Allegra

Gr 8 Up—Allegra Whitford is thrilled to finally be at Deer Lake School for the Fine and Performing Arts. Although she is the daughter of two musicians (her dad plays in a popular band and her mom is an orchestra harpist), Allegra has her sights set on becoming a professional dancer. However, her excitement is dimmed by the school's requirement that she take a music-theory class. Despite her initial reluctance, Allegra soon begins to enjoy the class due to the charisma of its young and attractive teacher. The challenging project that Mr. Rocchelli assigns her and the tentative friendships that the shy teen begins to make at her new school all seem to bode well for Allegra's senior year. But the intensity of creating music and the increasing time she spends alone with Mr. Rocchelli start to make everyone, including Allegra herself, wonder if there could be something more to their relationship. The musical creations-whether through a rock-band jam session, playing a classical harp, or composing with a digital program-are described with loving detail but a light touch, appealing to both veteran musicians and neophytes, who will relish this opportunity to better appreciate the power of music. Allegra's artistic pursuits-and intense commitment-will resonate particularly with equally passionate teens, while her social anxiety and strained home life might be familiar, albeit painfully so, to a broader audience.—Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC