By Lindsey Gandhi, Goodreads

“How do you take all this messy stuff inside and turn it into something good?”

I think that’s a question that plagues alot of young teens these days. Leo and the Magic Guitar is a story that follows 13-year old Leo through the trials and tribulations of being a teen as he learns to find his voice with the help of his guitar and music. And since I have a 13-year old son who loves to play his guitar, I took this opportunity to read this book with him.

Leo, like many teens, is suddenly faced with a lot of challenges and obstacles that hit him all at once. And like most teens, he doesn’t quite understand how to process all of those emotions or face them. His uncle sends him this magical guitar that brings out legendary rock musicians to guide Leo through this journey with music.

“Remember, music isn’t just about notes on a page. It’s the language of the soul. Let the music guide you.”

One of the biggest challenges Leo has to face is a bully, Derek who is relentless on torturing him. Bullying is a big issue kids of all ages face today. And in this story, Leo has to learn how to deal with his nemesis without just using his fists. He also learns that more often than not we have more in common than what separates us.

“Their music wasn’t just songs; it was a way to fight back. Leo wanted to take that same spirit an make it his own, using his guitar to stand up and speak the truth.”

This is a great read for middle school kids. The language is appropriate (which as a mom is a big deal for me. Too many books have curse words and that is not the example I want set for my son). There are several important lessons kids can learn from in this story. And what boy doesn’t dream of being a rock star one day??!!

My thanks to Tsvi Jolles, Brave Fawn Books publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.