From Indie Bound:
Ten-year-old Zoe Elias has perfect piano dreams. She can practically feel the keys under her flying fingers; she can hear the audience's applause. All she needs is a baby grand so she can start her lessons, and then she'll be well on her way to Carnegie Hall. But when Dad ventures to the music store and ends up with a wheezy organ instead of a piano, Zoe's dreams hit a sour note. Learning the organ versions of old TV theme songs just isn't the same as mastering Beethoven on the piano. And the organ isn't the only part of Zoe's life that's off-kilter, what with Mom constantly at work, Dad afraid to leave the house, and that odd boy, Wheeler Diggs, following her home from school every day. Yet when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition, she finds that life is full of surprises--and that perfection may be even better when it's just a little off center.
I think I have said this before, but this was a pitch perfect contemporary middle grade novel. Zoe is the kind of character kids cheer for. They want what she wants because they are pulled into the story from the beginning. Needless to say it did my heart good when a new member of our book club joined us and she shared her favorite favorite book-yep-A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT. Next meeting I brought my personal copy to share and one girl loved it so much she borrowed it from me twice. Zoe will win your heart to, she is funny and loveable and your heart goes out with to her as she deals with a mom who seems not too interested in her.
Happy Marvelous Middle Grade Monday! And don't forget to check out the following blogs to see what they have cookin' today:
Our fearless leader and the brains behind MMGM-Shannon Whitney Messenger-Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe
Joanne Fritz-My Brain on Books
Shannon O'Donnell-Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster-The Night Writer
Sherrie Petersen- Write About Now
Natalie Aguirre-Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero-Somewhere in the Middle
Ally Beecher- Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson-Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller-her middle grade blog
Michael G-G-Middle Grade Mafioso
Jessica Lei-her blog
Pam Torres-So I'm Fifty
Minnesota has an award called the Maud Harte Lovelace Award - this book was on the list last year. It's voted on by KIDS (which makes it extra cool). Even though it was on the list, I didn't yet read it. Your description puts it in my TBR, so thank you. 'Pitch perfect' makes it a must-read.
ReplyDeleteGreat review Deb! Thanks for sharing what looks like a great book with us!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! This looks like a fun one. :-)
ReplyDeleteI also loved this book and was happy to learn about Linda's next one!
ReplyDeleteOh, I know I should read this book. And I have an ARC of Hound Dog True that's next on my TBR stack.
ReplyDeleteNice review, Deb!
A Crooked Kind of Perfect is one of my favorite books. My daughters also read and loved it and I'm always recommending it to students who come into my library asking "What's a good book?"
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited Urban has a new book coming out.
A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT, is, simply PERFECT. I loved it, read it when it first came out, and just recently learned that Linda urban has a new one coming out - YAY!!!
ReplyDelete