Sometimes the most unexpected things can change your life forever. New York Times Bestselling Author Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo is a story about the power of music, family and just exactly how much the world can impact you. The story, which takes place across multiple storylines, starts with Otto Messenger, who, while in the midst of a game of hide and seek, finds himself in a forbidden forest and no sooner, tangled into a prophecy, a mysterious harmonica and three sisters placed under a spell which only could be broken by a messenger. 50 years later, the very same harmonica is placed into the lives of Friedrich, Mike and Ivy, three children living very different lives, except for the one thing they had in common-their ability to find solace in music. Friedrich, living in 1940s Germany is faced with crisis when his father is taken captive. Mike, an orphan living with his brother, Frankie’s lives are turned upside down when they are adopted by Ms. Stuebridge, a rich widow with a mansion in the countryside who has more to her personality than what meets the eye. Ivy Lopez discovers she is forced to move to Fresno, away from her old home and into a new life filled with new people whom she isn’t used to. But through the power of music and friends they make along the way, they manage to restore balance in themselves and break the three sisters’ curse. Ryan manages to weave innocence and simple pleasures into a war-ridden world, and everyday experiences through the light of three sixth graders. Easily likable characters and their internal conflict adds a lot to the story as it enables you to only step more into the shoes of the protagonists’ lives. A particular highlight of the story were the descriptions, specifically the emotions felt during the performance. The rich imagery moves you into a haven tucked away from the world, where every note wrapped you up in a story they were meant to tell. Filled with eloquent, simple yet effective prose, characters readers will thoroughly find themselves attached to, and a vivid glimpse into what the past was like, Echo will take your breath away from the first strike until the very last note. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2015. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Book Club Report: Paint the Wind, by Pam Muñoz Ryan
An update from our sixteenth and seventeenth Book Club meetings! Over the past two weeks, the Stone Soup Book Club has been reading Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan. The novel is about a girl, Maya, who has lived a very sheltered life with her grandmother after her parents’ death–that is, until she goes to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming, people who love horses and the great outdoors. Both of our sessions started with a “social breakout room,” inspired by the ARTT room in one of our previous books, Harbor Me. Since we have very fascinating discussions in Book Club, we figured that it would be nice if we could get to know each other better. In these breakout rooms, participants are in groups of 2 or 3, and are welcome to just talk to each other for 5-7 minutes. Most everyone seems to enjoy these social breakout rooms. Our first week of discussions included breakout rooms in which we talked about character and setting in Paint the Wind, both what we think about them and what role they play in the plot. We decided that the characters seemed to mirror the setting they were in, and that the settings provided a strong contrast between a sheltered life and an open life. Next, we talked a bit about the role of wild horses in the book. The horses play important roles, as they are something that connects Maya to the mother she never really knew. We also talked about how the horses, who live in the wild, relate to the fact that Maya wants to live a more open, less rigid, life. In our second week of discussions, we first split into two breakout rooms to discuss the end of the book. There are several dramatic situations near the end of Paint the Wind, and we talked about how they caused Maya to grow as a character, as well whether we found those situations plausible. Furthermore, we brainstormed about themes for the book, which we shared out in our whole group. We came up with: family, freedom, and change. Next, we read sections of an interview with Pam Muñoz Ryan about Paint the Wind. It was fascinating to hear the author’s thought process. Finally, since the idea of change, and of expanding our horizons, is so important in Paint the Wind, we all thought about times when we had tried something new and expanded our horizons, and then shared out. It was cool to hear what everyone had to say! We will begin discussing our next book (see below) on August 19. Our Next Book (To be discussed on August 19 and August 26): The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13. We meet every Wednesday at 1 p.m. PST (4 p.m. EST) for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book. Join us!
Book Club Report: Harbor Me, by Jacqueline Woodson
An update from our fourteenth and fifteenth Book Club meetings! Over the past two weeks, the Stone Soup Book Club has been reading Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. The story is about six children in Brooklyn, NY, who end up talking to each other in the old art room without any adult supervision (they end up calling the room the “ARTT Room” (A Room to Talk)). The kids–Haley, Holly, Estaban, Amari, Tiago, and Ashton–become friends as the year goes on, and they share their problems with one another, helping each other through all of their issues. In our first week of discussion, we focused on themes and characters. We discussed how we found the characters to be relatable, and how the interactions between the characters seemed very real, as well as talking about major themes–such as immigration, bullying, racism, incarceration, friendship, and family–and what roles they play in the book, as well as how they affect the lives and actions of the characters. Next, we talked about what it means to be a harbor to someone, as is suggested by the title of the book. We also shared experiences of either harboring someone, or being harbored by someone, and how meaningful both of those were. In our second week of discussions (our fifteenth week of Book Club!) we started out with a very fun activity! We split the group up into breakout rooms of two or three, and let each group be its own ARTT room. The participants talked about whatever they wanted, and were not required to report what they discussed. Reflecting on their experience, it seemed that most people thought it was fun to talk to people they didn’t really know, and find out what interests they held in common. It seems that the Book Club participants would be interested in participating in more ARTT rooms! Next, we discussed the end of the book; overall, we all agreed that it was very ambiguous. This led to a brief conversation where we discussed if there was a sequel, what we would want it to be about. Most people agreed that they would want a sort of reunion between the characters. Other ideas included: the characters must save the ARTT room from being destroyed, or even having an entirely different set of characters who bond in the room. Finally, we chose our new book, which is listed below! IMPORTANT: Book Club is taking a week off, and will not meet on Wednesday, July 29. We will resume Book Club on August 5. Keep reading in the meantime! The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13. We meet every Wednesday at 1pm PST (4pm EST) for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book. Join us! Our Next Book (August 5 & August 12): Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan
