Totally Unrelated by Tom Ryan

Totally Unrelated by Tom Ryan

Neil plays guitar with his family's band, the Family McClintock, even though he can't stand the Celtic music they play.

Neil doesn't dance, he hates the outfits, and every single performance reminds him that he isn't as talented as the rest of the family. When his buddy Bert convinces him to form a rock band and enter a local talent show, Neil's playing improves and everyone notices, including a girl who shares his musical interests. He starts to think that all those years of practice might come in handy after all. But it all comes to a head when Neil has to choose between an important gig with the family band and the talent show. He's only sure of one thing: whatever he decides to do, he's going to be letting someone down.

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.

Tom Ryan is the award-winning author of several critically praised children's books. He's been nominated for the White Pine Award, the Ann Connor Brimer Award, and the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, among others. Keep This to Yourself, his teenage mystery, won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Thriller in 2020, as well as the Arthur Ellis Award for Best YA Crime Novel in 2020. In 2013, 2014, and 2020, two of his works were recognized by the Junior Library Guild, and three of his young adult novels, Way to Go, Tag Along, and Keep This to Yourself, were chosen for the ALA Rainbow List. He was a Young Adult Fiction Lambda Literary Fellow in 2017. In Nova Scotia, Tom, his husband, and their dog live.