Giovanni (The Great)
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
On a warm and lazy summer evening in a little Italian district on EmpressStreet, two very important things occur: ten-year-old Antonio DAngeloreceives the birthday gift he always wanted: A new violin. And downthe hall, the Ciccione parents receive the gift of a new baby boy who they nameGiovanni.
Determined to become a great violinist, Antonio overcomes a physical handicap andquickly reaches a skill level far beyond his years, despite his jealous violin instructorsefforts to prevent Antonios progress at every opportunity. When Antonio discoversthat his biggest fan lives right in his own house, he and Giovanni form an unbreakablebond held together by their passion for music and singing. As the pair embarks on aquest to attain their dreams of performing on the big stage, they carry out hilariousantics, learn life lessons, and share countless heartfelt moments as they discover thatsometimes the journey is as much fun as the fi nish line.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in Ottawa, Furmanczyk-Winogron's first novel is a tale of acceptance and perseverance that makes some unfortunate stumbles. Antonio D'Angelo has just turned 10, and his parents have given him both a violin and lessons with "the great Fernando Santini." Antonio eagerly wants to become a concert violinist, and he turns out to be a musical prodigy, despite having lost several fingers in a winepress accident. When new neighbor Giovanni Ciccione compliments Antonio's playing, the boy is shocked mainly because Giovanni is a cockroach. As the two bond over music, they work together to teach a lesson to Antonio's bullying cousin, Alfredo, and to Mr. Santini, who belittles Antonio because of his disability. Background information is rarely fleshed out in this rather episodic story. Giovanni has 11 brothers and sisters, yet only one of them is named, and the author never really digs into the whole "bugs can talk" discovery. But the biggest letdown may be the off-putting and stereotypical Italian accents ("Get in here and kill the cock-a-roach-a!") she gives to both Antonio and Giovanni's families. Ages 8 12. (BookLife)
