Benny Feldman's All-Star Klezmer Band
Author: Allison Marks, Wayne Marks
Highlights
A humorous, culturally Jewish story, about creativity and self-belief, difference and inclusivity, friendship and family.
Uniquely delves into and celebrates the history and tradition of Klezmer music for a young, contemporary audience.
Full of references to musicians and musical genres, it explores the universal language of music and its ability to unite people, overcoming fears and how to relish being different
Shows how feeling connected to the past and a family’s culture can be a good basis for building confidence.
Eleven-year-old Benny Feldman spends his days at Sieberling School obeying his number-one rule for surviving sixth grade: blend into the background.
So when he signs up his klezmer band to play in the school talent show, his classmates are shocked. Teased by guitar superstar and former friend Jason Conroy, Benny vows to win the trophy and erase the embarrassing nickname that has haunted him since his disastrous debut performance in an first-grade Sabbath play.
But, there is a problem. Benny Feldman's All-Star Klezmer Band is only a figment of Benny's imagination. He loves the traditional klezmer music of Eastern Europe, but how is he going to find other players to join him?
With the show a few months away, Benny, an accomplished fiddler, embarks on a quest to assemble a band that will beat Jason's rock group at the talent show. His search takes him to an arcade convention, a potato chip factory, an oddities shop, and a storage room stacked with cans of creamed corn. Along the way he meets Jennifer, a jazz-loving drummer; Royce, a bow-tie-wearing clarinet prodigy; and Stuart, a braggart accordion player from Cajun Country. He also learns a great deal about the joys and sorrows that lie at the heart of klezmer and discovers that being different can be wonderful.
Eventually, the ragtag and renamed "Klez Misfits" mount the stage and the tension-filled climax will have young readers wondering until the end if Benny and his band can pull off a miracle.
Benny learns to believe in himself, has fun and finds love along the way.
About the Author
Allison and Wayne Marks met in a Canterbury Tales class at the University of Cincinnati, where they both graduated with degrees in English Literature. They are the authors of three Jewish children's picture books: Og's Ark (Kar-Ben 2016, PJ Library in Russian selection), A Gefilte Fishy Tale (MB Publishing, 2016), and The Art Lesson: A Shavuot Story (Kar-Ben 2017, PJ Library selection, Bank Street Best Children's Books of 2017, and Tablet Magazine's Best Jewish Children's Books of 2017).
NEW BOOK RELEASE RRP: £12.99 ISBN: 9781784385552208