Penny Tangey, winner of The Readings Children’s Prize 2021 for As Fast As I Can, returns with a new novel perfect for all music lovers. Music Camp follows Miley, who lost her home in a flood the year before the book begins. She is super excited that she has won a scholarship to attend a selective five-day music camp, where she can prove that the recorder should be considered a professional instrument – especially to Juliet. Juliet has music running in her veins: her late father was an esteemed clarinet player and he continues to inspire her every day to become just as great as he was. The inclusion of the recorder in the music camp offends everything Juliet believes in. But with new weather reports threatening the camp with flooding and a cancelled concert, can they find harmony even amid their differences?

Like many who had an Australian education, my only experience with the recorder was in primary school, with different instruments in high school, and ultimately never again thinking about it, despite its rich history in medieval times and classical music. Tangey asks us to dismantle the hierarchy of musical instruments and celebrate each wonderful tune musicians can make.

Music Camp is a fun, uplifting story about music, climate change, and pursuing your dreams. For ages 8+.