Heather Nester
asked:
would you recommend this to an 8th grade boy who is an advanced reader? any questionable content i should be aware of?
To answer questions about
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto,
please sign up.
Amy Lemco
yes, but with someone to talk to. There is loss of a baby and some other deaths. There is some substance abuse, and perhaps there is not enough delved into the difficulty of quitting for most people, but I thought the side-note the narrator makes about the folly of seeking art or truth in substances was SO thoughtful, SO logical, probably the best, and non-judgmental message I have heard. Oh, which reminds me that I also feel there was potentially not enough time, or damage-done-to-his-true-love consequences about the fact that he did run around with other women. I don't want any kids romanticizing the "oh but I/you know them/me and our love is the only one, so surely you don't care..." This was something that had to be skipped over for narrative ease.
Paige Greene
Absolutely. And I think this would be a wonderful opportunity to turn a young person on to so much music and music history. This would be a wonderful teaching tool for young readers.
Lynn Kennedy
Yes! The music references are worth the read, plus the history of this musical period.
Timothy Cole
Perfectly suitable for an 8th grader. The drug use is shown as deleterious and demeaning, and there's very little of it.
H-Grace
What a wonderful idea!
Jean Cole
Perfectly suitable and especially if he has interest in music.
Tiffani Young
There is drug use, but I didn't find any of the content too advanced for an 8th grade boy.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more