Some time ago, I read about how searching for belonging creates among the most powerful children's stories. Time and time again, that rings true. Becoming Naomi León is the story of a young girl and her brother Owen, who are being raised by their Gram. As with Foxlight, Naomi has dreams of how her mother does want her, will want her, will shower her with love, and bring her family. As expected, Naomi's mother does turn up. But she's nothing like Naomi imagined. She's unpredictable, alternately showing love and blazing in anger. Worst of all, her mother wants Naomi, but not Owen. What is Naomi to do? Becoming Naomi León is a beautiful story of courage, love, and making difficult choices. Can Naomi live up to her name and become the lion she is? Can she stand firmly in support of what she wants, even though being abandoned led to selective mutism that she continues to struggle … [Read more...]
Echo
Do you ever read the author's note and acknowledgements? I love reading them! For example, at the end of Echo, author Pam Muñoz Ryan writes: It was [in the German Harmonica and Accordion Museum in Trossingen] in a glass case that I discovered the letters from thankful family members of soldiers whose lives were once saved by Hohner harmonicas, and the mutilated instruments, some with bullets still embedded, that had protected them. Echo - Acknowledgements I had gooseflesh as I read that because I would never have imagined that a harmonica could save a life. It made Echo all the more poignant because a harmonica, a very special harmonica, is what holds the whole story together. Echo is a blend of historical fiction and fantasy. It traces the story of an enchanted harmonica that finds its way to people who need it. In this gorgeous book divided into three parts, we read about … [Read more...]