The Plot In Five Sentences Or Less:  Jake Semple is a problem child who has been kicked out of more public schools than he can count.  In desperation, his grandfather enrolls him in the Creative Academy run by the Applewhite family, a group of artistic eccentrics that run a school unlike any other.  In the beginning, Jake finds much to dislike about the place, especially E. D. Applewhite, a girl about his age who, unlike her family, enjoys order and structure.  When Randolph, the father of the clan, casts Jake in a role in a local version of “The Sound of Music, the young misfit finds that he takes quite well to acting and singing.  While Jake blossoms, E.D. finds herself increasingly unappreciated by her own family.

My Take: I appreciated this book because it turned out much differently than I had imagined.  Of course, I knew that Jake would eventually settle in with the Applewhite family, but I imagined that the plot would contain a great deal of bad, perhaps borderline violent, behavior on Jake’s part that would induce a crisis in the family.  I was expecting something closer to the Great Gilly Hopkins.  I much enjoyed that, as the novel progressed, Tolan subtly shifted the focus from Jake to other characters.  This made for a much more enjoyable read about the role and power of artistic ventures to bring people together.

One Interesting Note About the Author:  According to her website, Stephanie Tolan is “also well known as an advocate for extremely bright children.  She co-authored the award-winning nonfiction book, Guiding the Gifted Child, and has written many articles about the challenges gifted ‘asynchronous’ children and adults face as they find a way to fit into their world.”