The Jr. Pop Diaries by Melody Vega

When eleven year old Trevor Sanders gets selected to the kid band Jr. Pop, he is thrown into a wonderful three years of an adventure with laughter, love, and the beat taking him wherever he goes.

The Story

The Gang

Trevor Sanders:

• Birthday: 24th September
• Talents: Singing, dancing, acting, high emotional awareness
• Family: Millie Sanders (mother), Angela Sanders (sister)
• Strengths: Caring, compassionate, cheerful, loving
• Weaknesses: Overprotective, worrying, doubtful, insecure
• Favourite singer: Shawn Mendes

The main narrator of the series, Trevor's big heart makes him an easy person to trust. He forms the gang in the first place, and he's seen as the 'glue' that holds them together. But as he grows, he finds that he isn't always the best person to always rely on, even though everyone tells him he's the strongest guy they know. He's weakened greatly by losing someone he loves, so he tries to keep everyone protected, which sometimes result in overprotection, and, on one occasion, an argument, even. He loves being a Jr. Pop Kid more than anything, and he's seen as a great performer who loves to sink deep into the music and let go.

Tana Bowers:

• Birthday: Ist January
• Talents: Singing, dancing, acting, art
• Family: Nora and Tony Wells (formerly, biological mother and father), Marge and Neil Monite (formerly, aunt and uncle), Stephen Cunningham (formerly, great uncle), Anderson and Wendy Bowers (currently, adopted mother and father)
• Strengths: Artistic, confident, courageous, go-with-the-flow
• Weaknesses: Shy, scared, breaks down easily, mixed feelings towards herself
• Favourite singer: Alessia Cara

Tana has a unique worldview that's different from the rest of the gang. Having been raised by her cruel and vicious aunt and uncle after her biological parents (supposedly) died in a car crash, she has seen the world as a dangerous place. Up until meeting Trevor, she was scared, shy, and she always kept to herself. Now, she's confident, courageous, and ready to deal with whatever's thrown at her. Her skills in art led her to express herself creatively, and she is just as good with her Jr. Pop status. She rarely relies on her friends to help her out, though, and to make up for all the trouble she had given them over the years, she ends up taking big tasks to help them manage. But Tana is the reason the gang always sticks together, and she will always be grateful for their support.

Elijah Milne:

• Birthday: 21st July
• Talents: Singing, dancing, top-notch spiritual detective
• Family: Eros and Anna Milne (mother and father)
• Strengths: Perceptive, watchful, friendly, understanding
• Weaknesses: Too formal, out-of-touch, know-it-all, feels like solving every problem
• Favourite singer: Justin Bieber

Many kids aren't like Elijah, who considers himself a detective and bookworm. Usually he always quotes to his friends things from books, and it's sometimes hard to understand what he means. But Elijah has a soft side too. Starting a close friendship with Wylie in his toddler years, he had gone through all the things she had, including the loss of her mother, who was also his caretaker, Mrs. Wilson. But Elijah hopes to use his photographic memory to hone his investigating skills, and spiritually helps his friends handle problems that are too big to handle on their own, and he does it all while being a JPK and enjoying the musical side of life.

Wylie Andrie Wilson:

• Birthday: 23rd April
• Talents: Singing, dancing, acting, Eastern martial arts
• Family: Andrie Wilson (deceased, mother), Kyle Wilson (father)
• Strengths: Brave, confident, strong, tough
• Weaknesses: Defiant, crumbling, rude, moody
• Favourite singer: Sia

Wylie has a past that isn't usually common. Making friends with Elijah when she was three, losing her mother at ten, training to be a JPK in the years between. When she finally confesses the reason about her destructive nature to Trevor–her mom's death–she opens up to her friends and family, and, as said by Elijah many times, becomes the rock that keeps them grounded. Her one memoir of her mother is the 'Avatar' series, and she has claimed to have watched both shows ten times, often geeking out about it in front of her friends. She is ready to stand up for the gang during hairy encounters, though–that's what she is definitely the best at!

Behind the Pages: Afterword from Melody Vega

Hello there! This is our first letter to each other, isn't it? As a kid author, I always feel that children can do anything to change the world, when they work hard and never give up.

The somewhat far-fetched idea of a musical band of kids that cover many pop songs isn't from my imagination, mind you. It's an actual thing. It's as real as the clouds. There are many bands like the Jr. Pop Kids which are the face of kid power. The Kidz Bop Kids, who are the real inspiration for this book, is one of the most notably known kid bands. The Mini Pop Kids are also another example. And even most children go solo on YouTube and other platforms and write and sing their own songs! Most people feel that these bands take the fun out of the music, but really, they do it so that kids can listen to songs that are usually rated R, and these bands help to do that by sanitising the R-rated lyrics and make it tween-friendly. And of course, the Kidz Bop Kids are my favourite band, which is also part of the reason I chose them.

My aim of writing this trilogy was to get kids to read more. I know what you're thinking–how is a book about music going to get them to read it? Well, this book isn't just about music–it's about life, too. The scenarios each of the kids face may have been there in real life, too, right? And the music is something the new gen know. From the start of the 21st century (and maybe even before that), they have been listening to stars like Justin Bieber, Sia, Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara, and when breakthrough artists emerged at the start of the 2020s decade like Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Doja Cat, to name a few, we were pulled to the changing musical atmosphere. And books with today's music in them can get kids to read about these kids singing these songs and enjoying them wholeheartedly. This is what Jr. Pop is about–it's a fun musical with deep thoughts and high stakes.

Music is as important to me like books are. I love to sing, and I have been playing the piano since I was seven. My thoughts are fuelled by music too. And music is the reason I wrote 'The Jr. Pop diaries'.

I hope you enjoy the series and get to live in the beat.