Saturday, June 6, 2009

Nory Ryan's Song


Title: Nory Ryan’s Song

Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Natural Disasters, Financial Difficulties

Year of Publication: 2000

Publisher & Location: Yearling; New York

ISBN#: 0-440-41829-1

Target Age Level: middle school, young adult

# of Pages: 148

Quality of Illustrations: None

Brief Summary: This novel tells the story of the Ryan family during the black potato famine of 1845-1852 in Ireland. Nory’s father is out at sea, her oldest sister leaves the family to go to America and be married. Ultimately Nory is responsible for finding food for her family. This story talks about the incredible destruction that slowly took place during this natural disaster and the means that some people resorted to just to keep their families alive.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: none

Post Reading Activities: Compare the natural disaster and the effects of this disaster to modern-day natural disasters. Research other natural disasters and ways people were able to survive. Discuss the power of the human will and how we can overcome tragic natural disasters.

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