{"product_id":"the-notes-9780593711415","title":"The Notes","description":"\u003cb\u003e2025 Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Honorary Mention for Young Adult Fiction! A reserved Chinese American teen at a Southern performing arts boarding school comes into her own under the tutelage of a glamorous new piano teacher. A moving coming-of-age-novel from a debut novelist about first love, adolescent angst, and academic pressures. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Compellingly readable. Make room in the boarding-school book canon for a new classic.\" - Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eIn the Wild Light\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Serpent King\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A moving, highly virtuosic, and heart-rending portrait of an aspiring teen pianist trying to find her way...it made me feel seen.\" - Patricia Park, author of \u003ci\u003eImposter Syndrome and Other Confession of Alejandra Kim\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWhat's Eating Jackie Oh?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eClaire Wu isn't sure that she has what it takes to become a successful concert pianist.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIt's the fear of every student at Greenwood School for the Performing Arts: becoming a washed-out performer who couldn't make it big. And Claire's no Rocky Wong, \u003ci\u003ethe\u003c\/i\u003e ace pianist at their boarding school. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThen Dr. Li shows up. She's like no other teacher at Greenwood: mysterious, sophisticated, fascinating. Under Dr. Li's tutelage, Claire works harder and dreams bigger than ever. And her crush Rocky finally seems interested. Maybe she'll even be \"Chinese enough\" to join the elusive Asian Student Society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEverything is falling into place until eerily personal notes about Claire's bond with Dr. Li appear. Claire starts to feel the pressure. But she isn't the only one. Everyone is feeling the strain. Especially Rocky, whose extreme perfectionism hides something more troubling. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs the Showcase tension crescendos, Claire must decide if she's ready to sink or swim. Only then can she discover who she \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e is and learn if she's ready to give her all for a shot at greatness. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Notes \u003c\/i\u003e is a powerful and poignant debut YA novel from award-winning writer \u003cb\u003eCatherine Con Morse\u003c\/b\u003e about dealing with academic pressures, falling in love for the first time, and finding yourself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCatherine Con Morse was one of the inaugural Writers in Residence at Porter Square Books. A Kundiman fellow, she received her MFA from Boston University, where she taught undergraduate creative writing for several years. Her work appears in \u003ci\u003eJoyland, Letters, HOOT, Bostonia, \u003c\/i\u003e the \u003ci\u003eRacist Sandwich\u003c\/i\u003e podcast, and elsewhere. \u003ci\u003eThe Notes \u003c\/i\u003ewas shortlisted for the \u003ci\u003eCRAFT \u003c\/i\u003efirst chapters contest and is her first novel. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In high school, Catherine attended the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, a public arts boarding school, where she was as intrigued with her teacher as Claire is with Dr. Li. Catherine continues to play and teach piano today. Most recently, she taught English at Choate Rosemary Hall, and lives in the Connecticut River Valley with her husband and daughter.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Random House Children's Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51705129959698,"sku":"9780593711415","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_56c0e0fd-3827-4690-8e44-8a472d96f0e7.jpg?v=1762342189","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-notes-9780593711415","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}