LitPick Review
Florenda is so excited! She has found out that her school is offering a new class next year: band. She is surrounded by support, but unfortunately, she is not so lucky on all fronts. It seems that students will have to purchase their own instrument in order to join the school’s band program. Instruments are expensive. While encouragement envelopes Florenda, money for extra items, like an instrument of her own, is not abundant. In An Instrument for Florenda, the main character is tasked to accept hard realities where dreams do not always come true.
Opinion:
Just because people want things, even worthwhile things, obtaining these items is not always easy. An Instrument for Florenda is a good choice for a young reader to see that this is a universal struggle. It is a simple book without a lot of twists and turns that is relatable to younger readers who have to wait to get what they want.
The main character is likable in that she does not whine and complain; neither does she sit passively by waiting for others to step in and help her. She shows that she is willing to work for what she wants. This too is a good lesson for readers.
Overall, I would recommend this book to readers just coming into chapter books. This book is extremely predictable, so it will fail to engage more established readers. This same quality makes itself well-suited for beginning readers who need the predictability as they transition to more complex material.
