At twelve years of age, Allegra Shapiro is a very talented violinist. In fact, she is spending her summer preparing a Mozart concerto to perform in the Ernest Bloch Young Musicians' Competition, with herself as the youngest competitor. Allegra is also a "normal" 12-year-old, involved in ongoing jousting with her older brother, secretive late-night bicycling, and spending time with her friends. In developing her own approach to the concerto, an interplay of family, self, and old and new friends influence Allegra's personal insight and, ultimately, her musical interpretation. This appealing description of a believable gifted child features a splendid portrayal of a gradual creative process. Co-winner, 1991 CCBC Newbery Discussion. (Age 12 and older)

"Remember, what's down inside you, all covered up—the things of your soul. The important, secret things . . . The story of you, all buried, let the music caress it out into the open."

When Allegra was a little girl, she thought she would pick up her violin and it would sing for her—that the music was hidden inside her instrument.
Now that Allegra is twelve, she believes the music is in her fingers, and the summer after seventh grade she has to teach them well. She's the youngest contestant in the Ernest Bloch Young Musicians' Competition.
She knows she will learn the notes to the concerto, but what she doesn't realize is she'll also learn how to close the gap between herself and Mozart to find the real music inside her heart.

The Mozart Season includes an interview with author Virginia Euwer Wolff.