The Jazz Kid

May 2, 1994
Newbery Honor author Collier ( My Brother Sam Is Dead ) deftly recreates the spirit of 1920s Chicago and the thriving world of jazz and its stars, including King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, in this story of a 12-year-old obsessed with making music. Much to his parents' dismay, Paulie Horvath has little interest either in school or in the family plumbing business; he wants only to play his cornet and listen to what his father calls ``nigger music.'' When he gets held back a grade in school, his beloved cornet is taken from him by his irate father. Paulie then runs away and becomes part of the jazz scene, working in a club and playing whenever he can. While Collier's knowledge and love of the subject are apparent, readers may have trouble relating to the esoteric nature of jazz and to the more technical aspects of playing it. More problematic are a weak plot device involving a gangster mistakenly believing that Paulie is a spy, and the too-neat ending that detracts from what is otherwise a powerful story. Ages 10-14.