The Color Of Sound (ToolKit)
Emily Barth Isler
Age Rec: 5th-8th Grades
Themes: Music (Violin), Synethsia, Family Pressure To Be Perfect, Jewishness & The Holocaust, Friendships, Grief & Loss, Multi-Generational Family Relations, Time Travel
Rosie just wants to be at typical kid. But being a 12-year-old violin prodigy – and facing constant pressure from her parents to reach her full potential - makes that nearly impossible. Wanting to be known for more than just her talent, Rosie refuses to play. As a result, she and her mom spend the summer in Connecticut with grandparents she barely knows. How will she experience being a typical kid while spending a summer on an expansive property, far from home? During their visit, she slowly grows close to her grandpa and gradually eases into spending time with her grandma, who has Alzheimer’s.
Banned from using technology while refusing to play her violin, Rosie looks for ways to pass the time during her six-week stay. When her grandpa suggests she visit the local library, she stumbles upon a group of teenagers taking part in a summer improv class. Although they’re a bit older, they welcome her into their lunch group, and for once, Rosie doesn’t feel defined by her identity as a violinist. She also finds comfort in the morning ritual of swimming with her grandpa. The pool becomes the one place where she can escape her synesthesia - the gift, or curse, of seeing music and sounds as colors. During her summer in Connecticut, Rosie not only uncovers her family history and her mom’s childhood, but also finds her own voice.
Emily Barth Isler
Age Rec: 5th-8th Grades
Themes: Music (Violin), Synethsia, Family Pressure To Be Perfect, Jewishness & The Holocaust, Friendships, Grief & Loss, Multi-Generational Family Relations, Time Travel
Rosie just wants to be at typical kid. But being a 12-year-old violin prodigy – and facing constant pressure from her parents to reach her full potential - makes that nearly impossible. Wanting to be known for more than just her talent, Rosie refuses to play. As a result, she and her mom spend the summer in Connecticut with grandparents she barely knows. How will she experience being a typical kid while spending a summer on an expansive property, far from home? During their visit, she slowly grows close to her grandpa and gradually eases into spending time with her grandma, who has Alzheimer’s.
Banned from using technology while refusing to play her violin, Rosie looks for ways to pass the time during her six-week stay. When her grandpa suggests she visit the local library, she stumbles upon a group of teenagers taking part in a summer improv class. Although they’re a bit older, they welcome her into their lunch group, and for once, Rosie doesn’t feel defined by her identity as a violinist. She also finds comfort in the morning ritual of swimming with her grandpa. The pool becomes the one place where she can escape her synesthesia - the gift, or curse, of seeing music and sounds as colors. During her summer in Connecticut, Rosie not only uncovers her family history and her mom’s childhood, but also finds her own voice.
Emily Barth Isler
Age Rec: 5th-8th Grades
Themes: Music (Violin), Synethsia, Family Pressure To Be Perfect, Jewishness & The Holocaust, Friendships, Grief & Loss, Multi-Generational Family Relations, Time Travel
Rosie just wants to be at typical kid. But being a 12-year-old violin prodigy – and facing constant pressure from her parents to reach her full potential - makes that nearly impossible. Wanting to be known for more than just her talent, Rosie refuses to play. As a result, she and her mom spend the summer in Connecticut with grandparents she barely knows. How will she experience being a typical kid while spending a summer on an expansive property, far from home? During their visit, she slowly grows close to her grandpa and gradually eases into spending time with her grandma, who has Alzheimer’s.
Banned from using technology while refusing to play her violin, Rosie looks for ways to pass the time during her six-week stay. When her grandpa suggests she visit the local library, she stumbles upon a group of teenagers taking part in a summer improv class. Although they’re a bit older, they welcome her into their lunch group, and for once, Rosie doesn’t feel defined by her identity as a violinist. She also finds comfort in the morning ritual of swimming with her grandpa. The pool becomes the one place where she can escape her synesthesia - the gift, or curse, of seeing music and sounds as colors. During her summer in Connecticut, Rosie not only uncovers her family history and her mom’s childhood, but also finds her own voice.