Anna Maria's Gift

by Janice Shefelman, Robert Papp (Illustrator)

Reissued with a fresh look and added content, the Stepping Stones History series is kid-friendly and Common Core ready!
 
When Anna Maria’s father dies, she moves to an orphanage in Venice. Though she misses her father, she knows he will always be with her, as long as she has his beautiful violin. Luckily, the orphanage is also a renowned music school, with a teacher who is none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. But when her violin is stolen, Anna Maria must search Venice’s bridges, streets, and canals. Will she ever find it—and can she ever be happy in Venice without it? This lyrical historical-fiction story captures Venice, the joy of music, and how kindness can make a scary new place feel like home.
 
History Stepping Stones now feature updated content that emphasizes Common Core and today’s renewed interest in nonfiction. Perfect for home, school, and library bookshelves!

Genres: Music, History, Historical, Childrens, Juvenile

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly nuanced and descriptive for a short chapter book (with characters who, although by necessity not overly complex, are actually fleshed out and not simply cardboard like stock figures or allegories), Janice Shefelman's Anna Maria's Gift is not only poignant and emotionally satisfying as a story, as a sweet and evocative tale, it also provides an informative introduction to both historical Venice and Antonio Vivaldi (who really did teach violin and other stringed instruments at the Pietà orphanage). Combined with Robert Papp's brilliantly realistic, but sweetly understated illustrations (depictions that might not be necessary for the narrative, for the understanding of the plot, but provide a lovely mirror of the latter, while also showing Venetian fashion and culture), Anna Maria's Gift really and truly is a small gem, and one that I would generally tend to recommend mostly to and for children interested in music and historical fiction (and while Anna Maria's Gift looks simple enough for recently independent readers, it is perhaps a bit too complex for those who are just starting to read, the glossary at the back of the novel being an added and valuable bonus). Furthermore, Parents and/or teachers might also consider using Anna Maria's Gift as either a read-aloud or a read-along, since the novel is divided into short, easily read sections (and if using Anna Maria's Gift in the classroom or for home schooling, the historical information presented could also be used for supplemental discussions and expansions).

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sad/sweet story about the daughter of a violin maker who is orphaned and ends up as a student of Maestro Vivaldi. There is jealousy, loneliness and kindness. There is a heart-wrenching drama but Anna Maria keeps doing what she can. It ends on a happy note with tenderness and forgiveness along the way. I got teary-eyed reading it aloud. I felt it was a story with good morals.

I began reading this to my 8 year old daughter and she enjoyed it so much that she finished reading it by herself. When I picked it up to read to her after a week or so, she told me she'd already finished it but liked it so much she'd listen again. It is beautifully simple and not overly-heavy with details.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Venice in 1715. Anna Maria's father is a violin maker and makes a beautiful and very special violin for her right before his death. She is sent to an orphanage where Antonio Vivaldi will be her violin teacher. But one of the other orphans is very jealous of her and throws her violin into the canal. Will she ever get it back? It was interesting to learn about the truth behind this story. Vivaldi really did teach stringed instruments to the girls at the Pieta orphanage. My 11 year old daughter who plays the violin enjoyed the story. It is a short chapter book, she read it in one sitting.

[Melrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Anna Maria's father, a famous violin maker, dies, she is sent to live in the Pieta, an orphanage in Venice.She misses her father, but she still has him in her heart because he gave her a vilon. It was specialy made for her with love. Pieta is not just an orphanage it is also a school that the teacher is none other than composer Antonio Vivaldi. When Anna Maria becomes his star pupil, another orphan becomes jealous. This girl throws Anna Marie's vilon into the canal! With help from her beloved teacher and new friends, Anna Maria searches everywhere in the old city of Venice, but she can't find it. She begins to wonder will she ever see her vilon again?
A beatiful story! It is well told.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Maria Lombardini is only eight-years-old when her beloved father passes away. Already having lost her mother years ago, she is sent to an orphanage in Venice. Her father had given her one last gift from his death-bed, a new violin made just for her. The master Antonio Vivaldi becomes her music instructor at the Pieta, pleased with her mastery of the violin. A fellow orphan is jealous of Anna Maria's talents and throws her precious instrument into the canal. Anna Maria is distraught from losing this last link to her father. She enlists the aid of some friends to scour the city for her violin. An intriguing historical fiction story for beginning chapter book readers. Who doesn't love books about orphans and their adventures?

[Gabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at My Full Bookshelf Reviews

Some books just don't need long reviews, so, here's mine in a nutshell.

This book was a cute little story about an orphan in Venice who learns the lesson of forgiveness. The characters were cute (cute just really describes this book best, sorry), and it was interesting to learn a bit about Vivaldi. Yay!...I really don't know what else to say about it. It was good, but definitely for younger readers, probably 5-10 at most, which begs the question....why did my library shelve it in Young Adult? The world may never know.
/

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anna Maria daughter of violin maker is orphaned and sent to Pieta, orphanage where Vilvaldi is music master. Another girl there is afraid she will lose her favored status and steals Anna's violin, a gift from her dying father. the violin is recovered and both girls learn lessons of forgiveness.

[Ryann Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book Is about a girl named Anna Maria. She loves to play the violin. Her father dies, and she has to go live in an orphanage. While she is there, a mean girl throws her violin out the window into one of Venice's canals. Anna Maria is devastated. In the end, she does get her violin back.

[Natalie]

This book is one of my favorites. I hope that you could soon read it too!!!

[Kate Narita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is nicely paced and has great character development. I also love the fact that it introduces readers to the great Vivaldi and the beautiful Venice.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book taught about forgiveness without being too preachy. We read it in our homeschool to learn a bit about Vivaldi, but liked the insights into Venice as well.

[Sumaya Alali · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so interesting that I couldn't stop reading until i have finished. I always loved violin and it's sound , and now i love it more .

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the plot and the characters. It was not obvious and had great details. died and gave her a violin. She was sent to an orphanage she took violin lessons there and in her class was a girl and at night that girl stole her violin and thew it into the canal the next day they got into a fight then the nice girl went looking for it she did not find it but after a while, she found it and the two girls became friends!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short, simple, and sweet, but with plenty of heart, and ideas for a child to think about or a family to discuss. Includes author's note about the history. Go find some Vivaldi to listen to while getting ready to read it, or between chapters.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anna Maria's Gift gets the Self-Rescuing Princess Society seal of approval for showing a brave girl facing her troubles head-on. The crux of the story involves jealousy and bullying by another orphan at the Pietà, Paolina, but that is resolved by the end of the story as the adults try to foster a sense of understanding and mutual support between the two girls.

Anna Maria's Gift is a charming book perfect for young readers in the 8 to 10 year old range. It is organized into chapters with several line drawings highlighting the story, and includes a glossary in the back covering words that might be new to them. And it even has a brief historical note, which lead me to do my own research about Vivaldi and the Pietà.

Read my full review: https://selfrescuingprincesssociety.b...

[Dawn cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book my 11 year old daughter and I began reading together. It was said to be a stepping stone book so I figured that it would be one that we could take turns together. The story was interesting and the characters were really enjoyable to read but it was almost impossible for her to read much of it on her own. The names alone were hard to pronounce and by the end of the first chapter I had to take over reading. There were other hard words that I even had trouble pronouncing aloud. So while I would recommend this book because it was good I do not think it makes a good stepping stone book.

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Language - G, Sexual Content - G; Violence - G
Anna Maria is a talented violinist who's father has just passed. She goes to an orphanage for girls in Venice, Italy in order to study more music and be taken care of. There she learns some important lessons.
Anna Maria is a strong girl and a vary talented musician, but she is still not perfect. She has to learn to forgive and forget and I love how this book shows that it isn't always easy and that doing things out of anger aren't always the best.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Miss Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 3-5 104 pgs

1715, Venice, Italy. 8 year old Anna Maria is sent to live in the Pieta, the orphanage, in Venice after the death of her father, a famous violin maker. It was his final wish that Anna Maria be sent there to study under Vivaldi. His final gift to her is a new violin. He tells her whenever she plays it, she'll hear his voice. Anna Maria's talent makes another one of the orphan girls jealous. When Anna Maria's violin disappears, Anna Maria is sure she knows who took it. But more importantly how will she get it back.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely book for young readers, filled with charming illustrations and a delightfully touching story. The details about early 18th-century Venice, the orphan girls of the Pieta, and their endearing violin teacher, Don Vivaldi, make for entertaining as well as educational reading. Highly recommended.

[Phoebe Chiu]

Such an AWESOME book! Especially since I'm a violinist :) but it is one of the best historical fiction books I've ever read. The only downfall is that the reading level isn't that high- but it is a really good book and I would totally recommend it!

[Laine Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about a girl who is the daughter of a violin maker. The last thing he ever gives her is a violin. Then he dies and she is orphaned. She goes to Venice to learn more violin from a really great teacher.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is where a little girl’s mother had died and her dad died of the same sickness that her mother had. She got sent to an orphanage and before her father died he gave her a violin and whenever she played it she heard her father’s voice.

[Buckham Kids Library]

Italy, time of Vivaldi

[Xuyuejie · Rating 5 out of 5]

goog

[Raúl Antonio]

This book is so lovely

[Ayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book.