DISCUSSION GUIDE Grades 4–9 Celebrating the novels of Pam Muñoz Ryan From Esperanza Rising to Echo Meets State Standards Including Common Core—SEE INSIDE Dear Friends, One day in 2010, at a historical society in California, I was researching what I thought would be my next book, when I came upon a striking photograph that led me down a completely different path. The picture showed a classroom of children sitting on the steps of a country school in 1931, each holding a harmonica. When I asked the docent about the photo, she said, “That was our elementary school harmonica band. Back then, almost every school had one.” Really? School bands dedicated just to harmonica playing? I had never heard of such things! But my research taught me that not only was there a harmonica band movement in the United States, there was also Albert H. Hoxie’s then-famous Philadelphia Harmonica Band of Wizards, the sixty-member band of boys who played in Charles Lindbergh’s parade, and for three presidents, including Frank- lin Roosevelt at his inauguration. And the band used the same model of harmonica as the students in the country school—the Hohner Marine Band from Germany. I began to wonder about two harmonica-playing characters in different parts of the country: Mike, an orphan boy in Philadelphia who wanted to be in Hoxie’s band, which was full of orphans. And Ivy Maria, a girl in a country school harmonica band in Southern Cali- fornia. My mind made the inevitable leaps. What if by chance my characters, at different points in time, played the same harmonica? And if it was the same harmonica, where had it originated and who owned it before them? After corresponding with the Hohner Harmonica company in Trossingen, Germany, I traveled there to tour the campus of the largest harmonica factory in the world. I learned about the six-pointed star on the harmonicas and how it was removed when Hitler became chancellor, and about the young apprentices who used to work at the factory. It was there that Friedrich’s story began to unfold, along with the premise for the book: one harmonica that journeyed into three characters’ lives—a mysterious harmonica that somehow con- tributed to each character’s ability to carry on through dark times, infused them with strength and vision, and showed them the light of hope. How had the harmonica become possessed of such powers? I imagined the backstory of the harmonica itself, which grew into an origi- nal fairy tale—complete with a midwife’s prophecy and a witch’s devious spell—that would frame the three stories. But would a prophecy and a witch’s spell feel believable in the context of a largely realistic novel? In the Hohner Harmonica museum, I made an astonishing discovery and found my answer. Among the commemorative and antique harmonicas was the improbable evi- dence of a real-life miracle. And precisely what I needed to break the witch’s spell. I hope you are intrigued enough to read Echo and find out how a simple harmonica could hold the power to save and change lives. With gratitude for all you do for readers, Pam Muñoz Ryan About the Author PamMuñozRyanistheauthorrecipientoftheNationalEducation Association’sCivilandHumanRightsAward,thewinneroftheVirginia HamiltonLiteraryAwardforMulticulturalLiterature,andshehas twicereceivedtheWillaCatherAwardforwriting.Shehaswrittenover thirtybooksforyoungpeople,frompicturebooksfortheveryyoung tomiddlegradenovelswhichinclude:Esperanza Rising,Becoming Naomi León,Riding Freedom,Paint the Wind,The Dreamer,andmostrecently, Echo.Sheholdsabachelor’sandmaster’sdegreefromSanDiego StateUniversityandlivesnearSanDiegowithherfamily.Formore information,visitwww.PamMunozRyan.com. Photo © Sean B. Masterson 2010 About Echo Otto’sextraordinaryencounterthedayheislostinaforbiddenforestinvolveshim inastrangedestiny—aquestgiventohimbythreemysterioussisters,aprophe- cy,andaveryspecialharmonica.Manyyearslater,thelivesofthreeyoungpeople becomeentwinedwiththatsameharmonica.Friedrichmustfindawaytoescape withhisfatherfromthegrowingmenaceofNaziGermany,buthowcantheydo thatwhenthingsaregettingmoredangerouseveryday?Mikeisdesperatetofinda betterplaceforhimselfandhisyoungerbrotherthantheorphanagewheretheylive nearPhiladelphia,butperhapsthesolution,whenitcomes,istoogoodtobetrue. Ivylongsforhermigrantfamilytohaveapermanenthomeinthefarmingcountry ofCalifornia,butdoesithavetobeattheexpenseofanotherfamily’smisfortune? Whatisthesecretofthemysteriousharmonicathatcomesintoeachoftheselives, andhowwillithelptofulfillapromisemadelongbeforetheywereborn? Discussion Questions Key Ideas and Details 1.Whatcluesintheprologuestoryhelpyoudeterminewhen 8.Thisstoryistoldfrommanypointsofview.Discusshowthe andwhereOtto’sstorytakesplace?Howdoestheharmonica authorestablishesauniquevoiceforeachofthemaincharac- helphimtofindhiswayhome?Whywillnoonebelievehissto- ters.WhydoFriedrich’s,Mike’s,andIvy’ssectionseachend ryaboutEins,Zwei,andDrei?CCSS.RL.5–9.1 witha“cliffhanger”momentandunansweredquestionsabout whatwillhappentothemnext?CCSS.RL.5–9.6 2.Discussthemeaningofthemidwife’sprophecyinthetale: “Yourfateisnotyetsealed.Eveninthedarkestnight,astar 9.t A theendofsectionfour,whatisthesignificanceofthelast willshine,abellwillchime,apathwillberevealed.”Howdoes line?“...andconnectedbythesamesilkenthread”(p.583). thisprophecyapplytothelivesofFriedrich,Mike,andIvy,as Howdoesthatphraseechothethemesofthenovelingeneral, wellastoOttoandthesistersinthetale?CCSS.RL.5–9.2 andinparticularthethreesisters?CCSS.RL.5–9.5 3.ComparethelivesofFriedrich,Mike,andIvy.Howaretheir Integration of Knowledge and Ideas challengessimilarandhowaretheydifferent?Howdoeachof 10.LookupinformationaboutthetownofTrossingeninGer- thesecharactersshowcourageanddetermination?Howdoes many.Whyisthisplacereferredtoasa“musictown”?Com- theharmonicaplayaroleinthejourneyofeach?CCSS.RL.5–9.3 parewhatyouknowaboutTrossingenfromthestorytowhat youcanlearnfrominformationsources.CCSS.RI.5–9.7 4.Discusstheroleofadultcharactersinthesestories.Which adultsarepositiverolemodelsandhowdotheyhelpthechil- 11.ThemaincharactersinEchoarefictional,butthereare drentogrowinconfidenceandunderstanding?Whichadults historicalfiguresandeventsmentionedthroughoutthebook. arenegativeinfluencesandhowdothechildrenreacttothem? LookupinformationaboutAdolfHitler,MatthiasHohner, CCSS.RL.5–9.3 AlbertHoxie,LarryAdler,PearlHarbor,Japaneseinternment camps,andthebraceroprogram.Comparewhatyoufindin 5.DiscusstheroleofsiblingsinthelivesofFriedrich,Mike, informationsourcestowhatyouhavelearnedabouteachof andIvy.Whatistherelationshipofeachtohisorhersibling? thesetopicsinthestory.CCSS.RI.5–9.8 Describehowtheirdifferentpersonalitiesandagesaffectthe wayeachreactstothetimeandplaceinwhichtheylive—in 12.Readfictionandnonfictionbookswithsimilarthemesand Germany,inPennsylvania,andinCalifornia.CCSS.RL.5–9.3 settingstocomparetoEcho.TounderstandElisabeth’spoint ofviewinPartOne,forexample,readHitler Youth: Growing Craft and Structure Up in Hitler’s ShadowbySusanCampbellBartoletti(Scholastic, 6.Discussthefirstlineofthefairytale:“Once,longbeforeen- 2005).ForPartTwo,compareMike’splighttothatofanother chantmentwaseclipsedbydoubt...”Howdoesthechoiceof Irish-AmericanboyinThe Journal of Sean SullivanbyWilliam wordsinthatsentencesetatoneforthebook?CCSS.RL.5–9.4 Durbin(Scholastic,1999),andforPartThree,contrastIvy’s journeytothatofEsperanzainEsperanza RisingbyPamMuñoz 7.Listentorecordingsofthepiecesofmusicthatintroduce Ryan(Scholastic,2000).Comparethestoryof“AWitch,a eachpartofthisstory.Howdothesongsfeatureinthelivesof Kiss,aProphecy”tofairytalesincollectionssuchasthoseof eachmaincharacter?Discusstheimportanceofmusicintheir theBrothersGrimm.CCSS.RL.5–9.9 lives.CCSS.RL.5–9.5 About Esperanza Rising Thismodernclassiccelebratesits15thanniversaryin2015. Esperanzathoughtshe’dalwayslivewithherfamilyontheirranchinMexico—she’d alwayshavefancydresses,abeautifulhome,andservants.Butasuddentragedyforces EsperanzaandMamatofleetoCaliforniaduringtheGreatDepression,andtosettle inacampforMexicanfarmworkers.Esperanzaisn’treadyforthehardlabor,financial struggles,orlackofacceptanceshenowfaces.Whentheirnewlifeisthreatened, Esperanzamustfindawaytoriseaboveherdifficultcircumstances—Mama’slife,and herown,dependonit. Discussion Questions Key Ideas and Details 1.WhydoesEsperanza’sfatherhaveaspecialfeelingforhis Comparethisideaof“rising”totherestofthestoryandtothe land?DiscussthecharactersofTíoLuisandTíoMarco.How title.Howdoesthemeaningchange?CCSS.RL.5–9.4 aretheydifferentfromEsperanza’sfather?CCSS.RL.5–9.1 6.Whydoestheauthornameeachchapterforafruitorvege- 2.ComparethetrainridesEsperanzaandMigueltookasyoung table?WhatisthesignificanceoftherosecuttingsthatAlfon- childrentotheonetheytaketoCalifornia.Howdoestheir soandMiguelcarrywiththemfromMexico?CCSS.RL.5–9.5 relationshipchangeaftertheymove?CCSS.RL.5–9.2 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 3.Howdoesseeingthestrikers’campaffectEsperanza?Why 7.ListentotheaudiobookproductionofEsperanza Rising.How doJosefinaandHortensiatellEsperanzaandMigueltoshop doesthelisteningexperienceenhanceyourfeelingforthestory onlyattheJapanesestore?WhatdoesAlfonsomeanwhenhe andyourunderstandingofthecharacters?CCSS.RL.5–9.7 tellsMiguelthatMr.Yakotais“gettingrichonotherpeople’s badmanners”?CCSS.RL.5–9.3 8.ComparethestoryofEsperanzatothatofBillyJoinOut of the DustbyKarenHesse(Scholastic,1997).Comparethepoetic Craft and Structure formatofHesse’sstorytoRyan’sprosestyle.Comparethese 4.DiscusstheMexicanproverbsatthebeginningofthebook bookstoafactualtellingofthetimeperiodlikeChildren of the andhowtheyrelatetothestory.CCSS.RL.5–9.4 Great DepressionbyRussellFreedman(Clarion,2005).How