2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas, by Marie-Helene Bertino

Madeleine Altimari is nine, though her mother's death and father's emotional abandonment have aged her and made her somewhat of a misfit in her school.  She wants to be a jazz singer, but her last effort to sing at school had dire consequences.  On Christmas Eve, Madeleine sets out to make her singing debut at the Cat's Pajamas, Philadelphia's most notorious jazz club.  A bit of magic, a quantity of charm, and characters you can care about.