The Harmonica

Powerful, Realistic, Hopeful, Vivid, Music 
The Harmonica by Tony Johnston
Illustrated by Ron Mazellan
Published by Charlesbridge  Publishing
Copyright 2004
Children's Choice 2005

This story was inspired by the story of a real Holocaust survivor named Henrik Rosmaryn. It chronicles the life of a Polish boy who lives with his parents in a loving household. He wants a piano but because his family is poor, they listen and sing to a gramophone. The boy's father manages to get him a harmonica and he learned to play Schubert on it. The Nazis arrive to take him away and send him to a concentration camp. At the camp, the boy plays his harmonica to make himself feel better and to feel like there is still hope. When the commandant of the camp hears the boy playing his harmonica, he orders the boy to play for him. The boy receives bread in exchange for his music. The boy becomes ashamed that he is receiving bread while the other prisoners are starved. Later, the boy receives thanks for playing his harmonica from another prisoner. He comes to realize that his music gives hope to the other prisoners in the camp. Now, when he is ordered to play, he plays his harmonica with all his heart. Unfortunately, this book does not have a happy ending, the boy is never reunited with his parents.

Suggested Delivery: Small Group Read, Read Aloud
Grade Level (Lexile): AD620L, Ages 6-11

 Key Vocabulary: commandant, gramophone, niche, enthrall, falter, crockery

Teaching Suggestions:

• Before Reading: Discuss with students how they might feel if they were separated from their parents. What would you do to make yourself feel better? How might you find hope that you might get to see them again?
• During Reading: Discuss with students how the illustrations support the story. What colors are used? How do the colors in the illustrations tell about the boy's emotions? How do these illustrations make you feel?
• After Reading: Ask students if there has ever been a time when they felt hopeless. Was there ever a time when you knew of someone else who felt hopeless? How do you think you might bring hope to someone? Students will write breif responses to these questions and share their answers with the class.

Writing Activity: Students will write about the importance of this book. Why do you think the author chose to write about this boy? Is having hope important?

Electronic Resources:

• Responses to Literature: This website provides teachers with a unit plan for a book study about World War 2 books. It is  based on teaching and guiding students for personal responses. The types of responses include written responses, oral responses, and artwork. This unit plan uses World War 2 books to envoke passionate, thoughtful, student responses to literature.
• 5th Symphony: This is a link to a video of an orchestra preforming a version of Schubert's 5th Symphony that students can listen to in order to connect the sound of the harmonica and the music the boy might have been playing.
• Franz Schubert: This is a site that provides information about Franz Schubert. Teachers should assist students when reviewing this information because there is some content specific words students may not understand.

Johnston, T., & Mazellan, R. (2004). The harmonica. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.