Showing titles in Music & Performing Arts

Stage directions are instructions an actor follows in performing a play. They help the director tell the actors where to go on the stage.

A beating heart gives life to a body—in Paul's case, a stranger's gave life to his. His long-awaited miracle and second chance at life, thought to bring peace to over three decades of turmoil, was an adversity in disguise. One he will now struggle to overcome. Caught between the excitement of new life and the chaos of grief, Paul finds himself at odds with the stranger residing in his chest. Though his inspiration to write music has been fully restored, the will to carry on is shattered by a flood of thoughts and feelings that were foreign to him until his transplant.

When a lively village is beset by a mysterious fog, the town turns dull and silent; melancholy neighbors stop visiting each other and even going outside. Until one day, when a boy’s simple melody strikes a chord, reminding everyone of what matters most—even in the darkest of times.

Considering her last field trip ended in disaster, Frannie is relieved she’ll be allowed to attend the upcoming excursion to a local radio station. Deciding it’s time to get a job, Frannie brings everything she’ll need—including business cards she made herself and a resume. But when things don’t go as planned, Frannie ends up in trouble once again.

Known as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's unique vision in movies like Psycho and The Birds sent shivers down our spines and shock waves through the film industry. His innovative camera techniques have been studied for decades, and his gift for storytelling cemented his place in history. Many directors make great movies, but the genius of Hitchcock helped make movies great. Learn how a chubby boy from London became the "Master of Suspense".

This is no stuffy music appreciation lesson. Author Kathleen Krull makes these great artists come alive. From Bach to Mozart, George Gershwin to Woody Guthrie, Beethoven to Gilbert and Sullivan, you'll learn all about their lives and music, what they were really like and what inspired these geniuses of musical expression. Filled with interesting trivia and gossip, Lives of the Musicians is the ultimate guide to the great composers.

Paddington is having a wonderful time while on vacation with the Browns in a small French town. He loves exploring and meeting new friends. So how exactly does he end up marching through town as a drummer in the local band? Sure, he can keep the beat on the drum. But can he keep up with the band?

It’s a good thing Sofía Acosta loves dreaming up costumes, because otherwise she’s a ballet disaster - unlike her parents, who danced under prima ballerina Alicia Alonso before immigrating to the suburbs of New York. Luckily, when the Acostas host their dancer friends from Cuba for a special performance with the American Ballet Theatre, Sofía learns there’s more than dance holding her family together. Between swapping stories about Cuba and sharing holiday celebrations, the Acostas have never been more of a team.

On her first day at dance class, Mia can’t wait to put on her bouncy pink tutu. There’s only one problem: her tutu is too-too big! It falls down and Mia falls over it with every step. But just as Mia starts to get upset, she meets Ruby - and Mia realizes that no setback is too hard to handle with a good friend by your side. With simple text and warm, tender illustrations, this I Can Read story is the perfect choice for the earliest readers - and for dance fans of any age!

Chance the Rapper rose to fame in the late 2000s. He collaborates with many other musicians and gives back to his home city, Chicago, Illinois. Learn more about Chance's life as a famous rapper!

Will Sparrow, liar and thief, is running away—from the father who sold him for beer, from the innkeeper who threatened to sell him as a chimney sweep, from his whole sorry life. Barefoot and penniless, without family, friends, or boots, Will is determined to avoid capture and, of course, to find something to eat. Some of the travelers he meets on the road have a kind word for him and a promise of better things to come, such as coins and juicy beef ribs. Eager to go along, Will repeatedly finds himself tricked by older and wiser tricksters....

Pinky wants to try out for the school play. Rex, on the other hand, is terrified of appearing on stage. But when Pinky talks Rex into going with him to the auditions, guess who ends up getting the lead part that Pinky wanted for himself? Rex is so good, the teacher changes the name of the play so that she can play the lead role. And Pinky has been cast as one of the monkeys! It's no wonder that Pinky is sad and angry.

Penguin presents the unabridged downloadable audiobook edition of Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, read by Janet Streatfeild. 'I wonder...if other girls had to be one of us, which of us they'd choose to be?' Pauline longs to be an actress. Petrova is happiest playing with cars and engines. And if she could...Posy would dance all day! But when their benefactor Great-Uncle Matthew disappears, the Fossil girls share a future of a dazzling life onstage, where their dreams and fears will soon come true....

He was a boy with a guitar. She was a girl with a piano. Raised by loving grandparents in Depression-era rural Texas, their humble beginnings playing local shows to put food on the table started Willie and Bobbie Nelson on a remarkable path to global stardom. In a story filled with details of a childhood in rural Texas - with church socials, general stores, and town dances - Willie and Bobbie weave together an inspiring story of a long-ago time. With triumphs and tragedies, hard work, and determination, here is a deeply personal, gorgeously written, and profoundly moving tale of hope.

Delphie's magic red shoes are suddenly feeling too tight, and she really doesn't want to give them up! But before she has time to worry, her friends in Enchantia need her help. King Rat is trying to spoil the Queen's birthday show; can Delphie help undo his mischief?

Delphie is really excited about the end of term show, it's her chance to shine! But when her friends in Enchantia need her help she finds herself whisked away to a magical Masked Ball...

A bookworm as a child, Stan Lieber read tales about swashbuckling heroes accomplishing amazing feats, but he grew up to write his own thrilling stories that changed the comic book universe forever. While working with Marvel Comics, Stan Lee created many of the world's most iconic characters: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Nick Fury, Daredevil, X-Men, Thor, Black Widow, Fantastic Four, The Avengers, and hundreds more.

When Amalee’s grandmother dies, she inherits a very strange object: a huge champagne bottle filled with over a thousand dollars’ worth of change. Amalee is told to spend the money on something important, so she decides to make a movie about endangered species. Soon there’s as much going on behind the scenes as there is in front of the camera, as Amalee deals with a new friend, a very cute older boy, her wacky family friends, and other challenges. She also discovers something she never expected to find....

You know how in Bollywood when people are in love, they sing and dance from the mountaintops? Eleven-year-old Sonali wonders if they do the same when they’re breaking up. The truth is, Sonali’s parents don’t get along, and it looks like they might be separating. Sonali’s little brother, Ronak, is not taking the news well, constantly crying. Sonali would never do that. It’s embarrassing to let out so many feelings, to show the world how not okay you are. But then something strange happens, something magical, maybe.

Award-winning Karma Wilson, author of Bear Snores On, has created the delightful Hilda Hippo - a hippo who loves to dance despite all the noise she makes while doing so. It’s just that the Ka-bump! Ka-bump! Crash! Crash! Crash! noises disturb her jungle friends. Maybe Hilda could take up knitting? But knitting doesn’t quite suit the would-be ballerina. Perhaps she and her friends can find some sort of compromise!