With a pleasant cadence and the steady pace of a metronome, Bonners's brief novel about the difficult adjustments families must sometimes make may strike a chord with young readers-especially music lovers. Yet the story's development seems less polished than in her previous novels (Edwina Victorious; The Silver Balloon). When their mother moves them to a new house three hours away, young Annie and her baby brother try to make the most of their new environment and Annie tries not to miss her favorite uncle too much. She willingly helps out as much as she can (and is actually saddled with much responsibility), hoping to relieve some of the sadness and stress that seem to be weighing on her mother as she frets over finances and the start of a new job. Before long, Annie discovers that the best thing by far about her new neighborhood is the piano music that wafts from the home of an older neighbor named Mrs. Bergstrom each evening. The girl and the pianist strike up an unlikely friendship that eventually leads to Annie fulfilling a musical dream. Throughout, Bonners introduces some common family concerns. However, readers may wish for more detail about the absence of Annie's father (explained in a vague paragraph early on) and how she is coping without him, as well as more satisfying, fleshed-out relationships among the characters here. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-In this well-written beginning chapter book, fourth-grader Annie and her young brother leave the suburbs and settle into a dilapidated "new" house in an urban community when their mother takes a new job. The girl navigates the cobwebby basement; calls the moving company to report that a box of her prized horse collectibles has been lost; and meets an old friend of her mother's who will provide after-school care. Annie roller skates in the evening and is mesmerized by the sound of piano playing coming from a neighbor's home. Elderly Mrs. Bergstrom, who has been urged by her son to sell her house and move closer to him, becomes the focus of the girl's attention, and a lovely friendship ensues, with the woman ultimately trading piano lessons for Annie's help around her garden and home. Realistic, fleshed-out characters are at the heart of this story. The adults are supportive and face challenges in their own lives that mirror Annie's; her mother is portrayed as loving, frazzled, competent, and involved. Satisfying, Making Music heralds a new beginning for Annie and her family and provides a warm feeling of hope for her future in her new community, and for the futures of young readers who face changes in their own living arrangements.
Alice Casey Smith, Sayreville Public Schools, Parlin, NJ
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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