This book.
This. Book. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan is an epic novel following the lives of 4 seemingly unrelated children through the events leading up to World War II. The one thing that ties them all together- a talent for music and one extraordinary harmonica. Part historical fiction and (one tiny) part Fantasy, Ryan leads us through the small tragedies of ordinary lives and leaves us hanging as her tale travels from child to child. This is a moving story about the power of music. I could not put it down.
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Shooting Kabul; by N. H. Senzai
At the age of 12 Fadi’s parents made a difficult decision of illegally leaving Afghanistan to escape the war. While trying to leave, Fadi’s young sister Mariam slips from his hand and gets left behind in the crowd and left behind in Afghanistan. Fadi feel that it is his fault but can’t do anything about it, that is, now that he is in America. He tries to adjust into his new home and make new friends but can’t forget Mariam. The chances are slim of getting her back.The one interest he has is photography, but even that can’t take his thoughts away from Mariam. But he keeps coming back to the same idea, what if one photo could end up bringing Mariam back? I rate this 4 stars; ★★★★☆ Librarian's Note: While a some of this book is a bit far-fetched, I felt Fadi's pain as he tried to cope with a terrible mistake that tore apart his family. Running means everything to high school track star Jessica. She loves the feel of the wind on her face in the early morning. The satisfaction of crossing the finish line. The burn in your legs when rounding Rigor Mortis bend. Every part of it. But, one day after a terrible accident, she wakes up in a hospital with one of her legs cut off below the knee. Her world falls apart. She can hardly walk, much less run. Running is a distant dream. Is it even possible for her to walk again? With the help of her family, track teammates, and new friends she meets along the way, Jessica might just find herself rounding the track once again.
I rate this book 5 stars ★★★★★ Librarian's Note: I wholeheartedly agree with Addy. This is a fantastic book about finding inspiration and overcoming obstacles. Shhh... don't tell. I don't know classic picture books. I have never read a book by Eve Bunting. I think the first time I ever saw Blueberries for Sal was when my daughter got it as a present. And I didn't know who Patricia Polacco was until a teacher at Longfellow suggested I use her books in a lesson (don't get me started on how hard I cried over Pink and Say). I am just not a picture book person outside of the collected works of Mo Willems. For a picture book to get my attention, it has to be quirky. Really quirky. Wow, does This is a Moose fit the bill. It's the story of a nature documentary where the animals have their own ideas about what should happen. The moose- he'd rather be an astronaut. And giraffe- why, he has a future as a doctor, of course. I actually laughed out loud as the animals got more and more determined and the director got more and more frustrated. Illustrator Tom Lichtenheld works even more humor into his drawings. I'm not sure the kindergartners fully get this book, but boy, do I find it funny.
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