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Libby Bloom
Reviews:
From Hazel Rochman - BookList:
With a mixture of farce and affection, Masters tells the story of fourth-grader Libby Bloom, who embarrasses herself and fails and still carries on. Libby gets thrown out of chorus, not only for singing off-key, but also for burping during the star's solo. But when Libby is forced to play in the school band, she gets help from a sympathetic teacher, who encourages her to play the tuba and to make a difference in the school community. Libby practices hard, and, of course, the school concert is the climax of the story, but it's no formula success: even there, Libby fails and plays sour notes--and then goes on to play the last song perfectly. Beata Szpura's exuberant cartoon illustrations express the comedy without condescension.
From The Horn Book, Inc.:
When fourth-grader Libby reluctantly begins playing the tuba, she finds in Mr. Cheney, the bandleader, a teacher she can admire; in addition, while agitating for funds for her school, she discovers her aptitude for political cartooning. Readers will admire the determined Libby, who feels overshadowed by her talented older sister but finds her own niche.
From School Library Journal:
Gr 3-4: After singing off-key and burping loudly, fourth grader Libby Bloom gets switched from chorus to band, where she's assigned to play the tuba. At first she's unenthusiastic, but the charming teacher, Mr. Cheney, motivates her. In the not-too-perfect ending, Libby flubs the first couple of songs in the holiday concert, but triumphs during the last piece. A subplot involves the girl's submission of a political cartoon to the local paper in an effort to prevent school budget cuts. Though the plot is fairly standard, Mr. Cheney and Libby's older sister have a touch of freshness. Whimsical black-and-white illustrations are included. A humorous beginning chapter book.-Jacqueline Rose, Lake Oswego Public Library.
From Susan Dove Lempke - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books:
While sustaining a light tone, Masters sends her own message about taking action; fourth-grader Libby is a buoyant heroine with a realistically drawn family and school. Szpura's energetic and funny line drawings make a pleasant change from the often bland illustrations in early chapter books. It's fast, breezy reading, and who knows--perhaps Libby's success will inspire a new generation of tuba players/activists.
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