“An Instrument for Florenda” by Tomeko Brown is available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

As summer is starting to wind down, I wanted to let you all know about a wonderful story with heart. “An Instrument for Florenda” by Tomeko Brown takes you into a small town in Louisanna through the eyes of Florenda. Her dream is to play the clarinet. Filled with challenges and life lessons, this chapter book will inspire and validate any reader to follow their dreams.

Florenda is an eleven-year old living in a small Louisiana town. When her school announces a new band class starting during the summer break, she is excited to take advantage of the opportunity. But when she visits the local music store with her mother, she finds out the instrument she longs to play is out of her budget. Will she find a way to acquire an instrument before the new class starts? Can she make her family proud when confronted with how difficult learning to play an instrument can be?

I really did enjoy this chapter book as a choir kid. I knew a lot of band kids in school too, and it really does give you an insight into what it’s like to begin that journey. It also really shows the struggles of Florenda’s family in making the dream come true, and how she doesn’t want to disappoint them when she finds learning an instrument to be harder than she realizes. It’s a great journey in finding the strength inside to fulfill your dreams, and how family support really does make dreams come true.

This is a great book with an African-American protagonist that reaches into your soul and takes you on a band kid’s journey. I can see this as a great gift for a child starting band class, teacher’s needing to add to their class library, or as a reading circle novel study book. Tomeko Brown does a wonderful job pulling you into the world of her characters and showing the struggles of a Louisanna family making musical dreams come true. A few black and white pencil illustrations add drama to the story. The support and love comes through strongly in the actions and dialogue of the book. I would recommend it as a great addition to any home or school library.

“An Instrument for Florenda” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.

And just an FYI to add, the 2025 Back to School Blog tour will be starting Labor Day weekend. It will include author interviews and book reviews for the latest Indie children’s books. If you’re an author and would like to apply, please fill out the form here.