Munoz Ryan author study discussion

So Mike and Frankie have been on some adventures. Were you surprised when the first family did not want to adopt them?
Do you think that Mr. Howard has an alternative motive for bringing the boys into the house?
What do you think the boys are willing to do to stay together or for the good of each other?
The ending of this section, again leaves us hanging, what do you think did happen to Mike?
Can you connect this part of the book to part 1? Can you see how Ryan plays on diversity?

I think the first family took their bond and not wanting to be separated as the boys being aggressive. While they are very passionate about being together Mr. Howard saw it as a healthy thing if they were kept together.
I felt for the two boys when they were in the clothing store and were treated poorly. I couldn't help but think of the movie "Pretty Woman" at this part... :)

I felt there would be a happy ending in this part, (unlike my feelings from the first part) but unsure how it would turn out if the two ran away. I am not a super fan of how Munoz Ryan leaves the reader wondering at the end of the parts, but I am very intrigued on how they are going to fit together.

I have read both readings and I feel that Munoz Ryan really reaches into diversity and gives you a great incite on these cultures.

The first family only wanted one child. They felt like they were getting a deal for the two without having to spend more money. Once the Retledges saw the bond the boys had, I think they didn't feel they would get what they wanted out of the adoption.
I really liked when Mr. Howard came to the orphanage. He had the right idea in trying to help the kids and even more importantly to him was trying to help Mrs. Sturbridge. He wanted everyone to be happy again. It amazes me that Mike is willing to give up a possibly great life with Mrs. Sturbridge just so that Frankie can stay and be taken care of. Mike is willing to sacrifice himself to keep his brother well taken care of. In the end though, Mike made the decision they had to go together.
I have my fingers crossed that Mike and Frankie have a good life together.
I agree with Tami that I am not a fan of how Ryan keeps you hanging at the end of each section of the book. I want to know that they are all living happily ever after before moving on to the next section.
After reading these two sections, I appreciate how give such insight on how other people live and what our lives could have been like.

After Frankie bit the husband, I wasn't surprised the family did not take the boys. They would be getting a great deal with two for one, but it didn't seem like it would be worth the hassle of misbehavingnboys.

I feel like Mr. Howard has an alternative motive for keeping the boys together, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what that might be. I have to admit, like Tami and Anita, I was thinking of Pretty Woman too :-) Another example of how looks can be deceiving.

Despite having a home with a bed, clean clothes, and hot meals, I think the boys would do anything to stay together. This was illustrated at the end of this section when Mike woke Frankie up in the middle of the night and told him they were leaving. For Frankie to give up the family he felt like he finally had, he must have trusted his brother completely to leave blindly in the middle of the night.

Like Tami said, I'm not a huge fan of how Munoz Ryan leaves you hanging at the end of each section. It certainly makes me want to continue reading, but I worry that by the time it is all pieced together I will have forgotten a lot of the details.

I do appreciate how Munoz Ryan incorporates a great deal of diversity, bringing us into different cultures and different periods of time.

Candace wrote: "After Frankie bit the husband, I wasn't surprised the family did not take the boys. They would be getting a great deal with two for one, but it didn't seem like it would be worth the hassle of misb..."

If you look at the start of each section it gives the time frame in which this takes place. So section 1 was the rise of Hitler before WWII, part 2 was during the great depression, and part 3 will be shortly after, not giving anything away. Show how even though the world is big and diverse even then events in one place ripple to another.

History always makes an impression on the future and how the world thinks. We all learn from different parts of history. The past has molded the future in different ways.
I am reading this book to my students. They are already guessing what is going to happen in each section. The end result of each section actually.

Anita wrote: "History always makes an impression on the future and how the world thinks. We all learn from different parts of history. The past has molded the future in different ways.
I am reading this book to..."

I can't wait to read this to my class!!

Like many of the responses so far, I wasn’t surprised that the first family didn’t take the boys. They were not looking for a family—mostly they wanted some cheap labor. When they saw the bond between the boys, they knew that separating them and just taking one of the boys would have been more trouble than help.

I think that Mr. Howard was under tremendous pressure to find a child for Mrs. Sturbridge as the deadline was quickly approaching. There were pretty specific wishes for the child. I think that in the end, he felt that being musical trumped the need for a girl. I think that Mr. Howard has an underlying wish, that even though it may be painful for Mrs. Sturbridge to see two boys walk into her home, it may help in learning to love again after the loss of her son. There is also the musical factor that helps to unite the boys and Mrs. Sturbridge.

I was so proud of Mike when he went in to speak to Mrs. Sturbridge. I can’t imagine how hard that was for him and it helps to show how much he loves his brother and wants him to be taken care of. Mike sees it as a solution to keep Frankie out of the state home. He has resigned himself to go back to Bishops if he doesn’t make it into Hoxie’s Harmonica Wizards.

Then when Mike read the note about the adoption appeal being granted, my heart sank. My hope is that this appeal was granted before the bond had been established with Mrs. Sturbridge and was no longer a thought in her mind. However, when Mike sees this he feels like it is time to go, so that he can keep Frankie out of the state home and they can be together.

At the end of this section, we are left hanging again. Does Mike get the wind knocked out of him but then get up and they keep running? Does he get injured and Frankie has to go get help? Will Mike get a letter saying that he made it into Hoxie’s Harmonica Wizards? In the end will Mrs. Sturbridge take the boys as her sons?

The first two parts of this book have so many parallels. Even though the stories take place in different areas of the world there are many similarities—boys facing adversity, leaving in hopes of finding a solution to their problems, music that provides a constant, calming factor in their lives (both with upcoming auditions), deaths of mothers, key people who care about them and do what they can to support them, fear…

I also wasn't surprised the first family didn't take them which was definitely better for them. It sounded like that family wanted to see how much work they could get out of them, especially Mike. I wasn't sure what Mr. Howard's alternative motive was but I was hoping that it would be a good situation for the boys. It was disappointing how Mrs. Sturbridge was not interested in the boys. I understand that they weren't what she was expecting so it was hard for her but still .... I think the boys were willing to do almost anything to stay together. Mike so looked out for Frankie. What a great big brother he was. Huge responsibility for him!! Many similarities in both stories. Very different but also many things that were the same. I really like how the author has included a harmonica in each of the sections. It has an important part in each section and seems to have magical powers. It seems to help the characters get through difficult times. I can't wait to find out what happens to Mike. I think he will be ok and they will continue on their journey.

So once again I am really beginning to dislike the story for the mere fact that I want some resolution to the stories. I was very much emotionally touched by the story of Frankie and Mike as I know people who actually were in orphanages as children. They weren't probably like that one though. I also think of the movie "Annie" when I read this. I think of the rich person who doesn't want children and then how the "help" ends up liking the child(ren) first and then the person comes around and loves them. I do believe that Mike and Eunice bonded more than he thinks. I think that this was meant to be a healing process for both of them. Here's my question though is who was saved in this part? Mike or Eunice? I wonder if Mike survived the fall at the end of the story. Are the characters who get the harmonica the ones who are supposed to be saved or is it somebody else, like Uncle Guther & Eunice?

I do like how Munoz-Ryan writes about diversity in the forms of poverty and physical differences. It really grabs at the heart but it also lets a person experience what it must have been like to constantly live in fear. I believe that both characters faced that particular emotion. Even though it was not caused by the same situation it was still the same. I am curious to see who the next character will be and how it will tie back in with the fairy tale from the beginning. I sure hope it does.

I was happy the first family didn't want them. They were just wanting children to work for them. I liked that Frankie sabotaged their chances of getting fostered/adopted by that family because they weren't the right family for them because they couldn't stay together.
I think Mr. Howard is a kind hearted man and didn't want to see the boys separated. He loves Eunice and I think he had dreams of them all being a family. He did say that he would adopt them if he could. (I would enjoyed reading individual books about part 1 and 2 so far, I think there would be a lot to learn about.)
I think Mike is willing to do anything so Frankie is safe and taken care of. He is willing to sacrifice his own well being so that his brother will have a nice life. Frankie adores his big brother and wants to be with him, but he is so young and unassuming that he would have stayed with Eunice and believed that Mike was with the band, if he was or not.
I had already mentally prepared myself for a cliff hanger so I wasn't as frustrated at the end of this section. I really feel like the girls are going to help them in this situation since he could hear the music that all three of them played while he was laying on the ground, unconscious.
Both parts are really similar even though their story lines are different. Music has played a huge role in both stories. They are both based on loving your family, and do anything to protect them. Poverty plays a role in both stories. Kind characters are in both stories. Wanting a better life/ or protecting the life you have is relevant in both stories.
I am excited for the 3rd and 4th parts of the book. I am intrigued to find out what characters are in part 3, but really curious how all of these stories will connect with the girls.

Yes, Mike and Frankie have been on many adventures and I was not surprised and very relieved that they were not adopted due to behavior. We saw misbehavior only because they did not want to be separated. It was not the right family for them. I enjoyed the twist of the story whenMr. Howard and Mr. Golding asked to see the best musicians. While the boys thought they were playing the piano to see if the piano was tuned correctly. No, I do not think Mr. Howard has alternative motives for taking the boys. He seems sincere. I think the boys are willing to do anything to stay together even if it means having to stay at the Hathaway House.
I do not like how the end of each section leaves us hanging. I would like to know how it ends and what the connection is between the sections. I think Mike entered the harmonica contest and was accepted. The connection between the two sections I think is music. The harmonica is significant to the story. Both parts show struggle, poverty, and determination. Yes, Rylan plays on diversity and time periods in history. My class would love this book. Each story element is layed out beautifully!

I wasn't surprised that the first family didn't want to adopt them because they came to get someone who could work for them, and Mike and Frankie made sure that they would stick together by showing bad behavior so that Mike wouldn't get adopted without Frankie being with him; they were told that they wouldn't be separated.
I think that Mr. Howard brought the boys to the house because of their musical talent. I think that Mr. Howard somehow wants to get Mrs. Sturbridge back to playing the piano and with these boys having a connection to playing the piano, this is a chance for that to happen. It might also be Mr. Howard's way to make a connection with Mrs. Sturbridge by all the time he spends with the boys.
I think that the boys want to continue being together, so that is why they are planning to sneak away at night, even though that could mean the end of a decent life for at least one of them. Mike realizes that he really does need Frankie in his life, even though he was willing to have Frankie be adopted by Mrs. Sturbridge and that he would join the harmonica band and be taken in by someone too. I think that Mike feels that he needs to protect and take care of Frankie. I think that they will do whatever it takes to stay together. They may try to find Mouse. I am not sure now though with Mike having this fall from the tree what will happen to them. I think that Mike will be found by Mr. Howard, but there is something with him losing the harmonica too and him hearing music.
I think there is a connection to how this part of the book ends and how Otto got lost in the woods in the beginning of the book and the three sisters finding him. I feel this connection because of the end of this part talking about the hollow logs and the water trickling in the brook leading me back to the very beginning of the book. Also, parts 1 and 2 both ending talking about Friedrich and now Mike seeing the white stars and hearing music.
Ryan is playing on different kinds of diversity. In Part 1, it was the religious diversity and what people believed in or didn't believe in; so it was should the people join with the Jews even though they don't agree with them. Now it seems to be how orphans can be treated and that it is not right that they get traded to people to work for them or that people don't want them because they are the wrong gender or that there are two of them, even though Mrs. Sturbridge could afford to care for two of them. It definitely is a book that I want to keep reading to find out more.

I am not surprised that Mike and Frankie were passed over for a family until Mr. Howard comes into their lives. Now, I understand a little better as to why they have adopted the boys. Music is to heal her soul. Adopting these two boys will never replace her son, nor should it. She has had a lot to grieve; her son, her husband, her father, the life she had dreamed of, her father’s love, as she comes to terms with his final wishes. Her future with or without her fortune. Mr. Howard loves her and wants her to feel love again. Mike will do anything to keep him and Frankie together, even give up his life with them. These boys are resilient!! I’m glad she agreed, but wished that she had openly said she wanted them both to stay. I just know that she was trying to say that before he saw the papers. They must be a mistake. I am Terrified that he was killed or injured severely in the fall. Why? Yet, another tragedy in this story. My heart breaks once again. What will happen to the harmonica? Will Mike pass away and his items be passed on to others? Maybe passed on to the next person in the story.

Mike and Frankie have a tremendous bond with one another .I think that anyone who crosses their path can see that. For this reason, I do believe the first family did not see it convenient to adopt them especially after Frankie bit Mr. Rutledge.

I do think when Mr. Howard comes along he takes many things into consideration in a short amount of time to adopt the two boys together. First, he needed somebody who was musically gifted. Second, he knew that although Mrs. Sturbridge was looking for a girl, these boys seemed to have something about them that intrigued Mr. Howard. Third. he definitely knew he was taking a risk but he also knew he was running out of time before they needed to adopt a child. So, Mr. Howard took a risk and adopted the two boys together as he knew he couldn’t be the one to separate them.

I believe the boys are willing to do anything to stay together, but I did admire Mike’s bravery in trying to make a deal so that Frankie would have a home to live while Mike was hoping to be chosen to by Mr. Hoxie to be part of group.

I was disappointed that the two boys felt the need to run away in the middle of the night. Part of me was hoping that the papers Mike found on the piano were a mistake or that Mrs. Sturbridge had changed her mind after receiving the paperwork about undoing the adoption and just hadn’t taken care of it yet. Maybe that is wishful thinking, but whatever the case may be, I am just rooting for Frankie and Mike to have a happy ending just like I was for Friedrich.

I do appreciate Munoz’s knack for writing a good cliff hanger. :) She definitely has sucked me into both sections of the story and have left me wondering what would happen next. The diversity of the two parts so far are also fun to see as it brings back in history. As a reader, I can sense and visualize the culture that each of the characters are living in. She does a great job with imagery.

I am not surprised that the first family didn't take them because they were not sincere people. they wanted farm help, not children to love and enjoy. Mike and Frankie made it very clear that they wanted to stay together. This first family saw it as misbehaving, when in reality it was due to them not wanting to be separated.
I didn't understand why Mr. Howard was looking for a musical child at first, because it appeared more of a business deal. Mr. Howard appeared sympathetic towards the boys and recognized that they were not being treated properly, as most orphans weren't at that time period.
Mike wants for the good of Frankie, and Frankie wants at all cost to stay together. Mike knew what Pennyweather was planning, and he didn't have much time to help Frankie. When Mike and Frankie arrive at their new home, Mike continues to feel that he must ensure that Frankie is taken care of because Frankie never knew his mom like Mike did. Frankie needs a mom (family). I cried as I read this section. Mike was willing to give up everything for his little brother. That is a beautiful love!
Again I am left hanging, but with Mike falling out of the tree and Frankie by his side, I think he won't be traveling far due to an unanticipated injury.
Ryan plays on diversity in both sections. She depicts how life was for the Germans, Jews, poor, rich, working class, European and American mindsets. I liked the department store episode where the boys were stereotyped and Mr. Howard set the employees straight. Often people are judgemental by human nature. Nazis were labeling Jews as a disgrace, while Mike and Frankie were trying to determine if their rejection by Mrs. Sturbridge was related to their original attire. I like how Ryan used diversity to paint a vivid picture in my mind as I read.

I was not surprised that the first family didn't adopt the boys. They only wanted someone to work all the time and they only needed one more boy. Once Frankie bit him, there was no way he would want those boys. They would be more trouble than they are worth.

I feel like Mr. Howard has an alternative motive for keeping the boys together. I am thinking that he realizes that they don't want to be separated and also I wonder if he is thinking it might be better for them to be together if Mrs. Sturbridge doesn't change think that having boys around is such a good idea.

The boys seem to be willing to do whatever it takes to be together. Or Mike does anyway. Frankie is too young to really figure out what is all going on. But Mike is going to do whatever he can, to make sure Frankie is taken care of, even if it means sacrificing himself and his happiness, so Frankie can be happy and taken care of. I wish he hadn't found the letter, because I am not so sure she was still planning to go that route and rescind the adoption, especially since she told Mike not to worry, that everything was going to be fine. Anyway, I was hoping that that would be the case, now I don't know if I will get a chance to find that out.

The ending of this section is totally infuriating. That was the first thought I had when I finished and I still don't know what happens to the boys. I still am hoping there is a resolution in the end and we find out how everyone turns out.

Diversity is everywhere in this book. You have the rich, the poor, those that have loved, and now don't want to love again or are scared to love again. There is so much sorrow and heartache around every corner in this book. I was hoping for a better ending to this section, but no such luck. This book is so infuriating, but yet I want to keep reading to find out more. I agree with the others that are frustrated with how she ends each section.

I keep thinking that Mike has placed a lot of burden on himself. I can't imagine being his age and feeling so responsible for a sibling. It makes me realize how good I had it as a kid and I am not sure I would have done as well as Mike did with taking care of himself and his brother.

Music is the one constant in this book. It is funny how music can bring such calm and peace to a person, and be a way to express heartache and pain as well. I look forward to the next section and how the harmonica comes into play in this section. What conflict is next?

I think the reaction that Mike and Frankie had was a realistic reaction of what a child in the same situation would have. It would be scary to lose another person close to them. And that is what it would feel like if they were not adopted together.

I definitely think there is another motive that brought these boys to the house. I was glad when they got to stick together and Mr. Howard took both boys. That is what I was hoping would happen.

I think they are willing to do anything to stick together now. They are the only family they have left together and Mike is the caregiver to Frankie.

Cliff hangers are not my favorite but I am hoping that in the end there is a nice wrap up and everything comes together to make a nice and finished ending.

The connection that keeps reoccurring is music. Specifically in the form of the harmonica.

I was happy to see that Mr. Howard wanted to keep Mike and Frankie together instead of separating them. The previous family saw them as trouble makers and was really just wanting workers. I was sad to hear about Mrs. Sturbridge's loss. It was nice to see her start to make a connection with the boys. I really think that the papers Mike found were drawn up before she made a connection with them.
Mike wanting to make sure that Frankie was given a stable life especially since he didn't know his mom really pulled on my heart strings. It really shows that he was willing to put his brother's well-being in front of his own. I was glad that the brothers ultimately stayed together. I really hope that Mike is okay from his fall from the tree.
Music is the common theme throughout the book. I like how Ryan writes about diversity because it really gets the reader emotionally invested in the story and the characters. I am not a fan of the big cliff hangers, yet once it is all tied back together (or at least I hope it is) I have a feeling that I will feel differently.

Ryan! Why do you leave me at such cliff hangers?! I get so wrapped up in the characters and their situations.

I was not surprised when the first family did not want to adopt the boys. A meeting that ends with someone bleeding is not usually the best of situations.

I think the boys will do anything to stay together, as I would to stay with my sister.

I think Mike will find out that Mrs. Sturbridge had no intention in reversing the adoption. I think it was a misunderstanding.

The first two parts were about boys. I bet the next will be about a girl!

I was thankful the first family did not want the boys, in fact they were not looking for a family rather free labor. After Frankie bites the man, the man quickly realizes the boys 'labor' is not worth the hassle. Thank goodness, that would have been an awful life for the two boys.

I believe Mr. Howard was captivated with the boys musical talent and possibly felt they could help Mrs. Sturbridge deal with her grief. Since he lost his brother, he too had a void he was hoping to fill. The boys bond is so strong, they are ultimately willing to sacrifice everything to stay together, nothing is worth being separated.

Arghhh, once again Munoz Ryan puts a twist to the ending!! I want to believe Mike only had the wind knocked out of him and Frankie wakes everyone up to find out Mike has misread the paperwork and they will have a fairy-tale ending. I am unsure how the harmonica lands in the hands of someone else but am enjoying how this story unfolds even though I am frustrated to be left wondering what has happened to these characters.

I think in an earlier post Sarah does a great job listing many of the similarities between the 2 parts. I am eager to see how the third part relates to the other two.

I wasn’t surprised when the first family didn’t want to adopt the boys. The boys were aggressive with the family. I liked how the brothers stood by each other. They did what they needed to stay together. Yes I think Mr. Howard did have an alternative motive. I think he saw the bond the brothers have and didn’t want to break them apart. I liked how Mrs. Sturbridge seemed to be coming around and was starting to make connections with the boys. I think the boys are willing to do anything to stay together. As of now, they are the only family each other have. I think Mike will be injured after falling out of the tree. The connection I see from part two to part one is the love of music with the two boys.

I was hoping that the first family would adopt them, until it was clear they would just be needed to farm. The couple didn't want children. I don't think that would have been a good placement, but maybe better that the orphanage.

Mr. Howard loves Mrs. Sturbridge, so maybe by bringing the boys he was trying to make a grand gesture that would get her to fall in love with him back. I think his plan may have backfired though, especially since, in the end, Mike finds out about her plan to un-adopt them and send them back to Bishop's. I think Mr. Howard may move to San Fransisco.

Now that it appears Mrs. Sturbridge did not keep her promise, I think the boys will run away to New York and always be together. I think they would do anything to not be separated at this point. Mike was willing to be separated earlier, when the thought of Frankie having a home and family was a reality, but now that it is not, I would imagine all their trust in others is gone and they know they only have each other.

Did Mike die from the fall? I can't tell by the way everything faded and ended. For my own peace of mind, I am just going to say that he got knocked out and he and Frankie were able to get away when he came to!

Both parts end on a bad/sad cliffhanger with no resolution. I have never read a book that does that, especially a children's book! I don't know if many of my students would be able to handle not having closure, or be able to appreciate literature in which they are expected to draw their own conclusions from in this way.

I think that Ryan wouldn't have made us meet the family that adopted the boys right away. We, as readers, needed to see the boys in a different light to get some perspectives. The first family saw aggression where I saw passion and love. I don't believe that Mr. Bishop has the best intentions, but isn't a bad person. I love that the brothers are wanting to stay together. I hope that Mike isn't hurt from the fall or the harmonica magically saved him. The one thing I see from both parts is how music influences a person and how great musicians they are.

I was hopeful at first with the potential adoptive parents, but as the story went on, I was relieved when they decided not to adopt the boys. I am unclear at this time with Mr. Howard's motive. I feel something a little fishy going on and I hopeful Mr. Howard has the best interest of the boys in mind. The boys seems like they are willing to do anything to stay together; however, if Frankie is in good hands, I believe Mike would be able to handle life on his own. Again with the sad ending! I don't know if I can take another let down. Did Mike pass away from that nasty fall or is he just knocked out? Both parts of the book had sad endings that left the reader questioning what really happened. They both had a strong, influential male figure (Friedrch's Father and Mr. Howard). Music was also an escape for the main characters.

I wasn't surprised when the boys didn't get adopted by the first family. Something told me that their motives for adoption were off kilter. I am glad that I was right because I don't think the boys would have been happy there. I even wondered if there might be some abuse coming since two boys wasn't in their original plan.

I like Mr. Howard. He seems to be able to see things that others miss. I believe he saw potential in the boys, especially in Michael, that would be a blessing down the road. His relationship with Mrs. Sturbridge has some interesting dynamics. I like how he knew her so well, that he could make the right decision on whom to adopt when she didn't see it.

Michael will do whatever he has to to protect Frankie, even if that means he will suffer in the end. The bond that they have is awesome. Not just the love, but the trust and faith that they have in each other. They, especially Michael, are wise beyond their years.

I struggle with leaving the ends of the sections the way she has. I like to have things tied up nice and neat, but I like the way she puts it all together at the end. I like the weaving of the harmonica through the stories to add interest.

I was happy that the first family did not want the boys. They wanted labor and not to provide the family that the boys deserve.
While I think that the motive behind Mr. Howard and Mr. Golding seeking a child for adoption for Ms. Sturbridge is not ideal, I believe that they are genuinely good people and doing it for a healthier reason than abuse or free labor.
The bond that the boys have is unsurprising based on their lives prior to grandmother having to take them to the orphanage. I feel bad for Michael, since he has to bear a burden that no child should. At the end of this part, my heart broke for them. They were finally able to have hope that things would work out. While I believe that Aunt Eunie was not, in fact, going to reverse the adoption in the end, Michael would have no way of knowing that. He only has his past experiences to go by and they are riddled with disappointment.

I'm glad the first family decided not to adopt the boys. It wouldn't have been a good situation for them. I was glad when Mr. Howard kept the boys together, seeing their bond. Maybe he was hoping the boys would bring out a side of Mrs. Sturbridge that has been gone for awhile. Not necessarily that he wanted to adopt a child.
I think the boys are willing to conform to the wishes of the adults so that they can stay together. Mike is willing to give up his chances of a good home for Frankie, their bond is strong. Again with the open ending! I hope that the harmonica somehow saves Mike and that he comes out from his fall unscathed. Ryan does a good job showing the world through the eyes of different characters. Their motivations and how they react differently to situations is well done.