Girl vs. Boy Band: The Right Track

Gr 5–8—When 12-year-old Lark's parents separate, it makes sense for her to join her mother Donna in Los Angeles, as her session musician father is constantly on tour. Donna's attention is on building her business, a record label she has launched herself. While Lark has one good friend in L.A., she misses Nashville and her dad. She throws herself into her music, playing guitar and composing songs she won't sing in public—Lark suffers from terrible stage fright. But everything changes when Donna signs a British boy band called Abbey Road to her label—and invites them to live with her and Lark. Young, cheeky, and good-looking, the boys add a level of upheaval and change to the household. Family, friendships, and dreams are all themes within the novel that will appeal to the intended age group. The boy band lingo, accented with British slang, is usually explained within the context of conversations. Both Lark and the Abbey Road boys share their backgrounds, and a few cultural insights are gained by the characters and readers. There is some banter from one of the boys that has mild sexual overtones, but that aside, the book could be given to most upper middle graders wanting a light, pleasant read, rather than a more issues-driven and complex title.