Reviewer: Rianna Harbron
Age: 11

The Mysteries of Beethoven’s Hair looked like an interesting read, although the cover was a little creepy. Since I play the piano, the topic intrigued me. I also enjoy mysteries.

What I liked most about the book was finding out about what caused Beethoven’s health problems. What I liked least was the description of the composer’s final days — it was quite gross. I learned that a boy named Ferdinand Hiller cut a lock of hair off Beethoven’s head after his death, as a memento. The hair got passed down until the current owners bought it at an auction.

I enjoyed reading this book. If I could change anything about it, I would make it easier for younger kids to read. I especially liked all the photos and drawings that were included in the book. At the end of this book, the authors include a helpful guide for people who want to write a book similar to The Mysteries of Beethoven’s Hair.

This book was fascinating to read, but at times it lost my interest and dragged on. I would give it a score of 8.5 out of 10. If I had to describe the book in just one word, I would say it was unusual. I recommend this book for kids 9 and older.

(Originally published in the July/August 2009 issue of YES Mag.)