. When his sister was 3 months old, she was sleeping and he was standing beside her and somehow she fell out of her bed and he got blamed for it. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Listening Library, $25 (0pp) ISBN 978--8072-6165-1. Common Sense Media. It follows the formula of a classic mystery, with red herrings, a climactic revelation, and detective Connor putting the pieces together. She smokes indoors, including in the same room as baby Nikki, brings her boyfriend to the house to have sex even with both children home, and doesn't change Nikki enough. I saw that his shoes had no laces. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of E. L. Konigsburg's Silent to the Bone. E. L. Konigsburg, . Male Voice: Epiphany Fire and Rescue. (Oct.), "This middle-grade novel combines a plot loosely based on a real case with a taut psychological mystery. After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. web pages Ages 4-7. "Call your mother and tell her you're having dinner at the Evil Empire," she says to him one evening. [3] Eventually she resorts to Dad's expertise as University Registrar Kane, regarding the Zamborska case; that and some prodding by Connor effect some warming between daughter and father. But mature details make this a better choice for tweens and up: the plot deals with a baby being shaken and injured, and there's an undercurrent of sexual tension in the book between two 13-year-old boys and an adult au pair. She started to do CPR and told Branwell to call 911. E. L. Konigsburg's child characters have always been precociously gifted, but in recent novels, such as The View From Saturday, she has strayed perilously close to making them indistinguishable from very clever adults, and here she goes over the line. We had both turned thirteen within three weeks of each other, and at first I wondered if he was entering a new phase of development three weeks ahead of me. ), It is easy to pinpoint the minute when my friend Branwell began his silence. Basil E. Frankweiler. Silent to the Bone is a first-person narrative by Connor Kane, a 13-year-old boy. Offers quick summary / overview and other basic information submitted by Wikipedia contributors who considers themselves "experts" in the topic at hand. , Dimensions In the story, Connor tries to find out why Branwell went silent and discovers more about the day Nikki was dropped. Later that afternoon, a police car arrived at 198 Tower Hill Road and took Branwell to the Clarion County Juvenile Behavioral Center. Operator: Ma'am, I can't hear you. It was there-or I guess you could say not there-on the tape of the 911 call. This sentence, is not only the first sentence of the book, but it is a grabber sentence. There's too much adult content for that age. So when Branwell at last broke his silence, I was there. The thing that keeps me from giving this book a higher score is that I feel like the copy I got is misleading with the seemingly child friendly cover and the basic information on the book not detailing how serious the issues addressed in this book are. : Do you see any similarities between this book and her other works, like From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Something happened on Wednesday 25th November to cause Branwell. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. "I don't think there is any feeling I like more than the one that someone is glad to see me. On that first awful, awkward visit, a uniformed guard stood leaning against the wall, watching us. Reviews end with a summary of the reviewer's thoughts and links to purchase options. And with this forced rhythm, McGill fails to convey the emotional intensity and suspense of the text. It is revealed that Vivian is abusive towards Nikki and Bran and she takes advantage of Bran and his new found feelings towards girls to keep him quiet about her to his parents. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors. But now that I started a Konigsberg binge, it was finally time to read this one. It was hard for my child to read about a boy dealing with the au pair's behavior. Osteoporosis. Format. In 1968, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. What is the nature of your emergency? [4], An Amazon.com review stated that Silent to the Bone shows Konigsburg's "keen understanding of young people"; that it is "darker than some of her others, with a remarkably true glimpse into a young man's inner world".[5]. His hair was greasy and uncombed, and he was so pale that the orange jumpsuit he wore cast an apricot glow up from his chin just as his red hair seemed to cast the same eerie glow across his forehead. The book, Silent To the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg has many exciting lines that leave me with suspense, and make me never want to stop reading. A woman's voice [screaming in the background]: Tell them. E.L. Konigsburg really comes through with this one. Bran is put in a juvenile detention center, and it's up to his best friend, Connor, to develop a code and find out what really happened that day. Branwell Zamborska is a tall, smart, caring, and honest boy. I read this book myself before reading it aloud to my 11 year-old son, primarily because Konigsburg tends to provide great material for in-depth discussion. When Branwell was home from school on Columbus Day, Yolanda was cleaning house. Conner is in a bad solution, his best buddy is in the juvenile behavioral center because his sister is in a coma and Bardwell "his best buddy" is blamed for it. Was something happening to him that would happen to me three weeks later? Connor figures out he can communicate with Bran using notecards, and slowly he uncovers the story of Bran's difficulties adjusting to his dad's new marriage, the new baby, and most of all, the new nanny, Vivian. Overall, this is a well-written story that covers a lot of important topics, including family dynamics, friendship, blended families, child abuse/neglect, sexual abuse/molestation, why it's important to tell the truth, and speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. I guessed they had taken them from him. There was no one else in the visitors' room, and I was the only one talking, so everything I said, every sound I made, seemed to echo off the walls. While Nikki lies in a coma at the hospital, Branwell is sent to a facility for troubled youths. It's the baby. Author did perfect and to reading more books. The parents' guide to what's in this book. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. -- prevail. Audiofile Magazine focuses on reviews of audiobooks. Absorbing mystery includes child abuse, sexual manipulation. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2010. Lotu Tii If there is a Silent to the Bone SparkNotes, Shmoop guide, or Cliff Notes, you can find a link to each study guide below. Connor never allows the thought that his best friend could have hurt his sister into his mind at any point. Provides short user-submitted reviews, synopses, abstracts, and summaries created by the Shvoong online community. It was Wednesday, November 25, 2:43 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. And then when he called 911, the police man said Hello like 5 times and then anyone there and the mother said tell him what happened, hurry, we need the ambulance fast. Male Voice: Is she having difficulty breathing? Entries also contain a short biography of the author. I am not one for censorship but the subject material is not age appropriate for 12-13 year olds. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. If the supply of blood to the brain is pinched off, the brain cannot get oxygen, and it dies. Search the history of over 804 billion : And no one heard. Basil E. Frankweiler; Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth; The View From Saturday, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. I won't say what his first words were until I explain what I heard during the time he said nothing. As such, reviews cover both the plot and quality of the title, as well as the quality of the audiobook narration. Bran is blamed for his sisters injury and is placed in a juvenile facility while an investigation is happening outside. On that day and for all the days that followed when he made no sound, my friend Branwell was screaming on the inside. This sentence proved my prediction wrong. It was Wednesday, November 25, 2:43 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. I am Connor, Connor Kane, and except for the past six weeks or so Branwell and I had always been best friends. I would not be pleased to see my 10-yr-old reading it. This book says a lot about how people judge others by what is not said, as much as by what is said. Connor, his best friend is the only one who can break through his wall of silence. Because Branwell does not speak, Connor does all the talking and communicates by a kind of sign language, inspired by Jean-Dominique Bauby. Her style of writing is like being hugged by an old friend - I can thoroughly recommend it! A CAT scan was taken of her head, which showed that her injuries could cause her brain to swell. 1. Uploaded by BuffaloLib's library catalog tends to include a brief plot synopsis and a collection of selected trade reviews for each entry. Please try again. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Adoration of Jenna Fox: The Jenna Fox Chronicles, Book 1. FreeBookNotes found 10 sites with book summaries or analysis of Silent to the Bone. For something that seems so mysterious and important, the story was obvious. Although it provided an opportunity to explain some very mature concepts, I wouldnt read sexual content this explicit in adult books. I love all of the other books I have read by E L Konigsburg and this is no exception. Branwell's immediate family now includes step-mother Tina Nguyen and half-sister Nicole or Nikki, a baby. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Also includes sites with a short overview, synopsis, book report, or summary of E. L. Konigsburgs Silent to the Bone. He would not speak at all. I think these things should be talked about openly with kids who are old enough, but I would not hand them a book like this with the scenes it had. Therefore, it leaves me with suspense, to keep reading. A woman's voice [still in the background, but louder now]: Tell them. What made Branwell feel different after Columbus Day? I looked real close. In Branwell's first utterance since the incident he explains that Nikki was neglected and harmed by tobacco smoke coming from Vivian and her boyfriend Morris. Neither Connor (who tells the story) nor Bran are credible young teens; they don't talk -- or, more importantly, think -- like kids at all. E.L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year. Branwell is tall for his age I am not and when he sat across the table from me, I had to look up to make eye contact, which was not easy. Connor's precocious friend Branwell suddenly stopped talking the day Bran's baby sister was injured and the babysitter blamed it on him. His eyeglasses were so badly smudged that his blue eyes appeared almost gray. "Silence does for thinking what a suspension bridge does for space -- it makes connections." E.L. Konigsburg, quote from Silent to the Bone "I'm not sure that love and like aren't like cats and dogs: One can't grow up to be the other, but they can be taught to live under the same roof." E.L. 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