children's middlegrade fiction (divorce, friendship competing with boys, music summer camp in Michigan/lake country, incidental LGBTQA interest) - grades 5th-7th
I loved spending time with Melly, and watching her find her voice rather than just banging out her feelings on the drums--she longs to speak up for herself (inventing a new nickname, Lissa, instead of one that rhymes with belly and jelly) but has trouble telling her best friend and her parents how she feels. She's very relatable and real-feeling, and yes, I did have to cry at the end.
The crush she develops on another girl at camp is incidental--not a huge part of the story, but one of the things she eventually talks about. They don't do much other than hold hands and kiss a couple times, and at this age Melly isn't sure how she wants to label herself yet, but she does know that she is attracted to Adeline. There is also a great conversation on asking consent before kissing someone, so bonus points for that. ( )

Fun summer middle school/light YA read. Kelly is at camp Rockaway - two weeks of band camp with her best friend. But right before she left home her parents tell her they are splitting up & at camp her friend is more interested in spending time with a boy than with her & she's having some complicated feelings about her new friend Adeline. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Melly thinks agreeing to go to Camp Rockaway is suddenly an awful idea since her parents just surprised her with the fact that they're divorcing (and she had NO idea that news was coming). But, alas, her mom is dropping off her and her best friend in seemingly the middle of nowhere. Their cabin is Treble Clef at the top of the hill with the best views. She's so happy to have her best friend with her, but they aren't put in the same band! To make it even worse, it doesn't take long for Olivia to start ignoring Melly by talking about all the boys at camp. Melly doesn't speak up and explain what she needs, possibly because she hopes Olivia will just know and possibly because she doesn't feel comfortable ruining Olivia's fun to mope with her. Melly's group has a tough teacher and her bandmates seem like the ones who didn't fit into any other group. On the first day, Melly noticed a girl that intrigues her, but it seems like every one is avoiding her. Should she become friends with her? Will she learn what she wants so she can tell others?

Setting: Camp Rockaway, somewhere in the middle of nowhere with the possibility of tornadoes

Characters:
Melissa Goodwin - AKA Melly, AKA Melly Mouse, 13 y/o, drum player, feels unsure about how she feels often, lets others lead her
Olivia Mendoza - 13 y/o, Melly's best friend, confident, leader
David - bass player in Melly's group, forced to stare into each other's eyes for 1-2 minutes straight
Adeline - return camper, intriguing to Melly right away

Recurring Themes: friendship, crush, relationship, music, self-esteem, confidence, divorce

Controversial Issues: GLBT
pg 155 "At school, in those units on self-esteem, the ones that warn you about drugs and eating disorders and cutting yourself, they always tell you that if someone truly cares about you, they'll accept you for who you are."

Personal Thoughts: This book was very well written. Fantastic job getting me feeling like the characters in the story through the excellent character development. I loved the innocent way Melly explores her sexual identity. It was a fantastic story about friendship, divorce, and first relationships.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: medium/fast
Characters: very well developed, not too many
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: ( )

Melly goes to a two week rock band camp with her best friend, Olivia. The day before her parents announce they are getting divorces. Melly is reeling. During the two weeks it is a good chance to spread her wings when her overbearing friend develops a crush, leaving her to find her own friendships. When she meets Adelaide, she feels a connection and doesn't know what to make of it. Melly grows in confidence and independence over the weeks at camp. ( )

4.4 stars out of 5

Melly wants to enjoy her time at Camp Rockaway but all she can think about is everything that is going wrong in her life. Her parents are getting a divorce, she embarrassed herself in front of everyone at camp, and her best friend, Olivia, who she thought she could always count on, suddenly abandons her for a cute boy. However, maybe things aren’t so bad. With Olivia absent she can spend more time with Adeline. The girl she has a crush on.

Drum Roll, Please is about finding the beat of your own drum (pun intended). About taking risks and letting go even when it is scary. Bigelow does a beautiful job portraying these anxieties through Melly’s actions and thoughts. Everything she does (or doesn’t) is because she’s scared to fail and disappoint others.

Another aspect I enjoyed was the romance between Melly and Adeline. At the start, Melly has an idealized image of Adeline. However, the more they get to know each other Melly starts to see Adeline’s true self. She realizes that Adeline is not perfect, she has issues of her own. It shows to not judge a book by its cover because even the most perfect seeming people have struggles. ( )