The Mozart Season

12-year-old Allegra’s summer starts off normally – finishing school, spending time with friends, practicing her violin – then it’s turned upside down when she finds out that she will be competing in a music competition - The Ernest Bloch Competition for Young Musicians - and decides to devote her summer focused solely on learning – really learning - Mozart’s Violin Concerto no. 4. She practices several hours a day, with dedication, vigor and utter concentration, but she also makes time to enjoy the summer. After turning pages for her father at a quartet concert, people notice and she ends up turning pages for all kinds of musicians – quartets, solo pianists, chamber music. She spends time with her two best friends Sarah show more and Jessica, she starts riding her bike late at night, she compiles a list of vocabulary words to master over the summer, she befriends a troubled professional singer, she meets a homeless man who shows up at concerts and dances – he has a lost song that Allegra is determined to find, and she also has to reconcile a tragedy from her family’s history. Then she receives a package from her Grandmother Raisa, which quietly changes everything.

Not only is Allegra a gifted violinist, she is also exceptionally intelligent, sensitive and courageous. She is a luminously realized character, highly mature for her age, humble, but also very relatable. She grapples with issues that are relevant to 12-year-olds everywhere – the search for identity, dealing with family issues, figuring out what she wants and needs from herself and others. This book is richly textured with several very real characters, plot, humor, pathos, and dialogue. It’s a wonderful blend of drama and contemplation, and has a satisfying ending that almost always causes my heart to hurt (in a good way) every time I read it.

I first read this book when I was twelve – Allegra’s age. It was around the time I started getting serious about music, and I instantly fell in love with it. I am now 45, and it still remains one of my favorite books of all time. So many great characters: Mr. Kaplan, Allegra’s supportive musician parents, her brother David, Sarah, Jessica, Karen Karen, Christine, Mr. Trouble, Deirdre, Ezra, her beloved Grandmother Raisa, even Steve Landauer. I love this book, can’t you tell? show less

"Mozart Season" is a realistic fiction book that teaches a great lesson about competitiveness, peak performance, and what it simply means to have fun and enjoy what you're doing. Allegra Shapiro is twelve years old and is the youngest finalist for the Ernest Bloch Young Musician's competition where she will be performing Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto. At a very young age, Allegra is a virtuoso violinist who struggles with perfecting her craft, having most of her activities scheduled by her parents, and at the same time enjoying her childhood to the fullest with her older brother and two best girlfriends, and simply having fun; whether if it's playing on her softball team, playing the violin, or going on a bike ride by herself.

The show more story is beautifully told and honestly portrays what childhood has become for most children - overprotective, well-meaning parents who schedule most their children's time, how fierce competition has become in children's activities whether it be sport or music, and the consequent anxiety and fear that children in such situations experience.

Perfect book for children ages 10-12, and provides an effective lesson about taking part in activities out passion and fulfillment rather than mastery and perfection. show less

I loved this so much! I had to force myself to read it slowly to savor all the beautiful little random stream-of-consciousness bits, and there were so many moments that just rang so true-- about life, love, loss, fear, music, art, everything.

This is the story of one Allegra Shapiro, who is supposed to play a concerto by Mozart for a competition. Over the summer, she learns about herself, her heritage, the world around her, and, oh, yeah, Mozart. I love this book, but I don't know why--I guess it's because of the characters who are so interesting and yet so believable. Why am I telling you about this? Read it yourself!--C

Elegant prose narrative of the summer preparation of a 12 year old violinist in Portland, Oregon for the Mozart concert for which she is the youngest finalist. Well-developed characters, diverse and rich thematic foundations.

While preparing for a performance in a prestigious competition, a young violinist discovers more about herself, her heritage, and the power of music.

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