Pam Muñoz Ryan

Friedrich is a musical boy in 1933 Germany, where political tensions run high. His outspoken father, recently retired from the Hohner harmonica factory where Friedrich and his uncle Gunter still work, opposes Hitler and his ideas about racial purity -- but Friedrich's older sister Elisabeth has just started getting involved with the League of German Girls. When Friedrich, who was born with a port wine stain covering half of his face, is in danger from the new regime and his father is in show more danger for speaking out against it, what will become of Friedrich and his family?

Mike is a scrappy orphan in 1935 Philadelphia. Above all else, he wants to stay together with his younger brother Frankie, but it's rare for two orphans to be placed together from their orphanage. When, against the odds, the two brothers are placed with a wealthy lady, Mike knows it's too good to be true. The lady wanted a girl, not two boys. Mike knows that Frankie, with his winning personality, can charm their new guardian -- and perhaps he can find his own place in the world, maybe even in Hoxie's Philadelphia Harmonica Band. Is there any way that the brothers can stay together, or will Mike have to sacrifice to give Frankie his best chance?

Ivy is a migrant worker's daughter in 1942 California. Her father has just gotten a good job managing a farm for a Japanese resident who has been relocated to a internment camp, and Ivy is crushed because that will mean moving away from her favorite teacher and her best friend, just days before she was to have a solo in her class harmonica concert on the radio. In her new home, Ivy is dismayed to discover that the school system is segregated and Mexican students are bused to a separate elementary school. In facing this injustice in her life, she also reflects on the greater injustice faced by Japanese residents like the Yamamoto family who own the farm where her father now works. But when Ivy and her mother go to the Yamamoto house to check for rodents or any other damage, Ivy finds a mysterious locked door at the back of a closet. What secrets have the house's owners hidden away? Are they really enemies of America, as some of the neighbors believe?

This is a hefty chunk of a book, since it is really three books in one, tied together with a fairy-tale-like frame story and a unique harmonica that makes its way into the hands of each of the three children in turn. However, I found it a fast, well-paced read with interesting characters and a gripping plot. The dialogue is a little teach-y in spots, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book. I liked how the author tied the events of each story together at the end of the book. In my opinion, the frame story was the weakest bit of the book, but perhaps that was just because I was expecting historical fiction and the fantasy element seemed slightly out of place. Nevertheless, this is a good book that will be enjoyed by both young readers and adults. show less

Being from Central California and being familiar with the inner workings of farm worker camps, living conditions and general ethnic stereotypes, I found this book simply perfect and amazing. A true and worthwhile read. Having a regular life in your own hometown and country and dreaming of fairy-tale like utopias fails in comparison to the struggle of survival in a new land. We often think of immigration and naturalization in debatable terms but rarely discuss how some people do not choose to show more immigrate-circumstances happen. The contrast to Mexican-Americans here and abroad was integrated seamlessly with an uplifting, overcoming theme. This book informs and educates readers at a challenging level but also fascinates with its context and harsh realities. This book is a welcome addition to my own library and to the classroom. show less

Aboy journeys to self-discovery through the power of stories and traditions.

Eleven-year-old Maximiliano Córdoba is ready for an idyllic summer. He plans to work hard as a builder for his father and train for fútbol tryouts. Plus, Max hopes dad will take him to visit the towering ruins of La Reina Gigante, a haunted hideout used in the past by the Guardians to hide refugees as they fled Abismo, a war-torn, neighboring dictatorship. However, when Max must provide his birth certificate to show more join the team, he feels his dream summer crumble away. The document disappeared years ago, along with his mother, the woman with whom Max shares “leche quemada” eyes. Soon, Papá leaves on a three-week journey to request a new one, and Max finds himself torn between two desires: to know the truth about why his mother left when he was a baby and to make the team. As Max discovers the enchanting stories his grandfather has been telling him for years have an actual foothold in reality, he must choose between his own dreams and those of others. Kirkus Prize winner Ryan (Echo, 2015) beautifully layers thought-provoking topics onto her narrative while keeping readers immersed in the story’s world. Although set in the fictional country of Santa Maria, “somewhere in the Américas,” the struggles of refugee immigrants and the compassion of those who protect the travelers feel very relevant.

This tightly packed, powerful fantasy contains resonant truths. (Fantasy. 7-14)

-Kirkus Review show less

Compulsively readable, magical, musical, more historical than fairy tale story. Deeply engaging characters who all experience different aspects of World War II and its struggles -- from an epileptic German child, to a pair of orphan siblings, to a Latina migrant worker who must fight for equality in schooling. I'm not entirely sure that the fairy tale frame was necessary -- honestly, if you just told the story from the point of view of the harmonica, that would also work, but it really is show more almost impossible to put down, once you start on Friedrich's story, and the interweaving is extraordinarily deft. Oh, and all the things I learned about the history of the harmonica in this book! Maybe that's the best magic. show less