For ten-year-old Cadence Jolly, birthdays are a constant reminder of all that has changed since her mother skipped town with dreams of becoming a star. 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.īook Description Paperback.

VERDICT This well-crafted novel about a young girl who learns valuable lessons about love, family, and community will appeal to readers of realistic fiction and fans of happy endings.-Shelley Sommer, Inly School, Scituate, MA She has the support of a distinctive cast of characters: her brother Junior, who helps Cadence navigate her relationship with her father and come to terms with her mother's absence her two best friends, Zara and Faith, who represent the loyalty and jealousy that mark middle grade relationships and her aunt Fannie, who loves and supports her throughout. Things don't go according to plan, and soon Cadence has to decide if she can share the power of her voice-both musically and personally. When a new church choir director arrives, Cadence takes a risk and tapes what she believes is a private recording of her singing in the hope that she will be recognized for her gift. She knows her voice is special, but she is afraid of the spotlight. Her father does his best as a single parent, but Cadence thinks he worries too much. Since that day, Cadence has struggled with change. The girl inherited a beautiful voice from her mother, who left town to pursue her own dreams when Cadence was seven. She refers to Mariah Carey as her 'fairy godmother' and lives in Harmony, PA, and her favorite day of the week is Sunday, when she joins her friends in the church choir. In a story filled with whimsy and hope, Sherri Winston inspires readers to embrace the voice within.Gr 4–6-Ten-year-old Cadence Mariah Jolley is surrounded by music. And when a secret recording of her singing leaks and catches the attention of her whole church, she needs to decide what's better: deceiving everyone by pretending it belongs to someone else, or finally stepping into the spotlight. As her eleventh birthday draws near, she realizes time is running out. And she prayed that she'd get the courage to do it. She did make a promise last year that she would try to break out of her shell, just a little. Cadence inherited that musical soul, she can't deny it, but otherwise she couldn't be more different - she's as shy as can be. A story of family, faith, and following your heartFor ten-year-old Cadence Jolly, birthdays are a constant reminder of all that has changed since her mother skipped town with dreams of becoming a singing star.

The Sweetest Sound by Sherri Winston