After the Wallpaper Music - by Jean Mills (Hardcover)

About the Book

When a battle of the bands competition is announced, Flora finds herself caught between her friends and two very different musical worlds. Does she stick to classical violin and what she knows, or risk her friendships to embrace rock and roll?

Book Synopsis

For twelve-year-old violinist Flora, growing up doesn't always mean growing apart. But when a Battle of the Bands starts to divide Flora's friend group, she knows that music will either separate them or bring them back together again.

Playing violin makes twelve-year-old Flora feel alive, whether she is playing with her friends in their string quartet or playing fiddle for her Auntie Flora.

When a music competition is announced, Flora wants her string quartet to play a classical song like they always do, but her friends want to play something new. Then, Simon, a talented drummer, who is struggling with a recent loss, invites Flora to join his rock trio. Pulled in several directions, Flora must decide if she is willing to risk her friendships by playing in Simon's band.

For Flora, finding harmony with her friends, family, and music just became more difficult.

This coming of age story explores what it means to grow into yourself and risk growing apart from what you know.

Celebrated author Jean Mills utilizes her musical talents in this uplifting novel that showcases the joys of music, and the power it has to bring people together.

Review Quotes

Praise for After the Wallpaper Music

2024 Junior Library Guild selection

The Children's Book Council "Hot Off the Press: September 2024" Feature

The Children's Book Council "Hot Off the Press: October 2024" Feature

"Mills...employs a cozy writing style that is both breezy and immersive. Poignant life lessons and a focus on the emotions evoked by music permeate this soulful novel."--Publishers Weekly

"Flora's small town and new school year is stirred by the arrival of a former rock star's family seeking privacy, introducing her and her classmates to the withdrawn son, Simon....empathetic readers may find a mirror in Flora who champions kindness towards outsiders like Simon."--Booklist

"With Battle of the Bands on the horizon and the pressure to play with not one, but two bands, Flora is not sure where her future lies in music. Can she be everything to her friends while staying true to herself? With the focus fully on Flora, readers will get a chance to see the inner workings of her family and community. The middle school dynamics also ring true."--School Library Journal

"From the warm chaos of music class, to the joking stereotypes between instruments, to the classical and rock and Newfoundland folk tunes, every detail evoked the joy of music, for the art itself and the feeling that grows when playing with other musicians."--YA Books Central

"I really, really liked this book!...After the Wallpaper Music is a story that leaves you with a good taste in your mouth, one that lingers long after you've finished reading it....Highly Recommended."--CM Magazine

"There is a really special connection that forms between people who make music together; it's like a form of telepathy sometimes when you can perfectly match their energy in the music. This made the friendships between the characters even more meaningful, deep, and realistic."--Luminous Libro

"This fun and heartwarming story of adolescence will entertain young readers with its themes of life, family, and friendship."--CLCD - Children's Literature

"Well-written, beautifully flowing, and heart-felt, this book celebrates music while also addressing issues of loss, friendship, family, and change."--Puget Sound Council

About the Author

Jean Mills has been writing professionally for over 30 years, her five Young Adult novels received critical acclaim in Canada and internationally. Skating Over Thin Ice was a 2019 Forest of Reading Red Maple Fiction nominee and was named to the USBBY Outstanding International Book List. Jean is a former college Communications professor, and she also spent ten years on the Media & Communications team at Curling Canada. When she's not writing, she can be found playing one of her many musical instruments, creating something with yarn, or cheering for the Maple Leafs. Jean lives in Guelph, Ontario.