Off-Key

Jennifer Torres's Off-Key is a funny chapter book for 7 year olds about a girl who wants her band's talent show song to be absolutely perfect.

What happens

Catalina Castañeda likes things just so. Buttons that match. Being on time (thirty-six seconds late is a disaster). Following the instructions to the letter.

She also has a secret. Her great-aunt, Tía Abuela, gave her a magic sewing kit. Anything Catalina sews with its silvery thread becomes a disguise, so when she wears her butterfly wings, people see a butterfly and not her. But once the thread is used up, it's gone for good.

Now the school talent show is coming. Catalina's band, Banda La Chispa, is going to play one of Tía Abuela's own songs from her days as a famous telenovela star. And Tía Abuela is coming to watch!

No pressure, then.

The trouble is, the band doesn't sound quite right. Soledad changes a word in the song on purpose. Ruthie can't hear what the fuss is about. And Pablo, Catalina's best friend (and biggest rival), won't back her up. Catalina wants everyone to copy the recording exactly. The others mostly want to have fun.

It's told by Catalina herself and she's great company. She's funny about her family. Her dad will NOT stop calling her Kitty-Cat, and her big sister Coco rips open a parcel while Catalina is still carefully fetching the scissors.

You can feel her tummy tighten every time something goes off plan, which will ring true for any child who likes to get things right.

There's a gentle lesson tucked in about making something your own. At her sewing group, Josefina the librarian adds pockets to every dress she makes, whatever the pattern says. Catalina is genuinely shocked. Isn't that breaking the rules?

Spanish words and sayings are sprinkled through and explained as they come, so nobody gets lost.

What to read next

This is Catalina's third outing and you don't need the others to enjoy it. If your reader takes to her, though, go back to Catalina Incognito, where she opens a very old, very worn velvet pouch on her birthday and tries hard to look pleased.