Echo

Pam Muñoz Ryan's Newbery Honor book, Echo, is a masterful historical fiction novel that weaves together the stories of three children, Friedrich in Nazi Germany, Mike in an orphanage in 1930s Philadelphia, and Ivy in a Japanese-American farm community in 1940s California. Their individual struggles, from escaping persecution and poverty to battling discrimination, are mysteriously linked by an old harmonica. The book begins with a brief, enchanting fairy tale framing story, then delves into the realistic and often harrowing experiences of each child, showcasing their resilience, courage, and the power of music. It's an emotionally rich and complex narrative perfect for middle-grade readers aged 10-14, offering deep dives into historical events and powerful themes of family, justice, and hope.

Newbery Honor Book New York Times Bestseller This impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force from a treasured storyteller follows three children, in three different times and places, whose lives mysteriously intersect. Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo. Richly imagined and masterfully crafted, Echo pushes the boundaries of genre, form, and storytelling innovation to create a wholly original novel that will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.