A musical story set in Salt Lake City, Utah begins with Debra exploring her grandfather Paul’s music room. As she sits down at the piano to play, music notes emerge from the piano and take on human form. Middle C reveals himself to be an important and wise advisor to the main characters throughout the book. Debra travels to France for a music recital and receives rave reviews for her performance. She also meets Ted, an exceptional singer who is struggling to perform. Debra helps Ted to find his voice again, and they begin a romantic relationship. Paul’s girlfriend Mildred is very jealous of the piano and also of Debra and Paul’s close relationship, so she conspires with Rita, an enemy of Debra’s, to steal the beloved player piano from Paul’s house. Will she succeed with her evil plan, or will Debra and her band of allies jump in to save the day? Will Paul see the dark side of Mildred, or will he continue with his plans of marrying her?

The vivid descriptions and phrases in this book will stimulate the reader’s imagination. For instance, Middle C is described as pear-shaped, wearing a tuxedo with tails and a scrupulous bow. Musical words such as notes, fine-tune, and metronome are printed in bold throughout the book to emphasize the importance of music to the theme of the book. The story concludes with Ted singing to Paul, which highlights that music is central to the characters’ lives.

Webb weaves a fun, imaginative tale of good vs. evil, love vs. hate, and maturity vs. childish behavior in this musical book. Different types of love are highlighted by the familial bond of Debra and Paul, the romantic relationship with Ted and Debra, and the friendship between Debra and her group of friends.

Return to USR Home