The Harmonica

By Tony Johnston, Ron Mazellan (illustrator),

Book cover of The Harmonica

Book description

This powerful story, inspired by the life of a Holocaust survivor, is a testament to the human spirit and the transcendent power of music.

When the Nazis invaded Poland, a family is split apart. The parents are sent to one concentration camp, their son to another. Only his father's gift,ā€¦

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Harmonica as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This picture book was inspired by a true story about Henryk, a Jewish boy in WWII Poland. Henrykā€™s family loved music and enjoyed singing together. They couldnā€™t afford a piano, so Henryk learned to play Schubert on the harmonica his father had given him. When his parents were arrested by the Nazis, Henryk was deported to Dyhernfurth concentration camp. A Nazi guard heard him playing the harmonica and ordered the boy to play for him. Henryk didnā€™t want to play for the guard, but he had no choice. Then he found out that he also had another, more important audience:ā€¦

From Karen's list on courage during the holocaust.

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The Yesterday Dress by Teena Raffa-Mulligan,

Everyone in Angelina's big family has a story to tell.

The Yesterday Dress is a story for seven to nine-year olds about family connections and how learning about the past gives us a stronger sense of where we come from, who we are and how we fit into our world.ā€¦

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