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Book Cover for: Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, Susan Hood

Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

Susan Hood

From award-winning author Susan Hood and illustrator Sally Wern Comport comes the extraordinary true tale of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, an orchestra made up of children playing instruments built from recycled trash.

Ada Ríos grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chávez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada--and her town--forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  • Publish Date: May 3rd, 2016
  • Pages: 40
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 10.20in - 10.30in - 0.40in - 1.20lb
  • EAN: 9781481430951
  • Recommended age: 04-08
  • Categories: Places - Caribbean & Latin AmericaMusic - ClassicalMusic - Instruments

About the Author

Hood, Susan: - Susan Hood is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, including Ada's Violin, Alias Anna, Harboring Hope, The Last Straw, Lifeboat 12, and Shaking Things Up. Susan is the recipient of the E.B. White Honor Award, two Christopher Awards, the Américas Award, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, and two Bank Street Flora Stieglitz Straus Awards, given to "a distinguished work of nonfiction that serves as an inspiration to young people." In addition to winning many state reading awards, Susan's books have been named a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, a NCTE Notable Poetry Book, a NSTA Best Stem Book of the Year, an Amazon Teachers' Pick, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Visit her at SusanHoodBooks.com.
Comport, Sally Wern: - Sally Wern Comport has illustrated numerous picture books and novels, including Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Six Guiding Beliefs (as told by his niece); Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure; Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose: Growing Up on Mt. Rushmore; and the Spy Mice series. She has also translated her picture making skills to various large-scale public, private, and institutional artworks. Sally lives with her husband and two daughters in Annapolis, Maryland, where she operates Art at Large Inc. Learn more at ArtAtLargeInc.com.

More books by Susan Hood

Book Cover for: Lifeboat 5, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Lifeboat 12, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Brothers in Arms: A True World War II Story of Wojtek the Bear and the Soldiers Who Loved Him, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: Titan and the Wild Boars: The True Cave Rescue of the Thai Soccer Team, Susan Hood
Book Cover for: The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics, Susan Hood

Praise for this book

"The illustrations, compilations of torn paper, paint, and pen and ink illustrations, add to the feeling of being within the landfill, and are a beautiful representation of the location...Highly Recommended."--School Library Connection
*"A virtuoso piece of nonfiction, gloriously told and illustrated."--School Library Journal, Starred Review
* "Comport (Love Will See You Through) employs a vibrant collage technique...to form colorful, almost ethereal backdrops. . .[An] uplifting, instructive story."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Recipient of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award
"The mixed-media collages are a particular effective medium for this true story, layering images of Ada and the orchestra over the landfill. The nuances of the subject may strike a stronger chord with adults rather than children, but the interesting visuals and the underlying message of hope and perseverance should help this find an audience."--Booklist
"Comport's complex, digitally enhanced collages combine acrylics, drawing, and layered typographic elements, conveying both the oppressive omnipresence of garbage and the functional beauty of the handcrafted instruments. . . . Pair with the suggested video links to experience the music of a remarkable, resilient cultural community. "--Kirkus Reviews