Sleepovers, Solos, and Sheet Music

I Heart Band #3

by Michelle Schusterman, Genevieve Kote

Former middle-school band director Michelle Schusterman continues to celebrate the high notes and low notes of middle-school band!

The band is off to New Orleans for a competition as well as a bit of sightseeing. But there is all sorts of boy treble in the band this spring. Julia has her first boyfriend, so Holly will have to keep focused to help her friends through their drama AND make sure the New Orleans trip is a trip to remember.

Genres: Middle Grade, Contemporary

208 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2014

About the author

Michelle Schusterman is the alleged author of less than one hundred books for kids and teens, most of which are not published under a secret pseudonym, and all of which include various characters. She lives on a steamboat with her pet crawfish, unless she's lying, in which case she lives among the spiders beneath the stage at the Metropolitan Opera, unless that's another lie, in which case she lives in an apartment in Queens with her chocolate lab, who can talk.

Reviews

[Taryn (❤ω❤) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right off the bat I will say that there wasn't particularly anything bad about this book, but it wasn't particularly remarkable, either. This could definitely be because I am not the target audience for this book (I got it a while ago, but why get rid of it? MOMMA DIDN'T RAISE NO QUITTER).

I will say that the plot was done perfectly, though! There were a lot of events throughout the entire book without being too overwhelming for the reader. From the music competitions, to friend drama, to a whole band trip, it was definitely an exciting read!

Lastly, I want to commend the author for making the aforementioned friend drama realistic and relevant. I know that situations just like this happen to so many friend groups, and I really appreciated that the author wrote a story that shows friends navigating these struggles in an effective way.

[Nova gallo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars it was actually pretty interesting. i know this series is childish, but how are they in seventh grade and actually have relationship problems?

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly has made it into the advanced, all-region band, and as a 7th grader, that’s quite an accomplishment. Solo and Ensemble festival is coming up, too, so there’s extra music to practice. Add that to the science fair project and her best friends’ boyfriend troubles plus the band trip to New Orleans and you’ve got another fun filled book packed with middle school drama. This is #3 in the series, read them in order.

[Robin Herrera]

I need the next book!

Really impressed with all the band details, as well. This one especially brought back memories of a band trip by bus...

Highly recommended for band nerds and other nerds alike!