Fiddle Fever
by Sharon Arms Doucet
Although it is 1914 and the world is changing all around him, Felix LeBlanc feels trapped on his Louisiana farmhouse, where nothing ever happens. When he hears his uncle, 'Nonc Adolphe, play the fiddle for the first time, he knows there's music in his blood, and he's determined to be a musician, too. However, he's too poor to buy his own fiddle, and to make matters worse, Maman has forbidden him to even touch one, fearing that he'll choose the wayward life of a fiddler. And so Felix begins to build his own fiddle out of a crude cigar box and a piece of cypress wood, keeping it a secret from his family and even his best friend, Chance. It is a solitary journey that will require all of his ingenuity—and place at risk the relationships that are dearest to him.
Set against the colorful backdrop of the Cajun bayous, Fiddle Fever relays an important message about the universal need for self-expression and the compromises we must all make in our search for individuality. Glossary of French terms.
Paperback
English
Brand New
Publisher Description
Although it is 1914 and the world is changing all around him, Felix LeBlanc feels trapped on his Louisiana farmhouse, where nothing ever happens. When he hears his uncle, 'Nonc Adolphe, play the fiddle for the first time, he knows there's music in his blood, and he's determined to be a musician, too. However, he's too poor to buy his own fiddle, and to make matters worse, Maman has forbidden him to even touch one, fearing that he'll choose the wayward life of a fiddler. And so Felix begins to build his own fiddle out of a crude cigar box and a piece of cypress wood, keeping it a secret from his family and even his best friend, Chance. It is a solitary journey that will require all of his ingenuity--and place at risk the relationships that are dearest to him. Set against the colorful backdrop of the Cajun bayous, Fiddle Fever relays an important message about the universal need for self-expression and the compromises we must all make in our search for individuality. Glossary of French terms.
Author Biography
Sharon Arms Doucet is the author OF WHY LAPIN'S EARS ARE LONG and LE HOOGIE BOOGIE SONGBOOK: LOUISIANA FRENCH MUSIC FOR CHILDREN. When she is not writing, Ms. Doucet sings and performs in the Doucet Family Band, along with her fiddler husband, Michael, and their three children. She lives in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Review
"the langniappe for this [Creole] atmosphere is Doucet's easy use of similes, which stick to the native dialect like gravy on rice." Horn Book "A book not to be missed." School Library Journal, Starred "to be enjoyed by those who would follow their own passion no matter what the context" Kirkus Reviews --
Review Quote
"the langniappe for this [Creole] atmosphere is Doucet's easy use of similes, which stick to the native dialect like gravy on rice." Horn Book "A book not to be missed." School Library Journal, Starred "to be enjoyed by those who would follow their own passion no matter what the context" Kirkus Reviews
Details
