Leo and the Magic Guitar of the Ozarks by Tsvi Jolles

5/5 stars 🌟 (This review is coming tomorrow 07/01/25)

Thank you NetGalley and Brave Fawn Books for providing this eARC!

This book was absolutely FANTÁSTICO! The amount of passion and research that has went into the book was amazing, I felt like I got a full history lesson and music lesson in one.

The use of singers was an incredible idea, the show of how bullying can affect our passions, how rumours hurt us but can also lead to something beautiful.

Leo and Shane’s friendship! Tammy felt a-bit fillerish but I appreciated her nonetheless. The use of different languages in this book was great and was amazing to see blended and explained for those who don’t speak it.

It’s amazing to see a book that shows magic within 💛

Overall this book was amazing and I highly recommend it to everyone!

A joyful, heartwarming story of changes and transitions, and the power of music, family, and friendships.

Leo, a talented musician and guitarist, receives a special electric guitar from his uncle Javier for his 13th birthday. Javier tells him that the guitar, which once belonged to Leo's dead father, has a special power that reveals itself to those who can feel and connect with its magic. As Leo familiarizes himself with the guitar, he finds that it has the power to draw the spirits of legendary musicians to inspire and guide him as he deals with challenges at school and in relationships - including classroom rivals, online bullying, changing families, absent loved ones and first love. Along the way, he learns how, throughout history, music and art were powerful tools for people to connect, unite and challenge unethical and discriminatory social institutions and practices.

I appreciate how Leo's journey is neither easy nor a linear progression. He experiments, fails, makes the occasional wrong choice, and experiences the consequences of those failures and choices before he can experience true growth. I also love how, even at the end, his life is not fairytale perfect. This is a story of finding happiness without expecting or needing perfection.

Tsvi Jolles' writing is both lyrical and easy to follow. I really liked how Leo's dialogues with his Columbian mother are a in a mix of Spanish and English, with plenty of references to Columbian food and culture. It really honours and brings alive the multicultural roots of the story and adds both depth and beauty to the narrative.

I would recommend this one for both the classroom and for book clubs for grades 6-8. it's sure to spark multiple discussions on the power of art, literature, and music to power change, both personal and social.