Singing was a passion of mine when I was in school. I sang second soprano in my high school’s chamber chorale. I went on two choir tours, to Colorado and Tennessee. (By bus. All the way from Minnesota. With about thirty other kids between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. It was a blast for the singers, but looking back, I feel sorry for our parent chaperones!)

In the years since high school, I’ve traded singing for other hobbies. But I remain passionate about music. So when the opportunity arose to work with author Elaine Landau on the Ready to Make Music series, I was overjoyed! Here was a series that would speak to kids who love music as much as I do.

Ready to Make Music (cover pictured, left) helps budding musicians decide which instrument they’d like to study, be it drums, violin, or the human voice. Each book profiles a different instrument, and each explores what it really takes to play the instrument. In addition, Elaine peppered the books with fun pop culture tidbits (my favorites are the references to Glee in Is Singing for You?), plus witty and insightful quotations from professional musicians.

If you know a kid who’s into music—or thinking of exploring music—then Ready to Make Music is just the thing. Check it out and see the series’ merits for yourself!