Wink by Rob Harrell

In Wink, twelve-year-old Ross Maloy has been diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer called mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the lacrimal gland. Ross's story is told in the present as he goes through a series of radiation treatments with flashbacks to how his battle with cancer began.

Ross lives with his father who is a trial lawyer and his stepmother Linda. His mother, a talented illustrator died of cancer when Ross was five but he doesn't remember very much about her.

His life changed forever one summer day in July when Ross's father notices his right eye was puffy. After two days of icing his eye, they decide to take him to see Dr. Sheffler, an eye specialist. What followed was a CT scan and an immediate consultation with Dr. Sheffler who revealed that the scan showed a tumor in the lacrimal gland above Ross's right eye. A biopsy of the tumor revealed the diagnosis of a rare cancer that Dr. Sheffler had never encountered before.

Dr. Sheffler brings in Dr. Inzer who tells Ross and his dad that the only way to treat his cancer is to remove his entire right eye and socket and then to do radiation. She offers to do the surgery in two days. This treatment would mean the complete loss of Ross's vision.  Ross is completely devastated. To help him cope his father takes him to see Abby Peterson, his "best friend since the third day of first grade."

The day after this terrible diagnosis and prognosis, Dr. Sheffler contacts Ross's father and arranges for them to meet Dr. Throckton. He tells Ross and his father that he can save both of Ross's eyes. First he will have a more modest surgery that removes the lacrimal gland, recover from that and then undergo eight weeks of proton radiotherapy. The radiotherapy will gradually destroy the sight in Ross's right eye but his left eye will be protected to save the vision.

The first surgery date is cancelled and Ross has his surgery two days later leaving him with a scar and a "closed, squinty, permanently winking eye." Beside him, through the post-operative pain is Abby. Soon after his first surgery and just before school starts, Ross has more surgery to place special "BBs" in his forehead to direct the radiotherapy beams.  Most of the above information about his cancer is given in chapters that are flash backs which Ross labels as Bad Days.

Harrell opens his novel with Ross's story in the present as he attends his first proton radiotherapy session and returns to school, after missing the first week. At the clinic he meets Jerry an elderly man who is also a patient, and Frank, the radiation tech who encourages him to bring his own music to help the sessions pass quickly. Their discussions about music help Ross to cope with the treatments.

School is more challenging because all Ross wants to do is fit in. He's spent previous grades just flying under the radar. In contrast to Ross, his best friend, Abby stands out with her tangerine-colored hair and her "eccentric sense of fashion." Next to Abby, Ross is invisible and that's how he likes it. But his classmates can't help but notice Ross's eye. Jimmy Jenkins, the gum-chewing, spitting kid who sits next to Ross in class, mocks and bullies Ross.

His cancer diagnosis gets Ross attention from Sarah Kennedy, the smartest, prettiest girl in his grade. Sarah tells Ross that there is a Christmas talent show in December at the end of semester. Ross has no idea what he would possibly do but he's thrilled to be noticed by Sarah. As he goes through treatments, the side-effects lead classmates to make fun of him, posting cruel memes online. In his attempt to find comfort in the music that Frank has given him, Ross realizes that it is guitar that resonates with what he is feeling. With Frank's help Ross begins to learn how to play guitar and in the process discovers the importance of friendship, learns to cope with his illness and discovers the key to fitting in.

Discussion

Rob Harrell has written a funny, engaging book that tackles some pretty heavy topics for juvenile readers, among them cancer and death, as well as friendship and change. These topics are handled in a deeply personal way for young readers, but with a touch of humour that lightens the story. Not only are there many funny situations, but Harrell incorporates numerous comic panels of the adventures of Batpig, Ross's alter-ego and the comic character he created.

Wink is based on Harrell's own experience when he battled the same type of cancer in 2006, having many of the same experiences as his character, Ross Maloy. Because he was able to draw on his own experiences, Wink feels realistic and believable, despite its somewhat formulaic structure (sick kid scores big at the school talent show).

In Wink, Ross and his father are shocked to learn he has a very rare form of cancer. Their family lost Ross's mother to cancer when he was very young, so Ross's diagnosis seems especially devastating. As a boy beginning Grade Seven, all Ross wants to do is fit in, be normal and remain invisible and cancer won't let him do that. His surgery leaves him with a scar and a permanently winking eye while the radiation treatments cause him to lose his hair and to have to use a messy ointment for his damaged eye. To hide these changes,  Ross takes to wearing a cowboy hat to school which earns him even more unwanted and unpleasant attention in the form of bullying and some nasty online memes mocking him.

But Harrell has created a dauntless character in Ross. Despite the anger, fear, repeated humiliations in front of classmates, and sense of loss, Ross grows throughout his ordeal. In a conversation with Jerry, an older man who is also going through cancer treatment, Ross learns that Jerry, who was a really good trumpet player, never followed his dream further because he was told it was something normal people don't do. Ross comes to understand that being "normal" is not necessarily a good thing to aspire to. Jerry tells Ross, "But different! That's another matter. Different moves the needle. Different is where the good stuff happens. There's strength in different."  It is advice Ross takes to heart.

After realizing that music is helping him cope with his intense feelings, Ross asks Frank to teach him guitar. This leads him to form a reluctant partnership with classmate Jimmy Jenkins that blossoms into a true friendship. Music offers Ross the opportunity to form new interests and friends, something that will be important in the second semester when his best friend Abby will no longer be at school. It also allows  him the chance to transition from being invisible to "standing out", when he performs with Jimmy and Abby in the Christmas talent show.

Ross also comes to recognize the importance of friendship and what it means to be a good friend. Before his cancer diagnosis, Abby, Ross and Isaac Nalibotsky had been good friends since grade four. However, when Ross is diagnosed with cancer, Isaac simply cuts out of their group. Eventually Ross confronts Isaac who tells him he freaked out and "had zero idea what to do. What to say to you. Zero."  In other words, Isaac had no idea how to deal with a friend who has a serious illness. This is a minor theme that Harrell gives some attention to at the beginning of the novel when classmates react to Ross's return to school with curious looks. "Now I can't walk the length of a hallway without someone studying me to see if I look sick. Or just staring. Or even worse, they ask how I'm feeling." Ross even mentions how some people cope with illness or death by mentioning their own experiences. Eventually Isaac does realize what he did was hurtful and he attempts to make it up to Ross by giving him a new cowboy hat before the Christmas talent show.

In contrast to Isaac, Abby doesn't let Ross's cancer diagnosis influence their friendship. She listened to him talk about his cancer diagnosis, was with him after his surgery, and was willing to be with him for his first radiation treatment. Her loyalty through a difficult time mark her as a true friend. Her ability to treat Ross the same through his illness, helps him cope with what is happening and adds some normalcy to his life. Ross describes Abby as "She's the only person who jokes with me about my 'situation' -- she's done it through most of this whole ordeal -- and I literally could not appreciate it more. It makes me feel like something in the world is normal." Abby is the friend who encourages Ross in his guitar lessons and to play at the talent show.

Abby also teaches Ross that a good friend is someone that can also listen and reciprocate. Ross learns that friendship is both receiving and giving, that his relationship with Abby mustn't always be all about his problems. This happens when he visits Abby and learns she is upset about her family's move. "Do you realize my whole life is about to change? Everything! I'm being uprooted! Why am I even bothering with homework? It's not like anything matters. It's so stupid. I mean, I know you're dealing with a lot -- I can't imagine -- but for God's sake Ross! Am I not allowed to have my own...." The two fight and Ross leaves feeling angry but also knowing in his heart Abby is right. He has a difficult time at first, experiencing empathy for Abby's situation. "Does she really think her problems compare to mine? I have a life-threatening disease! I could friggin' die!..."  Eventually, Ross comes to understand Abby's worries telling her, "I think I've been way up my own butt."  Ross helps Abby deal with her worry about "sticking out", telling her that she "stands out" in a good way.

Ross also learns that people may not always be what they appear to be on the outside. This is demonstrated by the characters, Sarah Kennedy and Jimmy Jenkins. Sarah is smart, pretty and popular while Jimmy is large, rude and has the disgusting habit of spitting in a jar. Ross wants nothing to do with Jimmy who harasses him constantly in class. However, he tries desperately to impress Sarah each time humiliating himself. When a series of hurtful memes ridiculing Ross are shared online, Ross believes Jimmy is the perpetrator. This results in a brawl in class and Ross accusing Jimmy in front of the principal. It turns out that Jimmy, who doesn't own a phone, is not the culprit and he genuinely tells Ross,  "...Those pictures or memes or whatever. They sucked."  Eventually it is Jimmy who learns the truth,  revealing to Ross that Sarah Kennedy is responsible. Ross learns that Sarah's popular, pretty face hides a mean heart, while Jimmy has become a caring friend.

Despite the heavy topic of cancer, young readers will find Wink to be a well-written novel with many funny moments. The numerous Batpig cartoons placed throughout the book are enjoyable and serve to ease the tension in the story. Fans of Wonder will definitely enjoy Wink

Book Details:

Wink by Rob Harrell
New York: Dial Books for Young Readers   2020
315 pp.

Ada's Violin by Susan Hood

Their story has been told in the documentary, Fillharmonic, and in countless newspapers, magazine articles and even on television. It is a story about resiliency, determination, creativity. Ada's Violin, tells the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay in a picture book for younger readers.

In Ada's Violin,  Ada Rios lives in Cateuna, a town on a landfill near Asuncion, Paraguay. Every day fifteen hundred tons of trash are dumped at the landfill. The gancheros (recyclers) use long-handled hooks to rip open the bags of trash in the hopes of finding something to sell.

Ada and her younger sister Noelia were cared for by their abuela, Grandmother Mirian while their parents worked. Her abuela loved to sing and Ada's father often told them stories about famous musicians. As Ada and her sister grew up and began attending school, their abuela returned to work as a recycler. Ada began to notice that many of the teenagers with nothing to do, joined gangs or got into trouble.

When Ada was eleven-years-old, her abuela saw a sign offering music lessons on Saturdays by music teacher, Favio Chavez. She saw the opportunity for her granddaughters that she never had and signed up Ada and Noelia. The first class was both exciting and disappointing. Ada wanted to learn violin but Senor Chavez had only three guitars and two violins - not enough for all the children who wanted to learn music. They would also not be able to take these expensive instruments home to practice as they might be stolen. Senor Chavez remembered another orchestra that had made its own instruments. He sought the help of a carpenter and ganchero named Nicolas "Cola" Gomez. Along with the help of Tito Romero, the two men were able to transform discarded materials such as oil drums, pipes and packing crates into musical instruments for the children. And an orchestra was born!

Discussion

The Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Ada's Violin is a testament to human ingenuity and determination amidst poverty and social isolation. This well researched picture book provides the backstory of the renowned Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. Veteran author Susan Hood, interviewed Ada Rios and Favio Chavez and used numerous sources to weave together their remarkable story. Hood's expressive writing appeals to the senses as she describes Ada's life near the landfill, the music in her family's home, the orchestra's initial struggles to learn to play, and the large concerts in packed venues. From the garbage trucks that "rumble and roll", to life in the "noisy, stinking, sweltering slum" to Ada's first struggles to make music "Sharps and flats clanged and clashed." Eventually, "...the screeches, twangs, and tweets hit all the right notes." and the "...symphony of sound helped to lift them beyond the heat, the stench, and their aching backs."

Hood portrays the positive effect music and the orchestra had and continue to have on the young musicians, their families and their community. "...there was something new in the air in Cateura. Gancheros trudging home from the landfill might lift their heads to hear the sounds of Ada's violin...or the strains of Bebi's cello... or the strum of Noelia's guitar." The music brought hope into the lives of those in Cateura, giving them dignity, and allowing young people like Ada to actually live a better life instead of simply dreaming about doing so. Music helped Ada grow in self-confidence, allowing her to be a mentor to younger musicians. The money from the orchestra's concerts has helped improve the lives of some members of the orchestra including Ada.

The accompanying illustrations by Sally Wern Comport were created using "a hybrid technique of collage, acrylic glazes and paints, drawing, and digital mediums, then executed on stipple paper.", adding to Hood's descriptive text. Hood includes a detailed Author's Note about the orchestra, and information on relevant websites and videos as well as a list of the Sources she used for the picture book. More information on the documentary, The Landfillharmonic can be found at www.landfillharmonicmovie.com

Ada's Violin is a great resource to use along with the documentary touching on geography, diversity, music, language and culture, poverty, environmental stewardship and community. It also touches on the themes of resiliency, courage, identity, and ingenuity.

image credit: http://www.landfillharmonicmovie.com/#prettyPhoto/0/

Book Details:

Ada's Violin by Susan Hood
New York: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers  2016

The Man With The Violin by Kathy Stinson, illustrated by Dusan Petricic

"If we can’t take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?"

At 7:51am on Friday, January 12, 2007, one of the world's most renowned violinists, Joshua Bell began performing at the L'Enfant Plaza Station in the Washington Metro. Dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a baseball cap, Bell began performing classical music on his priceless violin, a 1713 Huberman Stradivarius.

Bell opened his performance with what is considered one of the most difficult violin pieces to master,  Johann Sebastian Bach's Partitia No. 2 in D minor. His impromptu concert lasted a total of 43 minutes during which over a thousand people passed by him on their way to the trains. Few stopped to listen for any length of time and no one applauded when a piece was finished. Only one person recognized him and one little boy, three year old Evan, wanted to stop and listen but was prevented from doing so by his mother, in a rush to get him to his teacher and then to work.

It is this story that the picture book, The Man With The Violin tells. Little Dylan I(who is based on the real Evan) is someone who notices things. One Friday morning, while rushing with his mother into the subway station, Dylan notices something very unusual. He first hears the music, "...high notes soar to the ceiling....low notes swoop to the floor..."  Dylan asks his mother to wait so he can watch the man with violin, who sways to the music. But instead, he is hurried onto the escalator and down into the subway where the roar of the trains blurrrrrrs out the music. The music stays with Dylan all day and on the way home he asks his mother about the musician in the station. She does not remember. Later that night, the truth about the musician playing in the subway is revealed on the radio.

At the back of the picture book is the information about Joshua Bell, a short piece on the concert in the Washington Metro and a postscript by Bell. Bell writes, "Music require imagination and curiousity -- two things that children have aplenty -- and I believe the world would be a better place if every child's innate appreciation for music were fostered.... Plato is often credited as saying 'Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.'"

Dusan Petricic's illustrations convey the effect music has on the world around us. the sense of movement, the vibrant colours and the rich tones, all characteristics of music. While the world around Dylan is a mixture of greys and blues, the notes of music bring brilliant splashes of colour, and wide, sweeping movement to the world around him.

If you can get past the constant ads, the Washington post article, Pearls Before Breakfast: Can One of the nation's greatest musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour?  tells the story of Bell's adventure in the Washington Metro and more tellingly, of how little attention was given to him while he made music. This exercise paints a picture of an urban society so preoccupied it has lost touch with the small treasures of everyday life, a child's wonder, a musical masterpiece, a moment to linger and appreciate. Those passing by were stopped by a reporter outside the station and asked for a phone number so they could be contacted later in the day. Only one person mentioned the violinist when questioned about whether they had encountered anything unusual that morning. Below is a video of Joshua Bell playing the final movement of Bach's Chaconne. Enjoy!




Book Details:
The Man With The Violin by Kathy Stinson
Toronto: Annick Press 2013

DVD Drama: Mozart's Sister

Mozart's Sister is a fictional portrayal of the life of Maria-Anna Mozart, better known as Nannerl, sister to genius composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and thought to be a musical prodigy in her own right.

The movie opens showing the Mozart family traveling through Europe in the cold of winter from one country to the next as father Leopold showcases the talents of his children but especially that of his son, Wolfgang. Wolfgang plays the violin, while Nannerl accompanies him on the clavichord. Life is not easy for this family of this point, Nannerl is fourteen years old, Wolfgang only ten years of age. Nannerl is very gifted, able to play the clavichord, sing and play the violin. She especially loves the violin but her father refuses to allow her to play the instrument, telling her that it is not an instrument for a girl.


On their way to Paris, the axle of their carriage cracks and they are forced to put up at the Benedictine Abbey where they meet the four younger daughters of King Louis XV. These daughters, Victoire, Sophie, Therese and Louise were not raised in the Palace at Versailles but were sent to the Abbey of Fontevraud to stay until they were young women. Nannerl befriends Louise, who wishes for a life like Nannerl's. Louise hasn't seen her parents in years and she wishes she could live with her parents as Nannerl does.

Louise de France confides in Nannerl that she has fallen in love with the son of her music master, Hugues de Tourneur who has since left the Abbey to return to Versailles. She wishes Nannerl to take a letter to Hugues. Strangely, she also gives Nannerl a book about sex and asks her to destroy it. Nannerl agrees to both errands and the two depart promising to keep in contact.

When the Mozart's arrive in Paris, they learn that the Dauphine, Maria Teresa, the wife of Louis, Dauphin of France has died in childbirth and that the court is in mourning. Despite this, Nannerl's father continues to push Wolfgang in his music, arranging performances for the court where Wolfgang plays violin and Nannerl accompanies him on the clavichord.

Meanwhile, Nannerl manages to deliver Louise's letter to Hugues with the help of a friend in the court, who disguises her as a boy. At this time she meets the Dauphin, Louis of France, who is impressed with her musical abilities. He is only sixteen at this time, now a widower, and a lover of music. They begin a friendship with Louis encouraging Nannerl to compose for him. But when she asks her father to allow her to sit in on Wolfgang's composition classes, he refuses her, telling her women do not compose.

Nannerl's father decides to leave France for England and although she accompanies them to the country, she decides soon after to leave and return to France to try to set up her own studio and to compose. The Dauphin of France immediately commissions a minuet for violin and orchestra. In order to compose this piece, Nannerl sets out to attend composition class, which she does, disguised as a boy. With the Dauphin as her patron, Nannerl sees her first composition performed in the palace.

Eventually, Louis tells Nannerl that he must marry again and that he is to be betrothed to Maria-Josepha of Saxony who is fifteen years old. Louis who was very devoted to his first wife, tells her that he is disgusted with the debauched ways of his father who has numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. A devote Catholic, he will not take a mistress.

In the meantime, Nannerl meets Louise at the monastery in St. Denis and learns that she has become a nun. For Louise as a woman in 18th century France, there are only two options; marry royalty or become a nun. She is at peace with the latter choice, but she does tell Nannerl how different their lives would be if they were both born boys.  When Nannerl asks her about Hugues, Louise reveals that he is her half brother, from one of her father's many illicit liaisons.

When Nannerl's family return to France and are homeward bound to Salzburg, Nannerl decides to return with them despite the realization that she has nothing in common with her friends who have all been prepared for marriage. She destroys her compositions and accepts her future, one without composing or performing.

Discussion

Written and directed by Rene Feret, Mozart's Sister presents a fictional telling of Nannerl's early life within the context of 18th century European society but with a slight feminist slant.  The film opens with Nannerl, in her early teens, devoted to music which up until now has been her whole life. She is hopeful that she might be able to develop her talents on the violin and in composition. But history tells us that Nannerl Mozart was taught from an early age to play the harpsichord and was known as an accomplished pianist. However once Nannerl came of marriageable age, she was no longer allowed to perform publicly. There is also some indirect evidence that she did in fact compose music but none of her compositions have survived. And so Mozart's Sister captures the "possible" quiet frustration Nannerl and other young women like her might have felt with so few options open to them in life.

The film realistically captured what life would have been like for the Mozart family traveling throughout Europe seeking the patronage of royalty and seems to be accurate in its portrayal of the relationship between Nannerl and her father, whom she obeyed throughout her life - even to the point of allowing him to decide who she should marry and allowing him to raise her young son.

Mozart's Sister will appeal to those who enjoy period pieces and also foreign films. The movie is a French language film with English subtitles. The director's two daughters star as Nannerl and Louise de France, and the rest of the cast give solid performances. Well paced, this film was shot on location at Versailles.

Broken Chords by Barbara Snow Gilbert

I enjoyed reading this novel for young adults because it provided a unique look into the world of music, especially that of serious musicians. But, this book is much more than just a story about young musicians, as it touches on many "coming of age" issues which young aspiring musicians and their parents must face.

The story revolves around Clara Lorenzo, a brilliant, young aspiring concert pianist whose mother and father are both professional musicians. Gilbert gradually shows us just what Clara's life is really like. Her mother, whom Clara calls the Maestra, is conductor of the symphony and her father was a well known opera singer who gave up his career to further Clara's music education. She has been studying piano since the age of three. Her home has not one but two grand pianos in the livingroom which is lined with cereal boxes filled with music.

We meet Clara as she is performing in the opening competitions of the Nicklaus Piano Competition. It is here that she meets Marshall Hamonnd Lawrence, also a brilliant pianist and her only real competition. Clara's developing friendship with Marshall shows her another aspect of life she hasn't considered. Clara's parents have such control over her and are so obsessed with developing their daughter's talent that they are not aware of the inner struggle Clara is undergoing. They don't realise that she is growing up, with her own interests and plans. When Clara goes against her parents and attends tryouts for a part in the Nutcracker ballet, things only get worse.

Woven into all this is the story of her teacher, Tashi (Natalia Petrovna Volkonskaya) who also had to make a major life decision which involved music. When Clara comes to understand Tashi's decision and her reason for making the decision she did, this helps her make her own decision regarding her music career. She takes courage from Tashi's story even though the outcomes will be much different.

I enjoyed this book because it was relevant to my life both as a former music student and as a parent to a young gifted musician. I believe that many young musicians struggle with the same kinds of decisions Clara faced. Ultimately, the decision to become a dedicated professional musician must be the young person's and theirs alone. The story was believable and well written. I would have liked Marshall's character to have been more developed. His presence in Clara's life made her seem more real and believable.

I felt this book was an accurate portrayal of how some parents can lose sight of what music really is - a gift to be shared with others. It remains to the musician to discover just how to accomplish this task.

Book Review: Mountain Solo

Mountain Solo by Jeanette Ingold is an easy read for grades 7 to 10, although it may not hold the interest of older teens in this age bracket. The story is about Tess, a 16 year old virtuoso violinist who attends a school for the performing arts in New York City. A child prodigy, Tess's mom had directed and micro-managed her development and career as violinist. However, when Tess bombs her concert debut in Germany, she flees to her dad's home in Montana. During her stay with her dad and his new family, Tess is drawn into her stepmother's archaelogical investigation of Fredrick Bottner's homestead. Bottner's story is interwoven with Tess's in separate chapters which makes for interesting reading. The time away from the stresses of developing her musical career help Tess re-evaluate her career and what happened in Germany. Away from the pressures of concert performances, Tess can take the time to re-evaluate her life.

On the whole, this is an interesting story and I enjoyed the separate chapters focusing on Tess in the present, Tessie as a young girl, and Fredrick Bottner. We never learn the complete story of Frederick Bottner which makes this novel somewhat unsatisfying. But, we do see Tess reach some decisions of her own.
Some aspects of the story stretch the envelope of believability, for example, Tess and Ben skipping school to wander around New York City. One wonders why it took the school so long to figure things out. Tess's mother is a generally unlikeable character - a controlling "music mom" who is bent on her daughter becoming a virtuoso and who destroys her marriage for the sake of Tess's career. This aspect of her character, I found particularly annoying. In contrast, Tess's dad is developed as a likeable, reasonable man who is genuinely concerned for his daughter.

Overall, this book will be enjoyed by younger teen readers who have an interest in music and the performing arts.