Chart Topper

December 1, 2013
Grades 7-10 Harmon Holt, the same billionaire benefactor who gave Latrell his dream internship in Patrick Jones and Brent Chartier's The Franchise (2013), extends a similar chance in the music industry to Beth, a shy singer he spotted on YouTube. Soon, on Holt's dime, she jets off to New York, where she interns at Bonified Records under its prickly, impatient CEO, J. T. Lane, and his cute, encouraging assistant, Malik. On her first day, she is tasked with calming down Pippa, a Lady GagaRihanna hybrid pop icon who is Bonified's top artist. Soon the two hit it off and begin songwriting together in a style far more heartfelt than Pippa's previous work. Beth has a tough choice to make: should she keep the pop star on brand or help her find her true voice? Aimed at reluctant readers, with short chapters and snappy dialogue, this entry in The Opportunity series provides an entertaining, charming, and thoughtful peek into a field many creative types aspire to enter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2014
Each book in this hi/lo series features an inner-city teen who's just landed a dream summer internship thanks to mysterious mogul Harmon Holt. Fashion designing, moviemaking, songwriting, or football management, each protagonist must learn to navigate the business side of his or her field while overcoming other personal obstacles along the way. Though the stories are mostly formulaic wish fulfillment, they are quick, entertaining reads.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)