Rita, a young girl living in New York’s El Barrio, describes the Afro-Caribbean dance music, salsa, and imagines being a salsa director.
Music
Cheech The School Bus Driver
Why can’t all bus drivers be as cool as Cheech? When the kids on the school bus decide to enter the Battle of the Bands, no one is more excited than Cheech. On the big day, they all pile into the bus and get ready to groove! But when they arrive, they find they’re the only mariachi band in the whole contest—and the rock and roll bands look awesome! In this zany story by beloved performer Cheech Marin, the band tries every trick in the book to make their act mea-sure up—with hilarious results! How will mariachi ever compete against rock and roll?
Delicious Hullabaloo/Pachanga Deliciosa
In this poem in English and Spanish, lizards, armadillos, and other creatures of the night make merry beneath the desert moon, enjoying the strains of a mariachi band and gobbling lots of delicious food.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Hamelin town has a plague of rats, and if something isn’t done soon, everyone will starve. The people vow to give up everything to rid the town of the rats. And so the help of the Pied Piper is enlisted to dispose of the nasty pests. He plays a sweet tune and the rats, dancing, follow the music to their end. But when the townsfolk refuse to pay the Piper, he takes up his flute and plays an even sweeter tune. This time, it’s the town’s children who follow.
The Minstrel And The Dragon Pup
Richly colored illustrations influenced by Italian frescoes mark the story of a wandering minstrel and his search for his beloved dragon pup who, before being stolen, inspired his most joyful music.
Our World
OUR WORLD makes it fun and easy for children to learn more about the world around them. With more than 40 maps, 300 images, and hundreds of facts and statistics, this atlas will expand every child’s view of each country around the globe.
A Wizard In Love
A retired wizard and his cat discover love in a most unexpected way!Hector, a retired wizard, lives happily with his cat, Poison, in a dilapidated house at the edge of the forest. Hector and Poison are content to pass the time in front of the TV, munching cookies. Their days are peaceful and quiet. That is until a dreadful noise begins to pour out of the old abandoned house across the road. It seems Hector and Poison have a new neighbor, and things will never be the same again.
Hidden Voices: The Orphan Musicians of Venice
While studying under Vivaldi, three girls in a Venice orphanage forge their own notions of love in a sensuous, engrossing novel told in three narrative voices. It is a longing and search for love that motivates three girls living in the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage renowned for its extraordinary musical program. But for Rosalba, Anetta, and Luisa, the love they seek is not where they expect to find it. Set in the early 1700s in the heart of Venice, this remarkable novel deftly weaves the history of Antonio Vivaldi’s early musical career into the lives of three young women who excel in voice and instrument.
Play to the Angel
In February 1938, in Vienna, twelve-year-old Greta Radky is devastated to learn that her mother plans to sell the family piano. Greta’s brother, a concert pianist, died the previous April, and her mother thinks of the piano as his. But Greta is an equally committed musician, and when she meets a mysterious piano teacher who agrees to work with her, she proves it. With his help the piano is saved, and inspired by his tiny angel doll, Greta practices furiously for her first recital. Then, on the day of the performance, the Nazis invade Austria. Suddenly Greta discovers her teacher’s secret and knows that his life is in danger. Having stood up to her mother, Greta must now confront the Nazis.
Gangsta Rap
School, what school? My name is X-Ray-X So be careful how you flex I used to freestyle in me bedroom But me daddy got me vex The teacher kicked me out of the classroom Now I’m rapping in The Rex.
Ray has trouble at home and trouble at school. It’s the last straw for everyone when Ray and his friends Prem and Tyrone are permanently suspended. But they know what they want, more than most, perhaps. Their headmaster decides to give them a second chance, a chance to live their dream of forming a rap group. Through a specialized social program, the boys are taught the business of the music industry, what it takes to record an album, and how to lay down a track. Within weeks they have become the Positive Negatives, and within a few months they have signed a record deal and are on their way to the top. But their dream soon becomes a nightmare as violence escalates around them. Suddenly, not only their careers but their very lives are at stake. The Positive Negatives are determined to prove that you don’t need to be a gangster to be a great rapper.
Teen’s Top 10 (Awards)