Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday (#MMGM) Book Review: Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker

Lindsay McKay and her family moved to Manhattan from a very small town in Nebraska. She dreams of being a prima ballerina, while her younger sister, Bridget, has been accepted into Juilliard, at the age of eight, to play the violin. Lindsay is happy for her sister, but not thrilled about living in a new place. Luckily, she brought her prized possession, a special music box given to her by her grandmother. At least it givers her some comfort. Lindsay’s first ballet lesson at the local community center does not go well, and she can’t hide her disappointment that no one in the class takes dance seriously. When she stumbles into Madame Destinee’s Dance Studio, it’s like a dream come true. The dancers are amazing! Madame offers for her to dance with the others and Lindsay feels herself move like never before. All she has to do to pay for her lessons is show up at a nightly performance. This sounds like a dream! She knows that here she can be a star and dance like she’s never danced before. But when Lindsay starts to notice that things aren’t quite as they seem and that Madame Destinee may be doing something to enchant the dancers, she becomes nervous about what will happen to her and her family. Is it possible to break the enchantment? Are the music boxes in Madame Destinee’s office important in some way and why do they match the one she brought from Nebraska? Can she help the other dancers? Read this enchanting story to find out.

Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker is a read that grabbed me from the start and pulled me in. It’s a story for people who like a good spooky mystery! I could easily relate to the main character, Lindsay. She is passionate about ballet and wants to be the best. I admire that type of dedication. When she noticed what Madame Destinee was doing to the dancers I felt both nervous and excited. The music boxes had quite a story behind them—I was definitely spooked, but in a good way. There's suspense and interesting relationships that keep the reader guessing. I think this book would be great for anybody in fourth grade and up who likes a story that gives them the chills.

Has anyone else read Music Boxes? Or have you read another book by Tonja Drecker? We’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Happy Reading!
~L

Find more links to #MMGM book reviews here.

Answer to Fairday's Riddle: Right On Pointe!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're dancing out of the box. Tune in on Monday for Lizzy's book review and find out how the answer ties into the story. See you all around the book block. ~ F

Fouetté sauté center stage—pirouette, plié, promenade. Structure in movement, pas with grace. Léotard lines entrelacé. Tchaikovsky feathered sweet Odette. Balanchine spun Apollo's set. Piqué grande! Feast your eyes when dancing spirits do arise. 

What am I referring to? Answer: Ballet!

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations

Fairday's Riddle: Flic-Flac, Fondu...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? I don't have these skills, but it's beautiful to watch. ~ F

Fouetté sauté center stage—pirouette, plié, promenade. Structure in movement, pas with grace. Léotard lines entrelacé. Tchaikovsky feathered sweet Odette. Balanchine spun Apollo's set. Piqué grande! Feast your eyes when dancing spirits do arise. 

What am I referring to? Stop by Friday for the answer. 

I gave you a clue!

Margo's Musings: Who's Tacky?

Winter has settled in and a snow/ice mixture has been covering the ground for a week. Our local library has a fun display of winter books, which is perfect with the weather outside. My little sister, Margo, was drawn to a series of books about a penguin named Tacky. She loves penguins, and I knew we'd be reading the books again and again. I have to say we had a blast reading by the fire and all of our laughter warmed us up too.

Tacky is not like other penguins. He doesn’t like to march in a straight line, dive gracefully, or sing in a pretty voice. Instead, Tacky is a bit loud, sings off key, and makes a big splash wherever he goes. The other penguins don’t quite know what to make of his different ways and seem to find him a bit annoying. But when hunters come to get some penguins what will happen to Tacky and friends? Is there any way to stop them?  Will the penguins be brave enough to stand up to the danger? You won’t want to miss this hilarious story!

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester is a fun picture book with a good message. Margo loved Tacky’s crazy antics, especially his singing and cannon balls. The illustrations are bright and appealing. I was happy that in the end the penguins learned that being different is better and that we should always be true to who we are- though you’ll have to read the book to find out more. We’ve already read one other Tacky book- Happy Birdday,Tacky (Margo absolutely loves the dance Tacky makes up in this one and has been doing it all over our house) and we have three more to read. Looks like I’ll be getting to know Tacky and pals even better over the next week! 

Has anyone else read Tacky the Penguin? Or have you read another book by Helen Lester? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading!
~ F

*REMINDER TO OUR READERS
Starting in 2019, we'll be posting two weeks out of the month. Tune in Monday (2/4) to catch Fairday's next riddle.