 | Free piano (not haunted) Author: Gardner, Whitney | |
| Price: $11.47 | ||
Summary:
Margo, a lonely aspiring songwriter, discovers her secondhand synthesizer is haunted by a 1980s pop star, leading to an unexpected bond and a journey of self-discovery as she grapples with the true meaning of making music and fame. In graphic novel format.
| Illustrator: | Gardner, Whitney |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/25)
School Library Journal (07/01/25)
Booklist (07/01/25)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 07/01/2025 Margot loves to write songs to play on her ukelele, but when she finds an abandoned keyboard—with the ominous sign indicating it’s “not possessed in any way”—it seems like just the ticket to more followers for her songs. And more followers, she’s sure, will finally get her some attention from her distant dad, who’s obsessed with internet fame. But, as the title suggests, this is no ordinary piano: within is the ghost of Vision, a one-hit-wonder popstar from the ’80s in a totally radical outfit, who tries to help Margot write her latest song. Gardner (Fake Blood, 2018) fills her colorful panels with plenty of expressive characters as Margot struggles with feeling abandoned by her father and jealous of her internet-famous friends, all while avoiding the malicious poltergeist Vision is trying to protect her from. Vision’s unfamiliarity with internet culture makes for some fun comedy, and her earnest lessons about what motivates truly good art are valuable. The poltergeist is cartoonishly eerie, so this is a strong pick for kids who want a ghost story but not a super scary one. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.
