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Rules to Rock By

by Josh Farrar
245p. 978-0-80272-079-5.
COPY ISBN
Gr 6—8—Twelve-year-old Annabelle Cabrera's parents have uprooted her and her younger brother, Xavier, from Brooklyn to Providence, RI. Annabelle's mom and dad are musicians who are completely engrossed in what they do, to the point of neglecting their children. A bassist and songwriter herself, Belle misses the band she was a part of, Egg Mountain; the friends who went with it; and her beloved abuela, who took care of the family. She has a lot on her plate in her new hometown, like minding X and putting together her very own rock group. With an instrument named after her favorite bassist, Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof, Belle is desperate to have another great experience like Egg Mountain. The task is proving difficult as she comes across resistance at school due to bullying and a code of silence that keeps aspiring musicians at bay. Nevertheless, rock prevails in this spirited, never-say-die story about a girl and her dream. Farrar's first novel hits home about tween life, especially among the creative set, and for anyone who has ever been bullied.—Tracy Weiskind, Chicago Public Library
When her family moves to Rhode Island, sixth-grader Annabelle Cabrera misses her home, her abuela, and her band. Once the bassist of "the most popular kid band in New York," Annabelle is determined to start her own group, despite battles with bullies and preoccupied parents. Annabelle sounds distractingly older than twelve, but Farrar enriches his new-tween-in-town story with engaging rock music details.
Reviewed by Tracy Weiskind , Sep 01, 2010

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