The Rising Star of Rusty Nail - Hardcover

Blume, Lesley M. M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375835245 ISBN 13: 9780375835247

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007

Synopsis

Franny Hansen is a 10-year-old piano prodigy living in Rusty Nail, Minnesota. Once the Coot Capitol of the world, in 1953 it's just a run-of-the-mill town with one traffic light and a bizarre cast of characters. She's long exhausted the talents of the town's only piano teacher and seems destined to perform at church events and school assemblies, until a mysterious Russian woman arrives in Rusty Nail. Franny's neighbors are convinced the "Commie" is a threat to their American way of life, but Franny's not so sure. Could this stranger be her ticket out of Rusty Nail?

Lesley M. M. Blume returns with the poignant and laugh-out-loud funny story of one girl's attempt to pursue the American dream in small town America.

About this title

About the Author:

Lesley M. M. Blume is a writer and journalist based in New York City. Her first book for young readers, Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters, was published by Knopf last July and was called "a fabulous read that will enchant its audience with the magic to be found in everyday life" in a starred review by School Library Journal.

From Booklist:

*Starred Review* Not much happens in Rusty Nail, Minnesota. Oh, it was once the Coot Capitol of the World, but now it's 1953, and that distinction is long past. Still, 10-year-old Franny Hansen and her raucous best friend, Sandy, manage to have fun, mostly involving harrassing prissy Nancy, the richest girl in town. There is one thing that Franny is serious about, and that's her piano playing. True, her teacher mostly sleeps through lessons (a cigarette dangling from her lips), but when Franny outplays Nancy in a school assembly, she knows her talent is something to be nutured. Then despair sets in. How can she progress when there's no one good enough to give her lessons? Enter Olga Malenkov. The locals buzz that a "commie" has come to town, but Franny is thrilled when she hears Olga play and realizes she would make a perfect teacher. Too bad, Olga wants nothing to do with Franny. Blume offers a story that is as rich as it is delicious. Using a narrative style that's slighty over the top, she sets Franny, by turn hopeful and hopeless, and her passion for the piano against the larger issues of the Red Scare that were so emblematic of the time. The characters, especially those in supporting roles, are as nuanced as they are humorous. Sandy is in equal parts proud of Franny's talent and threatened by it, and Mr. Hansen, who gave up his own musical dreams, shrugs off his ineffectuality to support his daughter. Read this one aloud and then talk about it. Cooper, Ilene

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0375835245
• ISBN 13: 9780375835247
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288