Claire Montgomery

What a great story about coming up with something new and different that others do not understand, embrace or accept. Melvin comes up with music. He creates instruments and does not fit in with any of the workers and occupations his father has in mind for him. When he lets a dolphin that his father caught go, his parents send him off to the Shivrkilt Home for Hopelessly Eccentric Youth. What he notices there is that all the kids seem to have a similar problem or reason for being there.

Every kid that Melvin interviewed told a similar story. From infancy they had all suffered from the same symptoms the he did. They were noisy and disruptive. They took an unhealthy interest in sounds. They weren't drawn to normal activities. When their parents became sufficiently concerned, they shipped their tykes off to the same specialist in hopes of a cure. But a musical person can't be cured of music anymore than a freckled face can be cured of freckles, or one and one can be cured of adding up to two.

Melvin decides that he is not going to spend the next year without music and without helping his friends so he uses whatever he can find to make instruments. The kids loved playing music and were actually becoming happy. This could not happen according to Gustav, the headmaster. Melvin eventually went home and continued to introduce Music to his village. Adventures ensue including bands forming, vocals and vocalists being added. It is not an easy go for Melvin with music actually being outlawed at one point, but eventually the leaders and the village finally embrace music.

This would be a good book for those middle grade students, especially those that may be trying to express themselves in ways that may not be readily accepted by their families, friends etc. An enjoyable read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)