Echo (Newbery Honor Book) [B1303]

2015 HCDJ, 585-pages, in nice clean condition. Newbery Honor Book. This impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic YA tour de force from a treasured storyteller follows three children, in three different times and places, whose lives mysteriously intersect. Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica.

Decades later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in California each, in turn, become interwoven when the very same harmonica lands in their lives. All the children face daunting challenges: rescuing a father, protecting a brother, holding a family together. And ultimately, pulled by the invisible thread of destiny, their suspenseful solo stories converge in an orchestral crescendo. Richly imagined and masterfully crafted, Echo pushes the boundaries of genre, form, and storytelling innovation to create a wholly original novel that will resound in your heart long after the last note has been struck.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Please everyone, read this incredible book! I'm usually not so insistent, as a reading experience is subjective to personal tastes, but this novel is so clever in its execution and so beautiful in its exploration of familial love, courage and the healing power of music. An orchestral masterpiece of a book!"; "Three stories of the lives of musicians tied together by a bit of magic. Set around WW2, all the characters go through challenging times and must make big decisions in the face of danger or distress. We enjoyed reading this as a family read-aloud with children ages 6-10."; "Delightful read! I actually really enjoyed the setup of the three storylines, although I do wish the ending had been fleshed out to tie the three storylines together better. The characters were lovely and inspiring-- and the happy ending felt perfect for the middle grade reading level."