When Nat, her best friend Jess and singing-star wannabe Harper sing together, their harmonies bring down the house. For Nat, the experience sparks a driving new desire to perform. But when the girls form a trio and enter a contest for a chance to play at the Tall Grass Music Festival, Nat finds that harmony―musical and otherwise―is hard to maintain. Her bandmates almost never agree, her new boyfriend starts behaving more like a non-boyfriend, and the trio’s famous-musician mentor doesn’t even like the way Nat breathes. Every day, Nat’s dream of performing at Tall Grass seems farther away, and she questions whether she has what it takes to get there. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Gr 6–10—Honeycomb follows the efforts of 15-year-old Nat as she and two other girls enter a Young Performers contest at the fictional Tall Grass Music Festival in Manitoba, Canada. Jess, her best friend, plays the guitar and sings, while the slightly older Harper thinks she's in charge. There is predictable tension, as Harper tries to assert her supremacy because her parents are professional musicians, while at the same time driving a wedge between Nat and Jess, who have been friends since elementary school. In Forcing the Ace, readers are not told Alex's age. Presumably in high school, (his English class is reading The Great Gatsby), he seems much younger. An aspiring magician, much to the disappointment of his surgeon father, he enters a contest for teens and finds himself paired with a girl who is a novice. Both novels emphasize the necessity of cooperation and persistence, as well as the importance of education and family. These high-interest, low-vocabulary stories will appeal to reluctant readers, especially those with an interest in the performing arts.—Marlyn Beebe, Long Beach Public Library, Los Alamitos, CA "With minimal adult guidance, the girls learn specific elements of their craft, how to navigate opportunities in the music industry and how to work together, even coming to understand that their arguments are a natural part of the music-making process. A fast-paced narrative set to the tune of talented-teen melodrama." ― Kirkus Reviews "Emphasize[s] the necessity of cooperation and persistence, as well as the importance of education and family...Will appeal to reluctant readers, especially those with an interest in the performing arts." ― School Library Journal (SLJ) "[An] endearing first novel about a young singer learning to trust her own voice while singing with others." ― Resource Links "Readers who are in the Performing Arts will empathize with the trio’s struggles and accomplishments. Recommended." ― CM: Canadian Review of Materials "The journey may be bittersweet, but the message is one of hope and encouragement: no success without failure, no learning without doing, no joy without daring.” ― VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) Magazine "A great glimpse into the music industry, with all its hopes, dreams, and defeats attached...A great read for tweens and young adults who have an interest in musical performance, both those who may want to perform and those who appreciate musical talent in the audience.” -- Jackie Warkentien, Youth Services Librarian How can Nat create harmony when she doesn't trust her own voice? singing, teamwork, competition, folk music singing, teamwork, competition, folk music Patricia McCowan has written several novels and short stories that have appeared in YA anthologies, as well as in print and online magazines. Patricia lives in Toronto, Ontario.