Trombone Shorty (2015)

The author’s resourcefulness and passion for following his dream are evident at a very young age in this picture book autobiography that celebrates the rich culture and music of New Orleans. Author’s Note. Illustrator’s Note.

I thought this was a wonderful autobiography about a young boy achieving his dreams. Trombone Shorty, aka Troy Andrews, tells of his life growing up a poor African American boy in New Orleans. His first instrument was a broken trombone he taught himself to play. He and his friends made instruments out of random items and Mardi Gras beads and had the time of their lives, because they had each other. Trombone Shorty has a loving family who supported him and his dreams. His talents did not go unnoticed, and he got his big break playing with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. From then on, he formed his own band, and played with greats such as Lenny Kravitz, Green Day, Prince, and B.B. King. He even played for former President of the U.S. Barack Obama. This is an inspirational story about never giving up on pursuing your dreams and would be a great book to use to encourage children to do just that: pursue their dreams no matter how hard it may seem to achieve them. This book can also be used in school lessons or public library events about music, specifically jazz music.

Genre: Biography (Autobiography)

This book is fantastic and very inspirational for all ages. This read about the American dream of being an aspiring musician in America, especially through the young eyes of an African American boy growing up in America. This story speaks volumes and alludes to several larger systemic problems in America, like growing up in an inter-city neighborhood and the struggles that come along with it. The content of the novel may allude to bigger issues, but it is presented in a way that all ages can read. This is a book that I would definitely want to incorporate into my reading for all my classrooms.

Age: primary / intermediate
Genre: non fiction / own voices

This book was very cool. It is about the musician Trombone Shorty and how he got his name and passion for music. It shows the culture of New Orleans and the love of music. This is a book I would love to have in the classroom and it would be good in using in a music lesson to get them excited about music. ( )

This would be a great book for intermediate students. It tells the story of a young boy who grows up in Treme, New Orleans, where he lived surrounded by a musical culture that inspired an aspiration to be a musician within him. He becomes known as "Trombone Shorty" because he begins playing a trombone that is bigger than he is, and works throughout his life to learn about and play all the music he can. To this day he returns to New Oreleans to play in the jazz music festivals held there. This book is helpful because of the beautiful way it presents the power of jazz music and the author's culture. I would use this book when teaching a lesson about music, because of how it presents finding a love for the music one hears around them and striving to make it themselves.