Rock, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Opera and Other Styles: Books about Music for Teens
(In alphabetical order by author.) (Updated 6/1/07 -ljbj)
What a Song Can Do: Twelve Riffs on the Power of Music edited by Jennifer Armstrong
Contains a collection of twelve stories, by different authors, that celebrate the power of music.
King of the Creeps by Steven Banks
When a nerdy, unpopular high school senior notices his resemblance to Bob Dylan, he leaves home for Greenwich Village, in 1963, to become a folk singer.
Plastic Fantastic by Simon Cheshire
When fifteen-year-old Dominic, pop music fan, and Lisa Voyd, singer and icon with the band Plastic, are stuck together in an elevator, the encounter results in drastic changes of attitude for both of them.
Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements
The much-anticipated follow-up to "Things Not Seen" is a multi-layered story about art, friendship, love, and life. Gwen's grandfather disappears; her audition at Julliard is coming up, and she and a fellow musician make a discovery that unites them in ways neither could have foretold.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan
High school student Nick O'Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.
The Jazz Kid by James Lincoln Collier
Playing the coronet is the first thing that twelve-year-old Paulie Horvath has taken seriously, but his obsession with becoming a jazz musician leads him into conflict with his parents and into the tough underworld of
Chicago in the 1920s.
Befiddled by Pedro De Alcantara
Desperate to win a music school's scholarship prize, Becky enlists the help of her building's handyman to learn proper technique on her violin.
Pepperland by Mark Delaney
Struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother in the 1980, sixteen-year-old Beatles fan Star Cochran hopes to find closure by delivering to John Lennon a letter her mother wrote to him in 1964 but never sent.
Battle of the Bands by K. L. Denman
Jay, Kelvin and Cia are The Lunar ticks, a dedicated band, convinced they are on their way to the top. They hope to win an upcoming battle of the bands where the first prize is a full day in a recording studio. Jay is struggling to write new material but finds he lacks the experience to come up with a truly original song. Going up against Indigo Daze, a band from another school, Jay finds himself falling for Rowan, the leader of the other band. When Rowan's guitar is trashed right before the contest, The Lunar Ticks are the prime suspects.
Diva: A Novel by Alex Flinn
Despite her mother's objections, sixteen-year-old Caitlin determines to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer by attending a performing arts school in Miami.
Lucky Stars by Lucy Frank
"I'm not a human jukebox," Kira tells her dad, "or a dancing doll, or a puppet, where you press a button and I'll entertain you!" Yet since arriving in New York City, she's had to sing "Amazing Grace" and "Me and Bobby McGee" with him and her two little brothers, Chris and Charlie, for handouts on a subway platform. Singing like an angel. Wanting to stop singing forever.
Hip Hop America by Nelson George
Recommended for older teens, this book examines the growth of hip hop during the last three decades of the twentieth century.
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Here is the inside story of how the legendary band Lemonade Mouth came to be. Told in each of the five band members voices, this anthology is their definitive history.
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
High school senior Leo Caraway, a conservative Republican, learns that his biological father is a punk rock legend.
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart
When Gretchen Yee, a student at the Manhattan School for Art and Music, wishes she were a fly on the wall of the boys' locker room, she never expects her wish to come true in such a dramatic way.
Birdland by Tracy Mack
Jed is filming a documentary of their New York City neighborhood and searches for Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who leaves behind a lot of unanswered questions.
Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning
As her band, The Hormones, becomes an international sensation, seventeen-year-old Molly begins to question the high cost of fame.
Harlem Hustle by Janet McDonald
In her companion to "Brother Hood," McDonald once again captures the rhythms of Harlem in this fast, funny story of a restless teenager who uses the power of words to rise above it all.
Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson
When Pete, a talented bass player, moves from playing in the high school jazz band to playing in a popular rock group, he finds the experience exhilarating even as his new fame jeopardizes his relationship with girlfriend Margaret.
Born Blue by Han Nolan
Janie was four years old when she nearly drowned due to her mothers neglect. Through an unhappy foster home experience, and years of feeling that she is unwanted, she keeps alive her dream of someday being a famous singer.
Backstage Pass by Gaby Triana
After moving to Miami, Florida, sixteen-year-old Desert McGraw, whose life as the daughter of a rock star has been anything but normal, determines to make a permanent home for herself and her family--even if it means breaking up the band.
Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts
After joining a heavy metal band, high school student Zee learns that she is a god of water and is called upon to fight sinister forces that want her powers for their own.
Troll Bridge: A Rock ‘n Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen
A 16-year-old harpist prodigy and three brothers--members of the sensationally popular teen boy band--are transported to a strange and mystical wilderness where they find themselves in the middle of a deadly tug-of-war struggle between a
magical fox named Fossegrim and the monstrous troll Aenmarr of Austraegir.
Rock, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Opera and Other Styles: Books about Music for Teens
(In alphabetical order by author.) (Updated 6/1/07 -ljbj)
What a Song Can Do: Twelve Riffs on the Power of Music edited by Jennifer ArmstrongContains a collection of twelve stories, by different authors, that celebrate the power of music.
King of the Creeps by Steven Banks
When a nerdy, unpopular high school senior notices his resemblance to Bob Dylan, he leaves home for Greenwich Village, in 1963, to become a folk singer.
Plastic Fantastic by Simon Cheshire
When fifteen-year-old Dominic, pop music fan, and Lisa Voyd, singer and icon with the band Plastic, are stuck together in an elevator, the encounter results in drastic changes of attitude for both of them.
Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements
The much-anticipated follow-up to "Things Not Seen" is a multi-layered story about art, friendship, love, and life. Gwen's grandfather disappears; her audition at Julliard is coming up, and she and a fellow musician make a discovery that unites them in ways neither could have foretold.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan
High school student Nick O'Leary, member of a rock band, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes in order to avoid his ex-sweetheart.
The Jazz Kid by James Lincoln Collier
Playing the coronet is the first thing that twelve-year-old Paulie Horvath has taken seriously, but his obsession with becoming a jazz musician leads him into conflict with his parents and into the tough underworld of
Chicago in the 1920s.
Befiddled by Pedro De Alcantara
Desperate to win a music school's scholarship prize, Becky enlists the help of her building's handyman to learn proper technique on her violin.
Pepperland by Mark Delaney
Struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother in the 1980, sixteen-year-old Beatles fan Star Cochran hopes to find closure by delivering to John Lennon a letter her mother wrote to him in 1964 but never sent.
Battle of the Bands by K. L. Denman
Jay, Kelvin and Cia are The Lunar ticks, a dedicated band, convinced they are on their way to the top. They hope to win an upcoming battle of the bands where the first prize is a full day in a recording studio. Jay is struggling to write new material but finds he lacks the experience to come up with a truly original song. Going up against Indigo Daze, a band from another school, Jay finds himself falling for Rowan, the leader of the other band. When Rowan's guitar is trashed right before the contest, The Lunar Ticks are the prime suspects.
Diva: A Novel by Alex Flinn
Despite her mother's objections, sixteen-year-old Caitlin determines to pursue her dream of becoming an opera singer by attending a performing arts school in Miami.
Lucky Stars by Lucy Frank
"I'm not a human jukebox," Kira tells her dad, "or a dancing doll, or a puppet, where you press a button and I'll entertain you!" Yet since arriving in New York City, she's had to sing "Amazing Grace" and "Me and Bobby McGee" with him and her two little brothers, Chris and Charlie, for handouts on a subway platform. Singing like an angel. Wanting to stop singing forever.
Hip Hop America by Nelson George
Recommended for older teens, this book examines the growth of hip hop during the last three decades of the twentieth century.
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Here is the inside story of how the legendary band Lemonade Mouth came to be. Told in each of the five band members voices, this anthology is their definitive history.
Born to Rock by Gordon Korman
High school senior Leo Caraway, a conservative Republican, learns that his biological father is a punk rock legend.
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart
When Gretchen Yee, a student at the Manhattan School for Art and Music, wishes she were a fly on the wall of the boys' locker room, she never expects her wish to come true in such a dramatic way.
Birdland by Tracy Mack
Jed is filming a documentary of their New York City neighborhood and searches for Zeke, a poet who loved jazzman Charlie "Bird" Parker and who leaves behind a lot of unanswered questions.
Guitar Girl by Sarra Manning
As her band, The Hormones, becomes an international sensation, seventeen-year-old Molly begins to question the high cost of fame.
Harlem Hustle by Janet McDonald
In her companion to "Brother Hood," McDonald once again captures the rhythms of Harlem in this fast, funny story of a restless teenager who uses the power of words to rise above it all.
Rock Star, Superstar by Blake Nelson
When Pete, a talented bass player, moves from playing in the high school jazz band to playing in a popular rock group, he finds the experience exhilarating even as his new fame jeopardizes his relationship with girlfriend Margaret.
Born Blue by Han Nolan
Janie was four years old when she nearly drowned due to her mothers neglect. Through an unhappy foster home experience, and years of feeling that she is unwanted, she keeps alive her dream of someday being a famous singer.
Backstage Pass by Gaby Triana
After moving to Miami, Florida, sixteen-year-old Desert McGraw, whose life as the daughter of a rock star has been anything but normal, determines to make a permanent home for herself and her family--even if it means breaking up the band.
Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts
After joining a heavy metal band, high school student Zee learns that she is a god of water and is called upon to fight sinister forces that want her powers for their own.
Troll Bridge: A Rock ‘n Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen
A 16-year-old harpist prodigy and three brothers--members of the sensationally popular teen boy band--are transported to a strange and mystical wilderness where they find themselves in the middle of a deadly tug-of-war struggle between a
magical fox named Fossegrim and the monstrous troll Aenmarr of Austraegir.