A Crooked Kind of Perfect
Written by Linda Urban
Recommended for ages 9-12
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt $7.99

Zoe Elias is an only child who lives with her workaholic Mom and her social-phobic Dad. More than anything in the world, Zoe wants to play the piano. Since her Dad is currently unemployed, Zoe knows that the family does not likely have the money to buy her a piano. However her adoring father thinks he is doing what is best and buys Zoe a Perfectone D-60, an electric organ. Zoe is a grateful child and does not want to damage her Dad’s already fragile state, so she agrees to take organ lessons from Miss Mabelline Person. After many weeks of lessons, Miss Person enters Zoe into the Perform-O-Rama, the equivalent of a piano recital for organists. They decide her song will be Forever in Blue Jeans by Neil Diamond, complete with Rock Beat #3.

Meanwhile at school, Zoe is becoming friends with Wheeler Diggs, a boy with a tough exterior but a rather a sensitive soul. Interestingly, Wheeler and Zoe’s Dad begin to spend hours together concocting new recipes in the Elias kitchen. It turns out that their friendship fills a void for both of them. Wheeler’s mother is not a part of his life. Zoe needs to know why yet Wheeler will not reveal this secret to her. Perhaps a second novel will solve the mystery…

After much discussion over how she will get to the Perform-O-Rama, which is a couple of hours away, Zoe’s Dad musters up the courage along with Wheeler’s advice to drive Zoe to the event. Even though he misses her first performance, she is not upset. She knows her Dad cannot help himself. After a miserable first day, Zoe shines the next day and is thrilled to see her Mom standing proudly next to her Dad at the back of the room. All is well that ends well.

The quick chapters written in first-person will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. The life lessons learned are subtle yet impressive. Zoe Elias is an endearing character that makes you wish there were more young people like her among us.

This is Linda Urban’s first novel but hopefully not her last.