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The Sound of Freedom

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Anna and her family have only one hope left to escape certain doom. It's 1936 and life is becoming dangerous for the Jews of Krakow. As incidents of violence and persecution increase day by day, Anna begs her father to leave Poland, but he insists it's impossible. How could he give up his position as an acclaimed clarinetist in the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra? When Anna and her father barely escape from a group of violent thugs, it becomes clear that the family must leave. But how? There seems to be only one possibility. Bronislaw Huberman, a world-renowned violinist, is auditioning Jewish musicians for a new orchestra in Palestine. If accepted, they and their families will receive exit visas. Anna and her grandmother boldly write to Huberman asking him to give Anna's father an audition, but will that be enough to save them? This poignant story is based on real events in pre-war Poland and Palestine. After saving seven hundred Jews and their families, Huberman went on to establish what later became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Against an ominous background of the impending Holocaust in Europe and the first Arab-Israeli war, The Sound of Freedom still manages to remind the reader of the goodness in the world.

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    • Booklist

      March 1, 2018
      Grades 5-8 Anna Hirsch's familiar, safe world changes as Hitler's persecution hits Jewish people, including Anna's family, in Krakow. As she begins to witness this wrongdoing, Bronislaw Huberman, a musician, creates a new orchestra in Palestine for Jewish musicians. Seeing this as a golden opportunity, Anna encourages her father, who plays the clarinet, to audition in hopes of escaping Poland before things get worse. Reminiscent of the author's debut, The Secret of Gabi's Dresser (1999), this historical novel from Kacer is based on the true story of violinist Huberman, but it is told from the perspective of Anna, a young and promising musician. While Kacer's setting is executed well against the backdrop of pre-WWII, the plot does falter a bit. The biggest thrills are when the musicians travel to a new country and perform their first concert, leaving the novel's ending a bit flat. The faint implication of hope for Anna and her family does help make this agreeable read go down smoothly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Formats

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Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.3
  • Lexile® Measure:750
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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