For What It's Worth

by Janet Tashjian

The year is 1971 and the place is Laurel Canyon, California. Quinn, a fourteen-year-old music "encyclopedia," writes a music column―called "For What It's Worth"―for his school paper. But Quinn's world is about to change when he is faced with helping a war dodger and must make some tough decisions. When he starts receiving cryptic Ouija board messages from Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix (all members of the 27 Club), he knows he is in over his head. Fortunately for Quinn, his new girlfriend Caroline helps him get a grip and channel his inner self.

Genres: Music, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, Historical, Teen

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 2012

About the author

Janet Tashjian is a middle-grade and young adult novelist who’s been writing books for children for fifteen years. Her first novel Tru Confessions was made into a critically acclaimed Disney TV movie starring Clara Bryant and Shia LaBeouf. The Gospel According to Larry is a cult favorite and Fault Line is taught in many middle and high schools. Her novels My Life As a Book, My Life As a Stuntboy, and My Life As a Cartoonist are all illustrated by her teenage son, Jake. Their collaboration continues with Einstein the Class Hamster coming in August.

Janet lives with her family in Los Angeles, enjoying her respite from the long Boston winters. When she isn’t writing, she’s rewriting.

Janet has been doing school visits for fifteen years; you can email her at spatulaproductions@mac.com for details.

We invite you to follow her on Twitter @JanetTashjian and like her books on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Lif...
https://www.facebook.com/ForWhatItsWo...

Plus, check out her YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/janettash...

Reviews

[Roberta R. (Offbeat YA) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5 really.

Excerpt from my review - originally published at Offbeat YA.

Pros: Nice coming-of-age story with authentic teenage voice and a classic rock soundtrack.
Cons: While middle-graders/younger teens are the best audience for this one, they're likely not to be familiar with most of the music featured, unless their parents (or grandparents?) exposed them to it.
Will appeal to: Youngsters dealing with first loves, complicated family dynamics and making sense of the world. Youngsters who can relate to loving music on a deep level. Adults who grew up with classic rock and are willing to read a well-crafted slice of teenage life set in the era.

This one is a bit of an odd fish, since it crosses the boundary between MG and YA, and yet it would be better appreciated by an adult with a basic knowledge of the music involved. I think it was what influenced my rating the most, because FWIW has a lot going for it. Also, please note: this particular review has been split in two parts only (instead of the usual three) because it would have been redundant to do otherwise. FWIW is a coming-of-age story as much as it's a story fueled by music, and those are the two aspects my review will focus on.

KEEPING IT REAL

I love how authentic Quinn's voice is. He's fourteen, never been kissed, passionate about music in a way that - alas - only a kid who grew up before the digital age can be. And self-absorbed (or lacking social awareness) in a way that rings completely true for a teen his age. He has an older female sibling with whom he entertains your classic love-hate relationship, but still leaning on the love side (though he probably would never admit it if not under torture). He's oblivious to what boils under his unbalanced family dynamic. And he's equally oblivious to the changes occurring around him, what with the Vietnam War seeping more and more into his idyllic suburban life. During the course of a few months though, all these things are about to change, for better or worse. As a coming-of-age story, Quinn's is well-executed and relatable, and the best thing is, it doesn't change the core of what he is (which would be an improbable feat, but it doesn't mean that a less skilled writer wouldn't have gone there). He makes mistakes and learns from them and becomes a better person, and this is the realest thing you can ask from a character. [...]

Whole review here.

[Sammi · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Rock and roll can change the world and save your life - and that's just for starters".

2.5 stars with the disclaimer that there's nothing wrong or annoying with this book it's just not my cup of tea.

First off - look at this cover it's so cool! The cover is why I grabbed it & because it was listed in a ~immerse yourself in 70's culture~ list, which it certainly did. This is a middle-grade to young-adult coming of age story for a boy named Quinn who is obsessed with music. I'm a little to old for it so that and I'm not quite the music fanatic that this book needs, so I'm just the wrong audience for this book. However, it is really well written and perfect for any young reader and/or music-lover *especially if you love 70's music trivia*.

Quinn writes a music column for his high school and also loves the supernatural (he uses a Ouija board to talk to Jim, Jimi & Janis). The story follows Quinn through the school year as he talks to the dead, starts a band, falls in love, learns about the tragedies of war, meets an idol & deals with other teenage problems.

The story is set up through a mixture of narrative writing, columns, song lists and journal entries which is fun and makes for a very fast-paced read. For 288 pages it only took me 2-3 hours to read through so I'd definitely call it a quick and fun read.

Overall, it was a nice look into the 70's music culture and is a fantastic read for a young audience.

[Ary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book last month. Perfect font. This book is about quinn maturing throughout the book with his collage sister,his girlfriend, and the club 27 ghosts. It was placed in 1971, quinn is a music obsessed boy and it’s a really wonderful book, you should read it

[Nostalgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason why I'm giving this book four stars is because the story didn't feel like something new to me,
even tho I enjoyed it.
Overall I adore this book,and I definitely don't regret getting it
If you're a true Rock N' Roll fan then this book will feel like heaven to you.

[Nic Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I thought that this book was a very well written coming of age story. The author did a really good job of making the characters relatable while staying true to the timeframe. Some problems I had with this novel were: the lack of character development and the poor pacing. Everything just seemed kind of rushed together. My favorite parts were definitely the music facts and the pop culture references.

Plot:
Quinn is a 14 year old music addict growing up in Los Angeles during the 1970’s. At the start of the school year, all he focuses on is music and trying to get a girlfriend. He then meets Caroline, the new girl at school. Quinn falls for her almost instantly and makes an immediate effort to spend time with her. As soon as they start hanging out with each other, they realize they like each other and start dating. Quinn then meets a draft dodger who is friends with his sister and is homeless living in the woods. Quinn helps out the draft dodger by giving him change and leftover food. He then gets in trouble with the law prompting the draft dodger to run away. Before the draft dodger leaves Quinn sells all of his to raise money for the draft dodger. The story ends with Frank Zappa, who Quinn works for, giving Quinn a bunch of his records.

Characterization:
Quinn didn’t really change that much. From the start, his main passion was music. Even when he started dating Caroline, it seemed like he cared more about music then her. The only change he experienced was knowing more about the Vietnam War and choosing to go against it. His personality totally stayed the same though. The antagonist in the story wasn’t a person, instead it was the Vietnam War itself. All of the problems were a product of the stress caused by the war.

Setting:
The setting had a huge impact on Quinn. The 1970’s music scene started out in Los Angeles and surrounds Quinn everywhere he goes and influences almost everything he does. If it was in a different time frame, the war would not be a factor and the music wouldn’t have as big of a role to Quinn.

Recommendation:
I recommend this book for any fan of music in the 1970’s over the age of 12, because the source material might be boring for people who don’t care about that timeframe.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

"In homage to Duane Allman who just died - motorcycle accident, not drugs; age twenty-four, not twenty-seven - I grab my guitar and launch into an amateur version of 'Midnight Rider.' When I finish, I give poor Duane an informal eulogy and am shocked at Caroline's lack of knowledge of one of rock's great guitarists.

'You didn't know he was one of the dueling guitars on Layla?' I ask incredulously.

'I thought it was just Eric Clapton.'

'Clapton was the FENDER; Allman was the GIBSON.' Sheesh. I thought Caroline could maybe become my first girlfriend, but her ignorance of the important things in life might be too big an obstacle to overcome."

It’s 1971, and fourteen year-old Quinn lives in Laurel Canyon, CA, an artistic hotbed and home to many of the rock industry’s biggest and most influential stars. Quinn lives for music – he maintains a huge collection of rock LPs, writes a music column for his school newspaper, and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary rock ‘n’ roll. When he meets Caroline, a new girl at school, whose musical IQ is lacking, Quinn realizes there may be more to his life than just a great guitar riff and a heavy backbeat. Then the real world, beyond the idyllic image of Laurel Canyon, begins to make its way into Quinn’s life: Caroline’s brother has been drafted into service in Vietnam, Quinn aids a draft dodger who knows his sister, and Quinn’s parents teeter on the edge of divorce. Quinn must make some difficult choices on his own, without relying on the spiritual guidance of rock’s most famous recently deceased (the "Club 27" of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, who Quinn believes he can communicate with through his old Ouija board).

Tashijan presents Quinn’s voice in an engaging, honest first person narration, and paints a vivid scene of early ‘70s California lifestyles. Quinn’s struggles with relationships, learning more about the socio-political realties around him, and understanding the consequences of his actions will resonate with young readers. Above all, be sure to turn your stereo up as you read this one, especially if you still listen to vinyl.

[Mary BookHounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

The story centers around Quinn who is pretty nerdy and a musician, although at this time in his life, he is nowhere near a cool kid. He writes a column for the high school paper that gives some purpose to his life. His parents are pseudo hippies with his mother running a cool clothing store in Hollywood that caters to musicians and his blue collar father inspires his love of music. It also doesn't hurt that he grows up in the heart of Laurel Canyon amidst the musical legends of the early 1970's. Quinn thinks he is destined to never have a girlfriend until a transfer student shows up on the first day of school. Caroline, a Connecticut transplant, is a photographer and the two connect when she joins the school newspaper as collaborators.

Caroline has her own issues adjusting to life in California. She dresses super preppy and is very politically aware which takes Quinn off guard. He learns a lot about the world from her, while Caroline takes on new musical knowledge from him. When the pair discover that they can converse with the dead "J"'s - Jimi, Janice and Jim through it, a whole new way of life opens up to them. They of course ask the three questions and then start charging money to let others talk to them. With the Vietnam war always in the background of this story, there are a lot of interesting connections.


This story has to be one of my favorites this year. I am always on the look out for anything with a music angle and this one even includes a bit of a paranormal angle. There are a lot of mentions of the musical genius that lived in Laurel Canyon during this time period and you can only image what really went on during this time period. I also adored the running sound track that followed the characters and matched the moods. This is just an exceptional story of young romance with a lot of political awareness.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The music scene in California in the early 70s. Sightings of Cass Elliot and Frank Zappa. A Ouija board transmitting advice from Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix. A fourteen-year-old narrator who is obsessed with music trivia, becoming a musician himself, and having his first relationship (more or less in that order).

It's light and fun and absolutely packed with 60s/70s music references and other cultural references—Quinn's anti-war T-shirt with a flower on it; extended mention of the Kent State shooting and the photograph of Mary Ann Vecchio; draft dodging; patched jeans and pantsuits; vinyl record after vinyl record.

Quinn writes a column for his school newspaper, and those entries are included as part of the book, which spans a school year. I learned a ton from it (Janis Joplin's car!), although I think I will have to check the book back out from the library at a later date to compile a proper playlist from the songs and artists it mentions (too many to count). I didn't always love Quinn, but I appreciated the way his character was put together; he has all the insecurities of a fourteen-year-old but is also pretty happy with his life. The bit with Zappa—which in another book might have bugged me to no end—made me irrationally gleeful.

Still not the hippie-dippy-psychadelic-bell-bottomed 60s/70s YA historical fiction I'm looking for, but possibly the closest I've found yet.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved The Gospel According to Larry, so I grabbed this book out of the box and placed it in the on-deck nightstand stack right away. I was disappointed to find that it is set in an era in which I have found it tough to interest the majority of students—the early 1970s. Then to make the sell even more challenging, the topic is super specific and fairly rare among my teen readers: music of that time period. So if you find readers keenly interested in American (and British) music of the 1962-1971 time period or those fascinated in the Viet Nam War protests and draft, this is a great find.

There are so many lists of artists and fun facts about Club 27 (died at 27--Morrison, Hendrix, and Joplin) and similar artists, that readers not obsessed with the time and the tunes will not stay on board for the family drama, romance, and friendship that follow Quinn through his Laurel Canyon LA quest for music and more after his sister leaves home for college, his parents may be on the skid, he wants to start a band and add to his legendary record collection, and his Ouija board seems to be a direct line to the wisdom of Club 27. If you liked Tales from the Madman Underground, you might be ready to put this one on the turn-table, but I don't see it flying off the shelves

[Angie Engles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I'm especially fond of this because I love the period of music For What It's Worth centers around. I don't think that you have to love the 70s and the music of its time to pick up Janet Tashjian's very engaging read, though.

There's a vibe here that is just lovely and great writing, too. One of my favorite sentences is: "I know it doesn't make any sense, but there's something cool about Caroline being so uncool."

The author clearly understands how deeply music touches our souls and the neat facts and playlists Quinn, a fourteen-year-old walking "encyclopedia" of music, shares are fascinating.

His zeal for buying albums is wonderful nostalgia for those of us who loved record stores as a teenager. This will go on my to-be-read-again list and is definitely "feel good."

[Marianne Robin-Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sweet book takes place when and where I grew up, so reading it brought back a lot of memories about the fantastic music and concerts during the 1970's. I liked the articles that Quinn wrote for his school paper featuring interesting factoids about music and musicians. An idllic book about one of the best summers ever.

[Jeanne Lawrence]

Fun book, set in California in 1971. The main character is a 14 yr old music expert writing a column for his high school. He helps a draft dodger, uses a Ouiji board until it gets out of control and meets his first girlfriend.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life of fourteen-year-old Quinn revolves around music--discovering, collecting, playing, and writing about great rock and roll. Since the story is set in 1971 and 1972 in Los Angeles's Laurel Canyon, where many musicians hung out or lived, Quinn has grown up knowing or seeing many of them. For instance, his mother is still friends with Cass Elliot of the Mamas and Papas since they grew up together in Baltimore. Quinn finds a first girlfriend in Caroline, a new girl at his high school, despite how little she knows about the music he loves. As they grow closer and he shares his musical knowledge, he becomes plagued by doubts about her faithfulness, in part because of messages he receives from his Ouiji board. Against his will, he is drawn into political activism because of his older sister's friendship with a draft resister trying to make his way to Canada rather than serve in the Vietnam War. Mr. Woodrow, his substitute teacher, also helps raise his awareness through intense discussions of current events, including provocative pictures. Meanwhile, at home, there seems to be increased tension between his parents, and Quinn isn't sure what's going on. Interspersed with Quinn's story are his wonderful columns about music. Entitled "For What It's Worth" and containing sketches of the musicians of the time--Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend, Frank Zappa and more--these columns contain fascinating trivia about the men and women behind the music Quinn loves. As she always does in her books, this author creates believable characters in Quinn and his friends, describing the wonders and fears of first love while folding the storyline in authentic details about that particular period of time. She nails the paranoia that filled the nation after the violent acts laid at the feet of the "Family" of Charles Manson a few months earlier as well as the emerging news stories about the Watergate break-ins near the story's end. What's more she provides the perfect musical soundtrack--er, playlist! I fear I'm dating myself here--to crank up while reading the book. Or if you like your books read in solitude, play the songs or albums/CDs that Quinn loves so much afterward and think about the book's message and Quinn's unexpected heroism. The power of music and the power of art--of a photograph--permeate the pages of this wonderful title. And yeah, I think she got it right. I was in high school during this time, and I remember hearing this music for the first time and being blown away by Todd Rundgren and my beloved Eagles. I wore those records out! (This, of course, was when we listened to music on black vinyl records and marveled at the artistry of record album covers.)You won't be sorry that you read this book since it will continue to haunt you or tickle at your conscience long after it's back on the shelf.

[Megan Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn is living the life. It's 1971 and he lives in Laurel Canyon; the exact place anyone in rock n' roll lives or hangs out. This helps Quinn out as he fancies himself a music encyclopedia. He writes a music column for the school newspaper called "For What It's Worth", constantly makes lists such as "Songs to Sing at the Top of Your Lungs When You're Grounded" and "Break-Up Songs I Hope I Don't Have to Listen to" and all of his money goes to buying new records.

When his sister moves away to college on the East coast, things start to change for Quinn. His parents barely spend time together under one roof, he gets his first girlfriend and the war in Vietnam is starting to creep into his life in ways he didn't expect. Oh, and his Ouija board is letting him get advice from the 27 Club; Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison.

Until now, his life had been wonderful, but now that he's faced with the reality of how things have changed, it's up to Quinn to know when to do the right thing.

I absolutely loved this book. I was so sad to see it end. It read really quickly and it was just so entertaining that you didn't want to put it down. This book is full of amazing facts about the huge music scene at the time and absolutely makes you want to go put these records on. It also reminded me of of I'm With the Band by Pamela des Barres, but obviously much less scandalous and much more focused on the power of music. I kept singing songs mentioned on the page in my head while I was reading and actually came away from this learning some facts I hadn't known before. To me, that makes a really great book. I absolutely want everyone I know to read this.

This is easily one of the best coming of age books I've read in awhile.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the mood of this book. It made you feel as if you are in high school with Quinn in the 70s. Quinn is such a music fanatic and I really enjoyed how Tashjian weaved his love for music in with the historical part of the book.

For What It's Worth is a wonderful introduction to the 70s especially because with the help of Quinn's articles scattered throughout the book. I felt was quite important because it gives the readers some great background information but does so without seeming like a lecture. Unfortunately, may middle and teen readers are not aware of the Vietnam War, the protests that went along with it or the 70s culture, so Quinn's articles definitely add that element that students would need to help them understand what is going on. The only thing that would have made the book better would have been a soundtrack that you could have listened to while reading. And Tashjian not only gave lots of love to the music of the 70s, but also discussed photography and the impact that a spectacular captured moment can have on the viewer.

On top of my love of the historical fiction and art/music aspect, I really liked the characters in this book. Quinn's story of his first love makes me reminisce about my middle school boyfriend because that crazy joy you fill for that first love is hard to duplicate and yet Tashjian captures it perfectly in this book. It is actually the realistic emotions throughout that drive the book- love, paranoia, fascination, sadness, anger, fear.

[Kay Mcgriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you love the music scene from 1971?
Can you recite lyrics and picture album covers from groups such as the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, the Doors, the Jefferson Airplane, the Monkees, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and many more?
Do you know--or want to know--endlessly fascinating trivia from any and all things rock and roll back in the good old days?
Do you ever wonder what messages Club 27 (Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix) might have for a fourteen-year-old boy who has his very first girlfriend, is trying to start his own band, and must decide whether or not to help a draft dodger who shows up?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you will want to read Janet Tashjian's For What It's Worth (Henry Holt and Company 20120). Quinn, self-proclaimed music fanatic, lives in the heart of the music scene in Laurel Canyon in Los Angelos, California. Quinn's distinctive voice--complete with journal entries, music columns, and lists of all things musical brings 1971 to life. The only thing that would make this book better would be a soundtrack of all the songs mentioned.

First published on my blog at Permalink: http://kaymcgriff.edublogs.org/2013/0... ‎Edit Get Shortlink

[Staci · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed For What It's Worth and have passed it on to the high school to add to their reading shelf. Very interesting and surprising find. Would like to read more from Janet Tashjian. 3 stars from me!

My rating system is as follows:

5 stars - Excellent, Worth Every Penny, Made It Into My Personal Library!
4 stars - Great book, but not a classic.
3 stars - Good overall, generally well written.
2 stars - Would not recommend based on personal criteria.
1 star - Difficult to read, hard to finish, or didn't finish. Wouldn't recommend purchasing or reading.

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book I review was provided to me by the publisher, media group or the author for free and no financial payments were received, unless specified otherwise.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been putting off reading this book, but once I got started, I found that I really enjoyed it. Quinn, the protagonist, is "all knowing" when it comes to the music of the time - early 1970s. In fact, his mom is friends with Cass Elliot of the Mamas and Papas. With the Vietnam War raging and the enactment of the draft, Quinn is presented with a lot more to think about than music, especially when a friend of his college age sister runs away from the east coast to escape the draft and winds up needing help from Quinn.

Many "typical" growing up challenges appear in this book - making friends, having a girlfriend, knowing who you are, and understanding where you stand on societal issues. All of the musical references provide a fun twist and getting to read Quinn's column for the school newspaper is an added bonus.

[ZebraPrintRocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, I had not been pulled into a time period so quickly while reading a book for a while. I enjoyed how many facts there were in this book too. Not just music facts - but history, as well. I enjoyed Quinn's music lists and paused a couple times to pull up some music videos during the book to tunes that I couldn't quite remember all they lyrics to. The illustrations were perfect too. All in all - if you like music/rock & roll/or the 70's - you'd probably enjoy this book.
I'm not going to kid, what initially drew me in was the front cover. It's not all fun/games/and music though. There was a war raging during the time, and these characters put you right in the middle of the draft, as well. Very good read for coming-of-age young adults interested in history and music. Family dynamics, love, peer pressure, and more --- it's all here.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

So now I know: just because a book focuses on music doesn't mean I'm guaranteed to like it. The research in here is obvious and painstaking, and I love the idea of setting a Young Adult book in Laurel Canyon during 1971, but it just didn't work for me. As a narrator, Quinn just isn't a very strong character – there's not much to him other than the fact that he loves music. And while I can appreciate the book's anti-authoritarian stance, setting it during the Vietnam War – when protest is one of the dominating images of that time – seems too obvious. It's heart is in the right place – and it reminded me of a few albums I haven't listened to in a while, which I need to rectify – but it just doesn't hold together.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has an enticing storyline, and wonderful music references to back it, but frankly the writing just does not shape up. I am a huge music fan, and am particularly fond of protest music from the folk revival in the sixties (uncommon, yes). It is filled with lists of music with clever names, i.e. "Best Songs to Listen To When You're Grounded" and "Breakup Songs I Hope I Don't Have to Listen To", have introduced me to some great music I'd never heard of as well as reminded me of some music I hadn't listened to in a while. I would go for it maybe for some cool music tidbits you didn't know rather than to find the next great American novel.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this book after reading the first paragraph in which Quinn says:
"Rock and roll can change the world and save your life-and that's just for starters. I challenge anyone on the planet to remain in a bad mood when "Gimme Shelter" comes on the radio. It's physically impossible, right? Rock and roll can get you through a boring school year, give you something to bond over with your friends, even provide you with a reason to get out of bed in the morning."
This paragraph just made me want to keep reading. I feel the same way as Quinn. I'm a huge classic rock fan, so hearing about this, and my favorite bands throughout the whole book really made me fall in love with it.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

King Dork's more authentic, 70s cousin, I had a hard time getting into this book because I was quite surprised to find out Quinn was a boy. (Do people know that girls are also obsessive music snobs?) The use of the term "literally" felt modern to me, but the Ouija board elements were totally 70s. I loved the columns and the music trivia, about half of which I didn't know, and of course the several mentions of Graham Nash. I enjoyed Quinn's paranoia about Caroline (and was pleased to see the mention of "Caroline, No") and his awkwardness regarding How to Be a Boyfriend. I'm not quite sure if the Zappa part worked, though. I'm still mulling that over.

[Brad Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I had an affinity with the book because I too was a record collector in the 70's and owned many of the albums Quinn collected. The antidotes about the musicians were wonderful. I liked the underlying story, and how she tied much of what was happening in the rock music world with what was happening with Quinn and his family. I would say that unless you also grew up in the 60's and 70's and had an interest in rock music, you wouldn't likely get much out of this book. However, for the generation that came up on rock music, this book is a gem.

[Mrs. Hassig · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know who Frank Zappa is you'll love this book! Otherwise, it will be a maze of names and dates and places that you are totally unfamiliar with and need to find a timeline of rock and roll music history to figure them out! I, however, do know who Frank Zappa is and so this book took me about 4 hours to read and I was thrilled with every page of it! The title is a song that most of my students will know because of "Forrest Gump!" But I know it's a Buffalo Springfield song that really is the anthem of the 1960s and early 1970s. Take a step back in time and read this wonderful book!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book has included facts about music I never. She intertwines these details as school newspaper articles with the events of a teenage boys life in the early 1970s. Vietnam, draft dodgers, divorce, and the best music ever written, are backdrops to a young boys coming of age tale. I loved it, but need to give it to one of my students to read- I may be biased since she was telling my story.

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The new book by Janet Tashjian is historical YA fiction set in 1971-72 L.A. The protagonist is a music-obsessed teen, offering rich music trivia and lists throughout. While this is not my favorite Tashjian novel, (nothing could beat the Thoreau influenced "The Gospel According to Larry" in my opinion) it was still very good and is recommended for teen readers of both genders, particularly those with an interest in the California music scene in the 60's and 70's.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a great work of literature by any stretch, For What It's Worth really did a good job of capturing the pulse and energy of Los Angeles in the early 70s. Added to which you get a terrific 6th grade narrator, tons of awesome music lore and a snapshot of the Vietnam resistance movement through the eyes of a middle schooler. A highly readable historical fiction with fabulous playlist and music trivia. Fun!

[Stephanie Stocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinn is a typical teenager growing up in the early '70s. He loves music, buying albums, playing guitar in his band, playing with his Ouija board, and hanging out with his girlfriend. Life is changing for Quinn though. His sister just left for college, and when one of her friends, a draft dodger, shows up at his door asking for help, Quinn realizes there are some things in life that are bigger than himself. For a fun coming-of-age story, read "For What It's Worth."

[Scarlett Crawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Tashjian really knows how to hook the right group of readers, and she entrances her readers with the twists and turns that this book presents. She manages to balance Quinn's love for music, his sudden involvement with the war, his sudden communication with Club 27, and his relationships with friends and family wonderfully, which makes for a great story.

Who would enjoy this?: People who love rock music, the 70s, and the supernatural.