FAT KID RULES THE WORLD
by K.L. Going
Putnam;ISBN: 0399239901;$17.99;2003

Troy Billings, a 296-pound teenaged social outcast, is contemplating suicide, until he connects with Curt, a cool rock guitarist who may be crazy or homeless but is able to use music to help Troy find something to love about himself.

Suggested for ages 14 - 18
Subjects: Drug Abuse | Musicians | Overweight | Printz Honor | Suicide

THE BOOK OF ROCK STARS: 24 MUSICAL ICONS THAT SHINE THROUGH HISTORY
by Kathleen Krull
illustrated by Stephen Alcorn
Hyperion;ISBN: 0786819502;$16.99;2003

From the 1950s to the present, rock stars representing genres from reggae and folk to hard rock are featured in this anthology. Alcorn’s striking polychrome relief block prints highlight the brief biographical sketches. A noteworthy introduction to the artists behind the music.

Suggested for ages 12 and up
Subjects: Artists | Musicians | Rock music

THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME: THE LIFE AND SONGS OF WOODY GUTHRIE
by Elizabeth Partridge
Viking;ISBN: 0670035351;$21.99;2002

His wanderlust and womanizing made him hard to like, but singer and activist Guthrie led a life that's sure to fascinate today's fans of folk and alternative music. Photos and Guthrie's own original drawings add visual appeal.

Suggested for ages 14 - 18
Subjects: Musicians

JOHN LENNON: ALL I WANT IS THE TRUTH
by Elizabeth Partridge
Viking;ISBN: 0670059544;$24.99;2005

The profound impact of the life, music, and untimely death of John Lennon is uncompromisingly presented in a sophisticated but inviting package which includes numerous photographs, a discography, and an extensive bibliography.

Suggested for ages 13 - 18
Subjects: Musicians | Printz Honor

DUKE ELLINGTON: THE PIANO PRINCE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Hyperion;ISBN: 0786821507;$16.49;1998

This picture book biography of the great jazz musician and his “hot-buttered bop” paints word pictures that echo the rhythm of Ellington’s music, while Pinkney’s scratchboard illustrations swirl and swoop over every page.

Suggested for ages 7 - 10
Subjects: Caldecott Honor | Musicians

ELLA FITZGERALD: THE TALE OF A VOCAL VIRTUOSA
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Jump at the Sun;ISBN: 0786805684;$16.99;2002

In a swingin' combination of musical metaphors, Scat Cat Monroe narrates this creative, jazzy biography that recalls the singer's career in jivin' words and jumpin' scratchboard pictures.

Suggested for ages 7 - 10
Subjects: Musicians

WHEN MARIAN SANG
by Pam Muñoz Ryan
illustrated by Brian Selznick
ISBN: 0439269679;$16.95;

Luminous sepia-toned illustrations and a vibrant text movingly portray the life of Marian Anderson, the modest and inward-looking woman who overcame racial prejudice to become one of the most revered singers in American history.

Suggested for ages 6 - 10
Subjects: African Americans | Musicians | Sibert Honor

DIZZY
by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Sean Qualls
Arthur A. Levine;ISBN: 9780439507370;$16.99;2006

Experienced in breaking rules since childhood, Dizzy Gillespie broke the rules of music as an adult by creating bebop. Swinging, swooping collage illustrations with thick paint lines in cool 1950s colors extend this jazzy book‘s theme.

Suggested for ages 7 - 12
Subjects: African Americans | Jazz | Musicians