While I really adored the art, I found the characters, especially the MC a bit annoying in how she interacted with everyone around her. She's very young, so that plays a very huge part in it, and she whines a lot and is pretty selfish most times. But she learns and grows in such a few pages.

The time travelling jukebox was such a fun idea, going back to when and where the vinyl was being played in the past. The two girls sure went on fun adventures, even with things not always going according to plan.
This was a good read with a very diverse cast and a bi side character.

This book's plot was definitely easier to follow than Pashmina's. I like the concept. I don't think enough went into each time the characters travelled to for kids who don't already know the history to get the significance. Some chapter openings had notes in a notebook, and that would have helped contextualize if that had been fleshed out more and used for each time period. I also didn't see the importance of mentioning one of the characters is bi? I'm all for representation, but it didn't help the main plot at all but also wasn't explored enough to be a subplot. This is a book for people who already know a lot about records, and I don't know how many middle grade kids fit in that.

Mini Review: This was a fantastic Graphic Novel! The art was great, and expressed everything going on really well. I loved the pages at the beginning of some of the chapters, with the records. If you're a music fan, or just a fan of excellent Graphic Novels, I would definitely recommend reading this book!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

This is a great middle grade graphic novel for 4th through 7th graders. The book takes readers to different times through music. This might get young readers interested in learning about the music of different times. The illustrations are well done, and the storyline works well with the illustrations.

WOW, the illustrations are breath-taking!
The journey of Shaheen and Naz in time is beautifully described by Nidhi Chanani!
The way those two wish to be like Nancy Drew and solve the mystery on their own and the bond between them is impeccable!
I love the part where Naz finally plucks up the courage to tell her family that she is bi.
This book is a must for all ages, and every single music geek on this earth!

My rating 5 out of 5 stars (Wish I could give it more)

This is a story with a little mystery and a little time travel weaved together to create a wonderful story. I really liked how the music came to play into the story as well. The art work is colorful and full of emotions. If you like music and learning some of the history of it within a story you will love Jukebox.

Nidhi Chanani does a phenomenal job of showing how music connects us all. - through history and during the present, music will always be there. The concept of listening to the music and it transporting you back in time to the day it was released was really interesting. This story had great representation of South Asians, as well as LGBTQIA+ and people with disabilities.

Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani is an adorable read. I love the fact that this book focused on diverse characters and such a unique plot. I laughed, smiled and wanted to join the story at times. I was able to connect the characters and feel as if the story was a great way to start my monthly reading. Its refreshing, fun and left me smiling. I think this book can be adored by many readers and the illustrations were beautiful. Chanani is an author that I would love to read from again and plan to. I would recommend this book for a cute graphic novel read.

Such a cute read!! I really enjoyed this graphic novel! Such an amazing idea for a story. I loved the artwork and how simple but detailed it was. The plot was very intriguing and just made me keep wanting to read it!

I thought this was super cute! I loved the familial bonds, the music history, and the time travel aspects. Music really connects us all! We even get some queer (bi) rep, too. I would’ve liked to learn a little bit more about each of the characters — like Tannaz’s ear problem — but there was still enough development to be able to relate to the characters. The flashbacks were a nice touch.

The art style in this is so unique and adorable! It was definitely what captured and kept my attention, it was super colourful and I adored it!

As for the story, I did enjoy it but I did have my issues with it. I didn’t like how dismissive Shaheen was of Tannaz, once their hearing started to go because of what they were doing. And when she encouraged her to lie to her dad, knowing she really did not want to. It made more sense by the end, but that dimmed some of my enjoyment.

I liked the familial aspects of this a lot! The whole premise is about finding Shaheen’s missing father and they track his last location to a record shop where they find a very unique, time-traveling jukebox which they think her father got trapped in.

Their adventures were cute and showed off a lot of history, things that are still very prevalent today! I wish we got to see more of their adventures in those times, especially by the end, it was skipped over. I really wanted to see them love and explore music! As that was a big point of the story.

Overall, this was cute and fun and I enjoyed my time reading it! If you’re a big classic music lover, I think you’ll love this one.

3/5 ⭐️

Time traveling and family feels abound in this adorable middle grade graphic novel about a girl who's father has gone missing--in time. Now, she and her cousin have to figure out how to work an incredible time-traveling jukebox that takes them back to the day of the first-edition vinyls they play. Cute and heartfelt and fun. I imagine this story will especially appeal to kids / teens who love record players, vinyl, and oldies music, but even as someone not terribly into all of that, I still enjoyed it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and First Second Books for allowing me to read an advance digital copy of Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani. This graphic novel will be released in June 2021. All opinions are my own.

Shaheen's father loves music. In fact, it's all he ever seems to talk about. Then, one day, he goes missing. Shaheen is determined to find him along with the help of her cousin Naz. The two go to her father's favorite record shop which they find closed. After climbing in an open window to investigate, the girls find a mysterious jukebox. The girls plug it in and hit play and are magically transported back in time. They realize that Shaheen's father must be stuck somewhere in history, but which record did he play and will they be able to find him before it's too late?

This is a super fun time-traveling music-filled novel. The illustrations are gorgeous. They are bright and fun and highlight the time periods that girls travel through. The book focuses on themes of family and courage. It is fast-paced and chockful of history. I very much enjoyed the book and found it to be a quick read.

When I first heard of a new book coming from Nidhi Chanani, the author and illustrator of Pashmina, I was overjoyed. Jukebox is an inviting graphic novel experience, told in this creator’s visual style. It is an exploration of music and identity through words and pictures, and even through time and place.

As the pages unfold, Chanani takes us into Shahi’s world, revealing character to us through dialogue and even wordless pages. There is life, emotion, anxiety, and loss woven into this human story, all with music homage throughout the pages. There is also a magical turn in the book that works well for the overall narrative and opens up new possibilities, allowing the reader to travel through history. This move affords lots of opportunities for classroom conversations and directions for learning more.

Jukebox is visually appealing, well-developed in terms of story, and a beautiful introduction for readers who have not experienced the transformative and transporting qualities of musical voices like Bessie Smith, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, and more.

I will be utilizing this book in at least one course later this year.

I was unable to get this to download properly but it looks like a fun read for middle school/junior students. It doesn't look like there is anything inappropriate in it, so I am prepared to buy it for our library despite not having read it.

This book is absolutely amazing and everything is just so perfect. I am so captivated that I simply couldn't stop reading. I love the illustrations, the plot, characters and colours. It's just a really vibrant story with such a great tale of friendship, reconnecting and making new friends. I just really love this book so much and I absolutely highly recommend everyone to go and pick up this book!

What a fun concept! I loved the flashbacks through history via music. Loved the bond between father and daughter. I will definitely be recommending that my library purchase this title!

Jukebox is a fun adventure in time-travel via music recordings. Shahi and Naz have to rescue Shahi's dad when he gets trapped in a magical jukebox. This action packed tale touches on themes of communication/ listening to family and friends when they speak, acting with kindness, and lgbtq+ acceptance. The artwork is bright and colorful, the characters are diverse and well-rounded. Recommended for kids interested in music, time-travel and adventure.

The tv show Timeless meets Nancy Drew; Jukebox has been on my tbr radar for awhile. 🎶💫

In Jukebox, Shaheen (Shahi) and her cousin, Tannaz (Naz), are trying to find Shahi's dad who has disappeared on one of his many vinyl record searches. They find a jukebox in the attic of the local music shop. They then discover that playing an album transports them back in time to the record's beginning. And finally they know where to look for Gio. The real question is when.

Jukebox had a weird format I didn't really didn't like. There was a lot of dialogue without pictures. It could have been my digital file but I'm not sure. The plot was interesting but I feel like we didn't spend enough time in each historical era. The ending felt rushed. But if you enjoy graphic novels, time-travel, or timeless music then I would definitely recommend checking this book out.

***Thank you to Netgalley and First Second for providing me with a review copy.***

Interesting dive into music history via a mystical jukebox that transports the listener to the era of the record being played. I thought there was a little too much going on--it felt disjointed--but I think the art will appeal to the intended audience.