Juvenile Nonfiction : Music

Dean Kohler scores a record deal, only to have his dreams abruptly put on hold by the arrival of his draft notice. Now, he’s in Qui Nhon, Vietnam, serving as a military policeman. He keeps telling himself he’s a musician, not a killer, and that he’s lucky he’s not fighting on the front lines. When Captain orders him to form a rock band, it’s up to Dean to find instruments and players, and soon the band is travelling through treacherous jungle terrain to perform for troops in desperate need of an escape—even if it’s only for three sets. And for Dean, the band becomes the one thing that gets him through the day. During one of the most controversial wars in recent American history, this incredible true story is about music and camaraderie in the midst of chaos. more...

Price: $13.99

For fans of the king, the newest installment to the Up Close biography series!. Elvis Presley made a sound so different it ushered in a new kind of music: rock and roll. He was able to combine gospel, honky-tonk, country and rhythm and blues to create a unique sound that crossed racial and cultural divides. Though he was incredibly popular, at heart, Elvis was a shy and polite man, and the demands of fame began to take a toll. While his dependence on prescription drugs cut short his life, Elvis’s influence on music and popular culture endures to this day. more...

Price: $6.99

Put on your blue suede shoes and get ready for the latest title in the Who Was…? series! The King could not have come from humbler origins: Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, during the Depression, he grew up with the blues music of the rural South, the gospel music of local churches, and the country-western classics. But he forged a sound all his own—and a look that was all his own, too. With curled lip, swiveling hips, and greased pompadour, Elvis changed popular music forever, ushering in the age of rock and roll. Geoff Edgers’s fascinating biography of this icon of American pop culture includes blackand- white illustrations on nearly every spread. more...

Price: $4.99

It starts in the housing projects and school playgrounds of Liverpool, where four boys would discover themselves--and a new form of music called rock 'n roll. It takes us from the famous first meeting between John and Paul, to the clubs of Liverpool and Germany when George and Ringo join the band, down Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, to America and the height of the Beatles' success--when they were still teenagers. In Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!, Spitz recreates the thrills, tears and magic of his New York Times bestselling adult biography, but in a style and format that's accesible for young readers. This book includes photos, sidebars and graphic elements. It's a book about teens who changed the world. more...

Price: $18.99