I Heart Band

October 21, 2013
Holly Mead prepares for seventh grade and the start of advanced band the same way she prepares for everything: with schedules, lists, and color-coded charts. Holly’s perfectionist tendencies are no match for the things that go wrong on her first day at Millican Middle School, from her older brother spilling juice on her carefully selected outfit to the arrival of new girl Natasha, who seems to be moving in on Holly’s best friend Julia. It only gets worse when it turns out that, like Holly, Natasha plays French horn. The competition for first chair in band, as well as for Julia’s affections, heats up fast in this upbeat read, first in a series. Young musicians will be right at home with all the band details debut author Schuster-man includes, and she’s just as on target when it comes to strained friendships, budding crushes, and science quizzes, too; Holly’s struggles to tame her inner competitor and learn to share will resonate. Readers should be eager to check out Friends, Fugues, and Fortune Cookies, available simultaneously. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary.

November 15, 2013
Slightly driven seventh-grader Holly is a serious band geek, through and through. Like most of her kind, she finds her friends in the band, her best--and worst--experiences come in band, and the unique camaraderie of band is a critical feature of her life. But that isn't to say that there's not plenty of young-teen drama outside of the band room. In Holly's case, there are a couple of other major sources: Her best friend, Julia, has come back from a stay at a summer band camp with a new very good friend, Natasha, and Holly's in danger of failing science--but if she does, then band events are off-limits to her. Wracked with jealousy, Holly suffers from a serious lack of insight. It's true that Natasha, like Holly, plays French horn, and they are both very competitive, but Holly manages to unfairly read malevolence into almost everything Natasha does. Can her supportive band friends help her gain a little perspective before she does something to really embarrass herself? Believable, age-appropriate conflict and a plausible resolution make for an entertaining outing in the first of this band-related series. A cacophony of the emotional bumps of early adolescence that also perfectly captures the merits of band programs, this effort should appeal even to middle school girls who aren't already musicians. (Fiction. 10-14)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-Self-proclaimed perfectionist Holly Mead is sure she's going to rock seventh grade, or at least the first day. Her outfit coordinates with her cool backpack, and she has color-coded the map of the school and coordinated her schedule with her BFF, Julia. Julia has been mostly MIA for the last part of the summer, and Holly is eager to reconnect. She's also anxious about the new band director and whether she'll be first chair in the French horn section. Then her brother spills juice all over her and she's forced to carry his old Batman backpack. The band director seems nice but has some strict rules and plans chair tests. Nothing is as Holly intended. Her voice is hysterically and charmingly self-centered, the middle school setting and dialogue are authentic, and the friend/frenemy dynamic and resolution play out realistically. Fellow band geeks will be thrilled to see themselves in Holly and nonmusicians will appreciate the world of music. A sweet debut.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Grades 4-7 Over-the-top middle-school drama abounds in this series opener starring self-proclaimed perfectionist and band geek, Holly Mead. As seventh grade begins, Holly finds herself the unwilling third side of a triangle with her best friend, Julia, and new girl Natasha, who Julia became friends with over the summer at the band camp Holly wasn't allowed to attend. Holly makes besting Natasha, particularly for first-chair French horn in advanced band, her mission in life. Though no middle-school drama is complete without fashion and boys, the story's focus on somewhat nerdy pursuits such as role-playing games, academic achievement, and extracurricular activities like band is refreshing. Lighthearted and funny, Schuster's debut novel well captures the voice of a somewhat sheltered, type A girl who finds herself both struggling in school and unsure of her status among her friends for the first time. Thankfully, Holly is not at all mean-spirited, which saves her from being so obnoxious as to be unsympathetic. Her slow journey to self-awareness will entertain series readers of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Popularity Papers series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)