by Mark Peter Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 13, 2012
The continuing, shambolic adventures of Rhode Island’s rockingest trumpet-and-ukelele–based quintet finds plenty of sweet to balance out the sour (Lemonade Mouth, 2007).
It’s summer, and although each of the band’s five members—Olivia, Charlie, Mo, Wen and Stella—have jobs, they compose and record new songs in their friend Lyle’s garage studio. Their performance at Cranston’s Chowder Fest attracts the attention of legendary agent Earl Decker, who tries to mold the group into a chart-topping indie phenom, paying for an expensive, moody photo shoot and studio time. He also secures them an audition on American Pop Sensation, where the gutsy teens stand up to the mean-spirited judges. When video of their judge-scolding incident—sure to inspire the many compulsive watchers of Simon Cowell to punch the air in solidarity—goes viral and combines with their philosophical objections to being Photoshopped in a sponsor’s ad, Lemonade Mouth fires Earl in favor of remaining true to their convictions. The band’s independent, quirky journey is conveyed through the diary entries, letters, transcribed interviews and screenplay excerpts that form the narrative—and that promise at least one more chapter in the band’s imaginary history.
Warmhearted and innocently wild, this stand-alone sequel will find appreciative fans among teen music obsessives and social activists. (Fiction. 12-15)
Pub Date: Nov. 13, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-73712-8
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Sept. 11, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2012
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by Paula Chase ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 15, 2020
An insightful look at unintentional pressures placed upon children.
Two 13-year-old girls figure out what’s really important to them during a transitional summer.
Best friends Monique Jenkins and Rasheeda Tate are facing unfamiliar situations without each other to lean on over the last summer before freshman year. Monique is attending a competitive three-week summer intensive at Ballet America—where she hopes to land a full-year scholarship. Upon arrival, she’s quickly faced with her differences: She and her friend from home, Mila, are the only Black people there. Unlike Mila and the White girls, Monique isn’t tall and thin, and she doesn’t know the nuances of ballet culture. Monique navigates microaggressions as she tries to fit in, with hopes of her talent’s being recognized. Meanwhile, Rasheeda is facing a lonely summer at home, afraid Mo will forget about her. Thrust into nonstop church activities by her pious aunt, Rasheeda spends her time wallowing, feeling the pressure to be a “good girl,” and being consoled by a flirtatious Lennie, Monique’s brother. Rasheeda starts to give church a chance and deepens her relationship with Lennie, which leads to a deeply upsetting event. Writing from the girls’ alternating third-person viewpoints, Chase lends authenticity to the characters’ distinct voices. She delves into the unique pressures of ballet and church cultures with empathetic understanding while also referencing difficulties faced by the Black working-class communities to which the main characters belong.
An insightful look at unintentional pressures placed upon children. (Fiction. 12-15)Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-06-296566-0
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
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