Sixth-grader Jake is starting to get nervous that he will be found out as a "fake" - since the piano piece he performed at the audition that got him admitted to the very free-form Music & Art Academy was the only song he knew, and he actually hates playing piano.

As school starts and he begins to make friends and get used to his teachers, he relies frequently on the fresh perspective of his close buddy, best friend Evan, who goes to the ordinary middle school in their neighborhood, as well as occasional misleading advice from his older sister Lisa, who attends the M&AA, and is not only a star pupil but is so stellar as so many things that he calls her a "unicorn."

On the surface, Jake seems to be a neurotic silly-pants, but as the story develops, his coping mechanisms - to fling himself wholeheartedly into whatever he's doing, and to give free rein to his wild word-association humor - actually provide him with a path to self-acceptance and transformation.

I appreciated the conversation at the end, which helped sum up what had happened, in case you missed it; Enjoy yourself, experiment, and see what happens. I think this message will be welcomed by many kids who are nervous about middle school, who compare themselves to others and believe they fall short, who aren't sure yet what they're good at, and who don't know who they should listen to.

There were a couple of jokes that seemed aimed at parents or teachers rather than kids, but not many - most of it was clearly aimed at 9- to 12-year-olds, and especially the goofy ones. Many aspects of the school are unbelievably goofy and strain credulity - but that is the point, that this story happens WAY out in left field.

The main character & his family are depicted as African American, and other characters are described by skin or hair color reflecting a mix of ethnicities, although each character's uniqueness is based on their particular art/talent or their personality.