Having served on the board of the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado for a decade and continuing to chair the programming committee for the art cinema there, I have always been drawn to young adult literature that involves teens who are creative in the arts. This month I am recommending books about songwriters, photographers, and narrative and documentary filmmakers. The Songs You've Never Heard by K-Pop singer/songwriter Becky Jerams and BAFTA award winning songwriter Ellie Wyatt introduces Meg whose popstar brother dominates the family, who all ignore her songwriting talents. A Show for Two by Tashie Buiyan (Counting Down with You) focuses on Mina Rahman, who loves film and hopes to win the Golden Ivy short film award which will increase her chances of getting into USC film school In Disaster in Three Acts by Kelsey Rodkey (Last Chance Books) Saine Sinclair hopes to be accepted into a documentary pilot program at Temple University by submitting a short doc about a video game competition, but, of course, things don't go as planned.
In The Songs You've Never Heard 17-year-old Meg is overshadowed by her world-famous popstar brother Casper. Her parents, who are obsessed with his career, force her to take a job at the local ice cream shop where she meets Alana, a singer/songwriter who encourages Meg to sing with her at open mic nights. Together they beginning writing and singing songs and develop a following, including Matty, a boy Meg has a secret crush on. Unbeknownst to him, they have an online relationship using pseudonyms. In person, for reasons unknown even to Meg they are constantly at odds. When Casper is in the throes of writers' block, his sister may just be the one to save him. The power of music to provide solace and purpose is explored, as well as finding and using your own voice. The book is being released with a companion album that features songs included in the book.
A Show for Two introduces Bangladeshi teen Mina Rahman, who loves films and hopes to leave NYC and attend USC film school by winning the Golden Ivy Student Film Award. Although her parents oppose her plans, her hopes of realizing her dream are aided when she convinces Emmitt Ramos, a popular teen film star, who is doing undercover research at her high school, to make a cameo appearance in her film. In exchange she must show him around the city, helping him choose subject matter for a photography competition he hopes to win. Seeing the city through less critical eyes, Mina begins to rethink her future, which may just include Emmitt. The author has loosely based the story on actor Tom Holland's undercover enrollment at her high school. This enemies to lovers romance is a love letter to NYC.
Disaster in Three Acts focuses on documentarian Saine Sinclair, who hopes to be accepted into a documentary pilot program at Temple University. She plans to submit a documentary short about a woman competing in the Vice and Virtual video game competition. When she drops out, Saine, in desperation, asks another competitor, Holden Michaels, her childhood best friend and now nemesis to take her place. Complicating matters, Holden is her best friend Corrine Baker's ex. As Saine and Holden spend hours togerther filming his every move, they rekindle their friendship. Saine's focus on filmmaking leads her to make some questionable decisions about manipulating the truth for a better movie and learning some valuable lessons in the process. Although the reader knows where the story is going, getting there is a delightful ride.
