Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan

-from Pam Munoz Ryan's website

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2015. ECHO. Ill. by Dinara Mirtalipova. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439874021.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Three stories, three lives, three verses to a singular song that can be played with a magical harmonica. Ryan writes a three-part harmony story with Echo.  

In the beginning, a curse gives way to an enchantment, which is fused into a very special instrument. That instrument, a harmonica, goes on to bless three different musicians, in three very different places. As a Jew, Friedrich must escape the persecution of the Nazis. As orphans, Mike and Frankie must find a home.  As a Mexican American, Ivy must fight for equality.  Will they all find what they are looking for? The magic of music will prevail!

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Ryan writes three historical fiction books, with an overarching fantasy storyline that bookends them together. Although the characters of the four tales all live in different cultures, they all share a subculture of music.  Music is a cherished golden thread that connects every culture. 

The story of Friedrich and his family is set in Germany in the 1930s.  The rise of Hitler is happening, despite the good sense of many of his countrymen.  Within the Schmidt family, there arises a conflict of values.  Friedrich and his father value humanity with all of its differences, but Elisabeth has been influenced to believe in the emerging Nazi party and its purist ideals. Pride gives way to superiority in this German subculture. Thankfully, love for family is stronger than love for country. 

Mike and Frankie Flannery are not fighting for their lives against the Nazis, but as orphans during the Great Depression, their lives are just as at stake.  Basic needs such as food and a bed to sleep in were priorities.  However, the joy of their days were found in each other and music.  Their grandmother could not give them much, but she gave the boys the gift of music. Ultimately it was their musical ability that landed them the opportunity of a lifetime. 

The Lopez family is a migrant family that follows the available work in Southern California. As Ivy says, they were chasing “Better.” When they are given a chance for stability, they move to a new community, only to experience prejudice and segregation.  Ivy is denied educational equality with her white peers, simply because she is Mexican American. The very same country that her brother is fighting for and risking his life for in the World War is denying her her basic rights. 

In the book, music is a symbol for hope and healing. Music gives hope, and helps heal.  It is an ethereal theme throughout the entire book. However, it was not the only theme that permeated every culture. Love and devotion for family is shared by every culture as well.  

In Ivy’s storyline, the value of family extended to the value of community, both within the Latin American community and the Asian American community. The Yamamoto family, which is Japanese, helped their community, at their own personal risk. 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2016

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starred, 03/01/15

Kirkus Reviews starred, December 2014: “A grand narrative that examines the power of music to inspire beauty in a world overrun with fear and intolerance, it's worth every moment of readers' time.”

Newbery Honor, 2016

Publishers Weekly starred, 12/22/14

School Library Journal starred, December 2014: “Meticulous historical detail and masterful storytelling frame the larger history, while the story of Otto and the cursed sisters honor timeless and traditional folktales. Ryan has created three contemporary characters who, through faith and perseverance, write their own happy endings, inspiring readers to believe they can do the same.”

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), 02/01/15

E. CONNECTIONS
A worthy thematic connection to associate with this book would be the magic of music.  Other middle grade books that carry that same beautiful message are Duet by Elise Broach, The Order of Things by Kaija Langley, All Summer Long by Hope Larson, and Playing through the Turnaround by Mylisa Larsen. 

Our Castle by the Sea by Lucy Strange

 

-from LucyStrange.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Strange, Lucy. 2018. OUR CASTLE BY THE SEA. New York: Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. ISBN 978-1-338-35385-3.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Petra Smith’s home was a lighthouse. She was both in love with the sea and terrified of it at the same time.  She grew up hearing the terrible tales of shipwrecks and tragedy at sea, but it wasn’t the sea that would threaten her family. Having a German mother and an English father never mattered to Petra, but when World War II broke out, it seemed to matter to everyone else.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Petra’s family is a blend of two different cultures, English and German. Her home is England, but as the war breaks out, her community begins to treat her and her family like outsiders because of her mother’s homeland. Strange walks a fine line by including some of the prejudice that existed during the war for those born in enemy territory without emphasizing too much of the cruelty for her younger readers. 

The German influence on Petra’s life seems minimal. The most obvious and significant connection to her mother’s heritage is the language. Petra calls her mother, Mutti, because of the German name for mother, mutter. She can speak and understand German.  Her mother sang her German lullabies as a child. Music is another cultural marker in this book.  It is a very small one, but specific types of songs are mentioned, especially the mystical songs of the Daughters of Stone.  

As an island country, the English culture is strongly tied to the sea. In the book, the legend of the “Daughters of Stone” is a sea myth that also serves as a warning to sailors. Throughout the story, there is a steady flow of references to boats and fishing. Petra and her sister, Magda, participate in a crabbing contest, which leads to a dramatic moment when Petra falls out of the boat into the cold, deep water. Much of the plot action is centered around the sea. 

There is a brief mention of cultural food. Scotch eggs are served for a special family breakfast. An iced biscuit is given as a treat. 

Strange also included time period markers, such as the use of the generic terms people used for different countrymen during the war.  The terms “Jerry” and “Fritz” were used to refer to Germans.  There is also certain diction made familiar to the general population because of that particular time in history, such as Dunkirk and Gestapo.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist starred, March 2019

Horn Book Magazine, May 2019 “ Vivid writing and an intense, intrepid heroine provide its substance and charge, as timid Pet grows to defeat her fears and become a person of strength, courage, and valiant resistance.”

Kirkus Reviews, February 2019

Publishers Weekly starred, February 2019 “Strange seamlessly blends a local legend, of four girls turned into ancient standing stones on the lighthouse's clifftop, with the larger story. A standout historical novel with a memorable protagonist, strongly sketched setting, and a compelling, twisty plot.”

School Library Connection, August 2019

E. CONNECTIONS
Middle grade readers may enjoy reading more stories of World War II from the British perspective. For history units on World War II, teachers could also offer reading circles that focus on historical fiction from this time period. Some great titles would be The Little Ships: the heroic rescue at Dunkirk in World War II, by Louise Borden (978-0-689-80827-2), When the Sky Falls, by Phil Earle (978-1-54760-930-7), and The War that Saved my Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (978-1-43286-585-6).

Just a Girl: A True Story of World War II by Lia Levi

 

-from Goodreads.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Levi, Lia. 2020. JUST A GIRL: A TRUE STORY OF WORLD WAR II. Ill. by Jess Mason. Milano: HarperCollins Italia. ISBN 978-0-06-306508-6.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Lia Levi tells the story of her life in Italy during World War II. Lia and her Jewish family loved each other and their life in Turin.  However, when Mussolini begins to openly oppress the Jewish population, Lia is forced to leave her school and her friends and move.  Eventually, Lia and her sisters are hidden in a convent boarding school. Though her world is turned upside down, Lia continues to find friendship and enjoyment through the hardships.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

In this book, the story of World War II and the culture of Italy are seen through the eyes of a small girl.  At the end of Chapter 2, she relays that she thought Mussolini had done something good for her by no longer allowing her to go to her school in Turin.  In her narration, Lia stays true to her younger self by only conveying the very limited understanding of the war she had at the time.  

Lia’s family was wealthier than most, even though at a young age, she didn’t realize it.  Nevertheless, because of their resources, they were able to move around to find opportunities that others did not have.  Lia was able to continue her schooling in Milan and then Rome. She characterizes each Italian city. One of my favorite quotes is on page 46, where Lia says, “It feels as if my other schools were in black and white and this one is in color.”  

Food is a cultural marker in this story. Lia talks about Cesarina’s eggplant parmesan, but she declares that the best lunch she ever had was the homemade spaghetti for Saint Joseph’s Day at the convent. Delicious food is a characteristic of Italian culture, but it was even more significant when enjoyed during a time of food scarcity.  

Lia Levi incorporates small bits of the Italian language throughout the book.  Simple references like Signora and Piazza and Duce give the reader a taste of the beautiful language, without impeding understanding.  The text was originally written in Italian, but it is nice that they left a few of the Italian words in the English translation.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist starred, February 2022, “This highly readable first-person recollection is peppered with asides in which Lia directly addresses the “dear readers,” and her confiding tone reassures and gently informs an audience that may yet be unfamiliar with the inhumanity of that war.”

Horn Book Magazine, May 2022

Kirkus Reviews starred, February 2022, 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award, 2023

School Library Journal, May 2022, “Levi's story is perfect for young children who want to learn more about the Holocaust, but aren't ready for the more horrific details. VERDICT An excellent addition to elementary memoir and World War II collections.”

E. CONNECTIONS
Like Just a Girl, there are other Holocaust and World War II stories from the perspectives of young children.  As heartbreaking as they are, these stories are told from a perspective to which contemporary students can more easily relate. My Survival: a girl on Schindler’s list by Rena Finder, Signs of Survival: a memoir of the Holocaust by Renee G. Hartman, and Boy from Buchenwald: the true story of a Holocaust survivor by Robert Waisman would be excellent books to combine with Just a Girl for a time period study or to compare and contrast the different experiences. 

White Bird by RJ Palacio-- Movie coming to theaters this August!

 

-from https://wonderthebook.com/books/white-bird

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Palacio, R.J. 2019. WHITE BIRD. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780525645535. 

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Julian has been recently expelled from school because of his bullying behavior toward another student (our beloved Auggie, from Wonder.)  At his new school, he is assigned to research someone and write an essay about his/her life. He has chosen his grandmere, his beloved grandmother, Sara. She tells him the harrowing story of her life during World War II, as a Jewish French citizen. Her story is filled with both love and hate. As the Nazis invade her town, she is forced to separate from her family, and finds herself at the mercy of a kind classmate. The bravery, compassion, and generosity of the people in Sara’s story will inspire her grandson, as well as the reader. Palacio connects the past to the present and once again, petitions for our humanity. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This graphic novel is very well done! Palacio is so talented, to be both the writer and illustrator of this work. Kevin Czap is the artist that “inked” the story, which I recently learned is a crucial role in graphics. Czap created the shades and shadows of the drawings. 

The color choices create the tone of the story, and in this case, the muted colors of the flashback story are different from the brighter colors of the current day story. The narrator, Sara Blum, describes her younger life as a fairytale, and the color choices match that description- soft, happy colors. Then the shades associated with the evil of the Nazis and conspirators are darker and more shadowy.

I loved that this story was told in the form of a graphic novel. The pictures added so much to the story.  The emotions of this book are strong, and the details of the characters’ body language and facial expressions added to the depth and complexity of the emotion. Also, the symbolism was augmented by the visual aspect. For example, the yellow scarf that the sacrificial school teacher gives to Sara, as a symbol of hope and strength. Sara wears it throughout her time in hiding, but then she passes it along to Madame Beaumier, who must continue to face life without her son. 

There is a strong social-emotional lesson here. A connection is quickly made between bullying and oppression.  Bullying is a term that one may view as banal or  innocuous, but abuse and cruelty get our attention much quicker. They are one in the same, and Palacio shows her reader both the evidence and consequence. 

4. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Kirkus Reviews starred, July 2019, “ Although the book is being marketed as middle-grade, the complexities of the Holocaust in Vichy France, the growing relationship between Sara and Julien, Julien’s fate, and the mutual mistrust among neighbors will be most readily appreciated by Wonder’s older graduates. A must-read graphic novel that is both heart-rending and beautifully hopeful.”

Publishers Weekly, July 2019

School Library Journal, September 2019, “Moments set in the present featuring Julian and Grandmère frame the tale and draw parallels to family separation at the U.S. border, offering a powerful conclusion.”

Sydney Taylor Book Award, 2020

5. CONNECTIONS
*The topic of bullying needs to be addressed throughout every stage of schooling. This book would be a poignant addition to a SEL unit on bullying, along with Fish in a Tree, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Restart by Gordon Korman, or A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat.
*White Bird would also be a great complementary piece of a Holocaust study, alongside other middle grade books like Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen, or Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus. There are so many more!