Playing Through the Turnaround

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

In a timely, insightful story told with sparkling wit and heart, young musicians protesting plans for budget cuts navigate miscalculations, indifferent adults, and unexpected loss as they discover the power of speaking out and the value of listening.

Fifth period is hands down the best time of day in Connor U. Eubanks Middle School, because that’s when Mr. Lewis teaches Jazz Lab. So his students are devastated when their beloved teacher quits abruptly. Once they make a connection between budget cuts and Mr. Lewis’s disappearance, they hatch a plan: stop the cuts, save their class. Soon they become an unlikely band of crusaders, and their quest quickly snowballs into something much bigger—a movement involving the whole middle school. But the adults in charge seem determined to ignore their every protest. How can the kids make themselves heard?

About the Author

Mylisa Larsen was born in Idaho, has lived in eight states and two countries, and currently resides in upstate New York. She is the author of several picture books, including How to Put Your Parents to Bed. Playing Through the Turnaround is her first novel. www.mylisalarsen.com