Nine-year-old Nannerl Mozart is a wonderful musician, but her brother Wolferl, age five, has already surpassed her talent. Initially the siblings play concerts together across Europe, but then their father, Leopold, decides Nannerl should remain in their hometown of Salzburg, Austria. Though Nannerl pleads with Leopold over many years, he never gives her the opportunity to become a professional musician. Despite not realizing her dream, Nannerl sees a chance for happiness: she hopes to marry retired army captain Armand d'Ippold-if her father doesn't stand in her way. Author's note.
Title alpha In Mozart’s Shadow: His Sister’s Story
Category Upper Middle School Fiction Plus
Pages Count 272
Summary Nannerl tells the story of what it is like to be a highly talented female musician, forced to live in the shadow of her brother’s musical genius.
This collection features fiction titles selected for older middle school readers who are ready for longer, more layered stories that explore growing independence and changing perspective. Selections include realistic and speculative fiction with increased emotional and narrative complexity, offering stories that look beyond immediate experience and invite readers to engage with broader questions about identity, belonging, and the world around them.