Maddie's parents never let her do what she wants. One day she wanted to listen to her music, but her parents had opera screeching through the house full-blast. She figures that if she gets a walkman she can listen to what she wants, when she wants to-but walkmans cost a lot of money. She has a little money, but not enough. Her brother Alexander has plenty of money, so she thinks she might "borrow" some without telling him. When a gang of tough guys threatens her at her family yard sale, however, she learns a lesson about what this sort of borrowing really means. At the same time, she learns how important her family really is to her. Maddie Wants Music is a story that shows how what we think we want can lead us to what we really need.