BookPikks

A sweet story about Nory Ryan’s daughter, Bird. Bird must find her way as a healer, and help her family make their dreams come true as well.

At the end of Nory Ryan’s Song, I was left wishing for a sequel. Maggie’s Door takes up minutes after the first book leaves off. Nory is on her own, with only a few mouthfuls of food in her bag, walking to find her family and a boat to America. In spite of the horror that Nory and her family must endure, they stick together, and hope remains. A satisfying conclusion to Nory’s journey.

Brick’s family lives on an apple orchard. Mariel lives with her adopted mother in Brooklyn. When the two children are suddenly brought together, they both need help. Brick needs a way to save his family’s orchard. Mariel needs to find out who her real mom is. The children work together to make their wishes come true. This would be a great read-aloud for a third or fourth grade classroom, as the story is told alternating from Brick’s and Mariel’s points of view.

Lily’s summer is not turning out the way she imagined. Her father is shipped overseas, her best friend has moved away, and she is left spending the summer with her grandmother, and the strange boy who just moved in next door. A sweet story for younger readers, set during WWII, about the importance of being truthful with those you love.

Nory Ryan and her family have lived in Ireland for generations.  But when the potato blight hits their farm, and greedy noblemen refuse to help, they must either flee or starve.  Nory courageously works to save her family, one person at a time.

After a slow start in the first chapters, I quickly devoured this book.  Giff writes powerfully of the Irish people and their love for their land, family and friends.  Some of the scenes were difficult for me to read, especially when they involved starving babies and children.  Even though this is a juvenile fiction book, it’s not appropriate for lower elementary.   In the end, I was sorry to leave Nory and her family, and was glad to discover two sequels: Maggie’s Door and Water Street.