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In the mid-1800s, Nory and her neighbor and friend, Sean, set out separately on a dangerous journey from famine-plagued Ireland, hoping to reach a better life in America.Tags
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My son and I read Nory Ryan's Song and then followed it up with this sequel. This one took us a full month to read, not because it's long but because we just never felt that motivated to pick it up. Journey books are a challenge for us (we weren't able to finish Karen Cushman's Rodzina), and this one provided just barely enough forward motion to get us through. The story itself is interesting enough, but the telling drags.
Not quite as grim as Nory Ryan's Song, but still quite sobering, with plenty to reflect on.
This is a wonderful book for young people to read. It entails the journey of a young girl who leaves Ireland during the potato famine and travels to America (Brooklyn, NY) to be with the rest of her family. She tells about her sojourn to get to the vessel that will be taking her and her little brother and granda. She talks about the difficult living conditions on the ship, and the death of her granda (grandfather). She tells about how they finally made it to Brooklyn and she makes it to Maggie's Door (Maggie is her sister) and she and her little brother Patch are finally reunited with the rest of her family.
My son and I read [b: Nory Ryan's Song|130085|Nory Ryan's Song (Nory Ryan, #1)|Patricia Reilly Giff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320545311s/130085.jpg|1027852] and then followed it up with this sequel. This one took us a full month to read, not because it's long but because we just never felt that motivated to pick it up. Journey books are a challenge for us (we weren't able to finish Karen Cushman's [b: Rodzina|54365|Rodzina|Karen Cushman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388378260s/54365.jpg|519682]), and this one provided just barely enough forward motion to get us through. The story itself is interesting enough, but the telling drags.
Patricia Reilly Giff is one of my favorite middle grade authors. She is able to bring the past alive with engaging characters and fascinating stories. I find her very engaging and I thoroughly enjoy all her books.
Tells the story of Nory Ryan and her neighbor Sean who try and make it to America for hope for the future. It takes place after Ireland's Black Potato crisis and both character's are struggling first to get to a ship to take them to America and then they struggle through the bad seas and famine in the ship to finally arrive at their families door step in Brooklyn, NY. The novel has a very slow start and is very depressing. I became very interested in the time period and the history behind the flights to America. It's a good History lesson and can make children feel very grateful for all they have.
A great follow up to Nory Ryan's Song that has all the charm of the original.
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Author Information
166+ Works 34,401 Members
Patricia Reilly Giff was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 26, 1935. She knew she wanted to be a writer, even as a little girl. She received a Bachelor's of Arts in Education from Marymount College, a Master's of Arts from St. John's University, and a Professional Diploma in Reading and a Doctorate of Humane Letters from Hofstra University. show more After she graduated from college, she taught in the public schools in New York City until 1960 and then in the public schools in Elmont, New York from 1964 until 1971. She then became a reading consultant before finally, at the age of 40, deciding to write a book. She also worked as an educational consultant for Dell Yearling and Young Yearling Books and as an advisor and instructor to aspiring writers. She is the author of more than 60 children's books, as well as a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers. Together with her husband, Giff opened "The Dinosaur's Paw," a children's bookstore named after one of her own stories. She is the author of the Polk Street School books. Lily's Crossing, about the homefront during World War II, was named a Newberry Honor Book by the American Library Association as well as an ALA Notable Book for Children. The novel also won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor. Pictures of Hollis Woods was also named a Newberry Honor Book and Nory Ryan's Song was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Series
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Nory Ryan; Sean Red Mallon; Patch Ryan; Maggie Ryan
- Important places
- Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA; Ireland
- Important events
- Irish Potato Famine (1845 | 1852)
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 475
- Popularity
- 63,632
- Reviews
- 14
- Rating
- (3.89)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 18
- ASINs
- 4
