Echo (Muñoz Ryan novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Pam Muñoz Ryan |
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| Illustrator | Dinara Mirtalipova |
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| Language | English |
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| Publisher | Scholastic Press |
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Publication date
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March 2015 |
| Pages | 592 |
| Awards | 2016 Newbery Honor |
| ISBN | 978-0-439-87402-1 |
Echo is a novel for young readers written by Pam Muñoz Ryan. It was illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova and published by Scholastic Press in 2015.
The story takes place in Germany and America, mostly in the years leading up to World War II. It shows how a special harmonica and its music connect the lives of three different children. These children are Friedrich Schmidt, who works at a harmonica factory; Mike Flannery, an orphan in Philadelphia; and Ivy Maria Lopez, whose parents are migrant farm workers. Echo was recognized as a Newbery Honor book in 2016, which is a big award for children's literature.
What is Echo About?
The book starts with a magical story set in Germany around 1889. A boy named Otto is playing hide-and-seek when he finds a book called The Thirteenth Harmonica of Otto Messenger. This book tells the tale of three princesses who were given to a witch. Their father, the king, had given them away because he wanted a son.
The witch kept the princesses safe, but when the king finally had a son and wanted his daughters back, she put a curse on them. The curse said they could not leave in their human form. Instead, their spirits would be trapped inside a musical instrument. They could only be freed if they helped someone "save a soul from death's dark door."
Otto, completely lost in the story, wanders into the woods where the princesses are trapped. He happens to have a harmonica with him, given to him by the same person who sold him the book. This harmonica is special because it holds the spirits of the princesses.
The Harmonica's Journey
The story then jumps forward almost 70 years. The magical harmonica is found in a storage room at the Hohner factory by a boy named Friedrich Schmidt. This harmonica is unique, marked "Marine Band/1896" and has a red "M" on it.
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The novel follows this harmonica as it travels from Friedrich in Germany to two orphan brothers, Mike and Frankie Flannery, in Philadelphia, USA. Later, it reaches Ivy Maria Lopez, the daughter of migrant workers in California.
Each child who receives the harmonica has a special musical talent and faces big challenges in their life:
- Friedrich Schmidt dreams of becoming a conductor. He has a birthmark on his face that causes him to be bullied. He works at the Hohner Harmonica Factory in Germany during a difficult time in history.
- Mike Flannery is a talented piano player. He lives in an orphanage in Philadelphia with his younger brother, Frankie. Mike hopes to join a famous harmonica band to escape poverty and take care of Frankie.
- Ivy Maria Lopez is discovering her love for music. She lives in California and helps her family work on farms. She faces challenges like attending a school that is separate for different groups of children. She also helps her family care for a farm after the original owners were forced to leave their homes.
Friedrich's Story (Part One)
Friedrich Schmidt is the first person to receive the magical harmonica after Otto. His part of the story begins in October 1933 in Germany. Friedrich has a birthmark on his face, which makes him look different. He was bullied at school because of his passion for conducting music.
After leaving school, Friedrich works and learns at the Hohner Harmonica Factory in Trossingen, Germany. His father used to work there too. One day, while eating lunch, Friedrich hears music. He finds the special harmonica with the letter "M" on it. He takes the instrument and hides it in a box of harmonicas being sent to shops. He does this to protect himself and the harmonica, as harmonicas were not a common instrument in Germany at that time.
Images for kids
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Herbert Hoover with Albert N. Hoxie and the Harmonica Band of Philadelphia
