Armstrong, Jennifer, ed. What a Song Can Do: 12 Riffs on the Power of Music.

ARMSTRONG, Jennifer, ed. What a song can do; 12 riffs on the power of music. Random House, Laurel Leaf. 200p. c2004. 0-440-238161. $5.99. JS

Collected in this themed compilation are 12 stories that exemplify the influence of music in the lives of teens and the joys and sorrows its power can yield. David Levithan's insightful and tender story entitled "What a Song Can Do" is composed in free-verse form that expresses the narrator's devotion to both his music and his boyfriend and how music deeply influenced their relationship. The equally wonderful "Tangled Notes in Watermelon," by Dian Curtis Regan, tells the story of a young girl with synesthesia who loses her grandmother, but gains a special friend with a similar gift. In the overly melodramatic "Riffs," a young Polish-American boy must choose between his ailing diabetic mother and the rock music he adores.

Armstrong opens the anthology with a prelude and ends with detailed author's notes that offer biographical details about each of the writers; the latter tie into each author's biography with a musical flair. This volume offers strong multicultural and historical perspectives, but at times appears to be too heavily reliant on diversity, rather than finding authentic teen voices and affecting storylines. Like a music album with a mix of songs, some of the stories resonate, while some are simply flat and unmemorable. A supplemental selection. Jennifer Feigelman, YA Libn., Goshen, NY

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.