while finding your tribe. Ages 9+

12-year-old June, her younger sister Mabel, and her mother are forced to move into Huey House, a homeless shelter in New York City. June’s mother has become non-verbal since their father died a few months ago, so June has to care for Mabel on her own. At Huey House, June meets Tyrell, and the two form a friendship based on their shared love for music. But just when she’s finding her footing at Huey House, she finds out that the government is trying to get people out of the home before they’re ready and sending them to unsafe neighborhoods. This book, also by Glaser, is a warm, realistic, and inspiring middle grade book about homelessness, grief, and a love of music. Grades 6+

After a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Amie’s Ba-ba (with whom she had a close relationship) dies, leaving her with the mother she feels disconnected from. After his death, Amie can’t seem to find her way back to playing the violin — something that connected her with her dad. The book chronicles her path through grief and finding her way back to music, and building a new connection with her mom. This is a grief-laden middle grade book about losing a parent, coping with grief, and leaning on community. This is an understandably sad but moving story that I hope appeals to the right audience. Ages 10+

Shirli Berman has her eyes set on a role in her school’s play. It’s 2002, just after the Twin Towers and the death of Shirli’s grandmother (Bubie). Even though she doesn’t eventually score her desired role, she ends up playing another one of the key roles anyway. To add to it, her stage husband is Ben Morgan, the most popular boy in school. At the same time, Shirli is also learning about her family’s history from her grandfather (Zayde) who has been silent on the matter his entire adult life. When she’s in the attic looking for costumes and props for the play, she stumbles on some of her grandfather’s personal items that raise many questions in her mind about his past and may explain some of his present behavior, like why he doesn’t let anyone sing in the house, for example. Broken Strings is a strong middle-grade release about the pain of the past and how it can affect future generations. Ages 9+