The Magic of Music
By: Afia Paracha Imagine your world being changed in an instance. Suddenly, you don't know what happened. How your entire life changed in a moment. In "Echo" by Pam Munoz Ryan, this is what happens to the three main characters. Friedrich, living in Trossingen, Germany, in 1933 finds that when Hitler comes to power, he hasn't won the luck of the draw. For Mike, living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1935, he finds himself suddenly being adopted, but then finding it isn't what he expected. Finally, Ivy, living in La Colonia, California, in 1942, finds herself being moved from her town to a new home in Orange County, away from her friends. All three take place during or near World War II. All connected by music, they learn that sometimes you have to push through your troubles to find the light on the other side. To begin the story, we meet Friedrich, a boy living in Germany when Hitler begins to gain power. Already shunned for his birthmark, it increases as new laws are set in place. His father and uncle are the only people that see him for who he truly is, other than his sister, who begins to follow Hitler. His only consolation is music, playing the cello and his newfound harmonica. When things get worse, with the Jewish being shunned, along with any deformities, like his birthmark, life begins to get worse and worse. Friedrich learns to move forward to reach a better future, using music to help him cope. Next, we meet Mike, a boy living in an orphanage in Pennsylvania, in 1935, near the Great Depression. He sees no hope of getting adopted, but sticks in for his brother, Frankie. When he finally gets fostered, he sees that it isn't what he thought it'd be. Consoled only by music, he begins to make a plan. Finally, we meet Ivy, a girl living in California, during World War II. Her brother Fernando is fighting in the war, when suddenly, she's moving to a new house. When she goes there, she finds herself discriminated, being sent to a different school, just for being Hispanic. She has to fight through to find her ending.All three characters face their own challenges, and to find more, read "Echo", by Pam Munoz Ryan. Picture Source: “‘Echo’ by Pam Munoz Ryan.” Pennington Public Library, www.penningtonlibrary.org/book- review-echo-pam-munoz-ryan/.
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