Soundtrack

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Level:

Grade: 7-12

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Stuy Grey plays the drums, just like his mom, a founding member of the all-black punk band the Bed-Stuy Magic Dusters. He teaches himself by watching videos of tap dancers. Now he’s left home, estranged from his mom and her abusive boyfriend. He’s camping out with his uncle on the Lower East Side. His landlord, Dunks, has chops: He shreds on only five strings. Add Alexis on bass guitar and Keith on horn: These teens are a band, busking in New York City subway stations to scrape enough money to record an album.

As their popularity grows, so do the pressures, from complicated family dynamics to the glare of unexpected public attention. And when the police start looking for their bassist, Stuy faces his toughest decision yet.

Adapted from the acclaimed Listening Library original audiobook and written with Jason Reynolds’s signature rhythm, heart, and honesty, Soundtrack: A Novel is a raw, resonant story about friendship, creativity, and what it truly means to find, and fight for, your voice.

★ “This compelling story populated by irresistible characters includes surprising twists and descriptions of the sights and sounds that make the text come alive….A rich, atmospheric portrayal of teens who become a family as they share a passion for music.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “[A] stunning tribute to New York City’s creative scene and community built through music….References to culturally significant Black musicians from punk, jazz, and Afrofuturist subgenres….ensure that the text echoes with the sounds of N.Y.C., as Stuy perceives them, from beginning to end.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “The prolific Reynolds always packs a big punch in his stories with only a few words, and he has done it again with his latest novel.” —School Library Journal, starred review