Ready, Cassette, Go!

Gr 3-6–Melody Li arrives in her new home of Cassette City with a skateboard, a Walkman, and a serious chip on her shoulder. But she’s also arrived ready to rock, and desspite her entirely antisocial mood, stumbles upon a pair of potential bandmates. A somewhat emotional raccoon and a mushroom-headed kid who speaks only in code are in search of someone to jam with as well, and they hope Melody’s musical talents will help their group beat the local bullies in the Battle of the Bands. The trio coalesce, trying to craft something worthy of winning, but they struggle to name their band, fight over who will get the spotlight, and grapple with whether their own motivations are to win or to have fun. A very cool robot with a very controlling (anti rock-and-roll!) mom also joins their ranks to complicate things just a bit more. The plot is knotty and deliberate, observing the full range of its characters’ youthful emotions as complex, intense, and worthy of introspection. This sits somewhat in contrast with the book’s effortlessly and intriguingly cool aesthetics. Sitter’s graphic giftedness shines bright in the characters’ quirky looks, Cassette City’s hip music store and performance spaces, and ­panel-­smashing jam sessions in sedate yet stylish hues.