The book I read this summer is called A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban. The book has many different settings. Two of the main settings are her house and her school. The main character’s name is Zoe Elias. Some other characters are Miss Person her piano teacher, her mother, her father, Wheeler Diggs her friend from school and her dad’s baking partner, and Emma Dent her “former” best friend. In the book Zoe has big dreams to become the next Vladimir Horowitz (a famous pianist). The main problem is that Zoe has been begging her parents for a baby grand piano. Instead she gets a wood-grained, vinyl-seated, wheeze-bag organ. She also wants to play at Carnegie Hall. But it’s kind of hard to play at Carnegie Hall when you don’t have a baby grand piano to practice on.

But soon a big twist changed the direction of the story. Miss Person thinks it will be good for Zoe to enter the annual Perform-O-Rama organ competition. Zoe has to make a big decision between going to the Preform-O-Rama and understanding that it’s okay to make mistakes or just staying home and giving up on the big dreams she has of becoming an amazing pianist. One quote that really inspired her when she was playing was  “just keep playing”. I know this sounds just like words but to Zoe these words were very inspirational because she just has to focus on the piano and not focus on what’s going on around her and then surely she will do great! She also have to keep in mind that everybody makes mistakes and that it’s okay to make mistakes but you have to learn from those mistakes. Zoe resolves her problem by thinking “just keep playing” and she does just that. She ends up doing an amazing performance.

I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed it because it helped me learn that everyone makes mistakes and that it’s okay to make mistakes. An example of this is when Zoe performs at the Perform-O-Rama and she makes a few mistakes but she keeps going. I also thought that a lot of the characters were really funny and quirky especially Zoe and her family. An example of this is when Zoe’s dad decorated the hotel room to look just like their house. I also just love reading about people who have big dreams and try to make their dreams a reality. An example of this is when Zoe keeps trying hard to become amazing and she puts a lot of effort into playing the piano.  I think a pianist would read this book because it gives a lot of facts about the piano. I also think a reader who likes humor would like this book because it is a very funny, quirky book. I give this book a five star rating.