Since the earliest civilizations, a connection has existed between music and the literary arts. From the Old Testament and ancient Greek poets to the great operatic masterpieces of the nineteenth century, music and words have forged an inseparable bond. This relationship is not only seen in musical genres but in a prolific output of novels for adults and children that contain musical themes, characters, and/or settings. This book is the result of many years of research into fiction that has this musical connection. Focusing on novels mainly from the twentieth century, this volume contains an extensive annotated list featuring works for adult, young adult and juvenile audiences and also represents a wide range of musical genre from classical to jazz to rap. Following the annotations, this book provides a comprehensive listing of all titles sorted by reading level and by musical genres to assist librarians, educators, and readers in finding the precise book for a given need or interest.

Table of Contents:
Preface - John Gibbs; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Annotated Bibliography; 2. Literature by Reading Level and Musical Genre,; Adult (Accordion, Animals & Nature, Band, Brass Instruments, Choir, Classical Music, Composer/Songwriter, Conductor, Country/Western/Folk Music, Fantastical/Supernatural Music, Hip Hop/Rap/R&B, Jazz/Blues/Swing, Music Industry, Music Teaching & Learning, Opera, Orchestra, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Rock/Pop, Sacred/Christian, Singing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments, World/International); Young Adult (Band, Brass Instruments, Choir, Classical Music, Composer/Songwriter, Conductor, Country/Western/Folk Music, Fantastical/Supernatural, Hip Hop/Rap/R&B, Jazz/Blues/Swing, Music Industry, Music Teaching & Learning, Opera, Orchestra, Piano, rock/Pop, Singing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments, World/International); Juvenile (Accordion, Animals & Nature, Band, Brass, Choir, Classical, Composer/Songwriter, Conductor, Country/Western/Folk, Fantastical/Supernatural, Hip Hop/Rap/R&B, Music Industry, Music Teaching & Learning, Opera, Orchestra, Organ, Percussion, Piano, Rock/Pop, Sacred/Christian, Singing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments, World/International).