Here’s what readers like YOU are saying about

Virginia B. Goes to the Symphony

I truly loved reading Virginia B. Goes to the Symphony, it brought me into a world without electronics, a wholesome time in history when imagination, family, and faith took center stage.

This charming story follows 10-year-old Virginia, a curious and thoughtful girl growing up in 1920s St. Louis. Life is changing in her household, her grandmother moves in, her little brother keeps her on her toes, and she’s about to attend her very first symphony. What unfolds is a beautiful coming-of-age story that gently teaches values like kindness, patience, gratitude, and good manners, all through the eyes of a child discovering the magic of music and the deeper meaning of home.

Parents, grandparents, and music teachers will all find something to love here. The book weaves in just the right amount of faith, family traditions, and even sprinkles in a few German words to delight young readers. It’s the kind of story that opens conversations about character and culture in the most natural way.

And here’s a bonus that makes this book even more special: it includes a question-and-answer section in the back! Whether you're a homeschooler, music educator, or just a parent who loves thoughtful conversation, the Q&A is a wonderful tool to spark deeper discussion, critical thinking, and curiosity.

If you're looking for a book that brings generations together, celebrates music and morals, and leaves your heart feeling full, this is it. Virginia B. Goes to the Symphony is a timeless treasure. Bravo!

-Dayle Hoffman

A Wholesome, Heartfelt Journey into a Simpler time for all Ages (Amazon.com review, July 2025)

Virginia B goes to the Symphony was a very enjoyable children's (YA) book and I'm an adult!
Kevin Pease is a wonderful storyteller. You can just imagine yourself there with the family in 1936. I loved the relationship of the Grossmutter with the family and how German words were weaved into the story. I also enjoyed how the names of the pieces of music were used in the story, so you can listen to the recordings while you read the book. (That's what I did) There's even a German glossary and a place to journal at the end of the book.

I am a elementary music teacher and i have started developing a play list and plan to read with with my older students!

-AgH, elementary music teacher

Lovely story! It takes you along for the journey! (Amazon.com review, August 2025)

It's beautiful!!!! That is all I can say. I loved it so very much—even though it was written for 'young readers.' It's perfect in every way. Great job, and I'm sure she is looking down on you with a smile too."

First off, I was transported back to my own childhood. My dad's family came from Germany too, and although my grandparents passed before I was born, my dad often spoke the phrases he had heard as a child from his grandparents, friends, and family in German. When I read how Virginia and her family interchanged languages, it filled my heart with happy memories of my dad and his siblings.

My dad and aunt played the piano and organ, and church was such a central part of our lives as Missouri Synod Lutherans—just like Virginia’s. I too took piano lessons (though I stopped after four years) and still play on occasion. Reading the story, I felt as though Virginia’s family and mine could have immigrated from the same part of Germany and perhaps been neighbors or fellow church members.

I also remember my very first trip to the symphony in Sarasota as a young girl, not with a family member, but with an older lady who was like a second grandmother to me. I felt so special and grown up, just like Virginia, embarking on an adventure.

Thank you for giving me such a beautiful, sentimental journey. Wasn't life grand back then? So different than today… perhaps that’s the 63-year-old me speaking ."

-Kathryn Willman Davis, employee of Central Pharmaceuticals who worked under the leadership of Virginia B. Toulmin

It’s perfect in every way. (Personal review, August 2025)

IMy name is Bill Villafranco, and for 15 years, I had the rare privilege of being mentored by Virginia B.Toulmin. She was brilliant, bold, and deeply compassionate. Before she passed, she showed me a video ofherself in the Sarasota archives. Watching it again recently reminded me: Virginia’s story must not fade. Herlegacy must live on.

The first book in a powerful 8-part children’s series, Virginia B. Goes to the Symphony, has just been released. It is inspired by the life of this extraordinary woman. A woman who quietly shaped the world through generosity, love of the arts, and a heart for others. This book is more than a story. It is a seed of legacy. A way to pass on purpose, wonder, and kindness to the next generation.

I encourage you to:

  • Buy the book.

  • Read it with your children or grandchildren.

  • Gift it to a teacher, a library, a family.

  • Let it spark conversation, imagination, and hope.

Follow @readvirginiab @virginiabtoulmin on Facebook and Instagram.

The trustees of The Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation are committed to keeping her vision alive, and this book is just the beginning.

Let’s carry her story forward, together, in service to her legacy

-Bill Villafranco, Trustee, Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

She changed my life. Now, her story can change yours. (Personal review)