Travis’ life is quite complicated as the book opens. His mother has been in an accident. His father takes the family to see her without preparing them ahead of time. She is unable to communicate, has a swelled head, and does not look at all like their mom. Travis rails his dad for taking them and is subsequently kicked out by his father. He spends the night in his secret hut, but his sister warns him to leave and not come back. All Travis has is his mother’s old guitar. He tunes it up and hopes that he can sing here and there to earn enough money to buy food. But all too soon his guitar is stolen. He ends up helping a guitar maker prepare for a guitar-picking festival. There he finds caring people who help him find a way back to his family and a hopeful cure for his mother. Really good reading.
Review by Fay Mason, Churchill Jr. High School Media Center
Rating: 4 Stars
Interest Level: Grades 6-9
Guitar Boy
Written by M. J. Auch
Henry Holt
272 p.
Release Date: Sept. 14, 2010
ISBN: 9780805091120
