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Echo | July 15, 2015

by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Scholastic Press, December 2014)

Fables, history, and magical realism collide in this middle-grade novel following three characters from different times and locations, and the harmonica which binds them together. Following a Grimm-style fairytale, the story begins with Friedrich and his father, who are attempting to flee Nazi Germany; the reader is then introduced to Mike, an orphan trying to look out for his younger brother in Depression-era Pennsylvania; before finally moving on to Ivy, the daughter of Mexican immigrants who agree to take care of a farm when its Japanese owners are sent to an internment camp. Each section offers a vibrant glimpse of world history, as viewed through each character’s personal struggles. In the end, all three stories are tied together with the message that through family and music, we can overcome the injustices of the world. Keep an ear out for this poignant historical novel.

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