A Little Wanting Song

September 27, 2010
Told from alternating first-person perspectives, this musical coming-of-age story, originally published in Australia, quietly captures the private emotions of two girls. Charlie's father has completely withdrawn since the death of her mother, and after a close friendship ends, Charlie's only refuge is singing and guitar playing. In the country, where she and her father go every summer to stay with Charlie's grandparents (though her grandmother recently died), Charlie is drawn to Rose, who has shunned her in the past. But Rose, part of a tight trio with Dave and her boyfriend, Luke, is chafing miserably in her small town. When Rose gets a scholarship to a science high school in the city, she can think of only one way her mother might let her go: through Charlie. Their relationship begins on this false premise but takes both girls to new places, with Rose connecting to her own vulnerability and Charlie finding strength, as well as romance with Dave. Interspersed between the girls' chapters are the songs Charlie writes. Even secondary characters are fully realized in this touching exploration of friendship and its transformative potential. Ages 14–up.

May 1, 2010
Grades 8-12 Crowleys tale of love, loss, and betrayal in small-town Australia is built around music as a means of communication. In alternating chapters, city-girl Charlie Duskin and country-girl Rose Butler reveal their thoughts, desires, and plans. Charlie is a painfully shy but talented singer-songwriter who never performs for anyone and has always wanted to be part of Roses circle during her frequent visits from the city. Rose longs to get away from the stifling small-town atmosphere and has won a scholarship to a prestigious high school in the city to study science. Rose sees Charlie as a ticket to a new life, while Charlie sees Rose as a friend, something she desperately needs in her dysfunctional family. Charlies songs augment the text throughout, enhancing the already lyrical prose. Crowley captures quiet moments with aching beauty and tenderness; her empathy for teen girls recalls Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen. Music-loving teens will appreciate Crowleys eloquent descriptions of performing and enjoying music, and how it becomes the means to express difficult messages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)