DNF!!! I simply couldn't!!!

Garbage! Filth! Absolute detritus!

First of all, let me say that the story is being told by an old woman about a time when she was 9 years old. She begins by saying it's a story not appropriate for young children, yet it's in the young readers section of the library. Duh!

Secondly, the narrator (Karen Allen - I got this on audio CD) reads it in such a manner that one wants to slit their wrist and jump from the nearest bridge! It couldn't possibly be more depressing.

Drowning kittens should have been my first clue!

*** SPOILERS ***
Unless you want to know, read no further!

• This book deals in quite possibly the most detrimental way ever with those who have autism. I don't believe I've ever read anything so disparaging. The boy is obviously not wanted, nor is he loved by his father. She makes it abundantly clear that some children are wanted and some are simply a burden. This autistic boy is regarded as something that won't even ever be productive. She even refers to him at one point as an imbecile.

• Although she makes a good attempt to make child birth seem beautiful and the storyteller's father does a masterful job of explaining to her where babies come from, she also makes it abundantly clear what's to be done with unwanted children. It took me about halfway through the book to know where she was headed with this. Apparently Lois Lowry thinks unwanted children are akin to unwanted kittens. Here's an autistic boy that loves and actually communicates with animals and who's job it is to drown unwanted kittens. How absolutely cruel can this woman be?! Also, how in God's name could she expect something different in his dealing with an unwanted child?!

• The book deals with unwed mothers, sexual encounters by a boy towards a girl with cruel intentions, and families sending their young daughters away from home to work and live as housemaids in ways that young readers today couldn't ever understand.

• This book is so extremely dark and dismal that no young reader should ever be subjected to any part of it. I couldn't even finish it!

I have to admit that I saw what was coming up about halfway into the book. At about 3/4 through it I could take no more and read a review with spoiler alerts to confirm my suspicion. At this point I could go no further. I will not be subjected to the mental abuse of some pro-abortion nit-wit who thinks so extremely poorly of women as to write about them being used for the sexual enjoyment of such a person with this kind of poor upbringing. AND THEN TO AIM THIS FILTH AT YOUNG READERS?!?!

I had high regards of Lois Lowry before. NO LONGER!

The original article seems to be rather brief. Here is an expanded version:

**Title: A Review of [Something] with 3.5 Stars**

Recently, I had the opportunity to experience [describe what was experienced]. Overall, I would rate it as 3.5 stars.

The positive aspects were quite notable. [List the good points]. For example, [give an example of a good feature]. These elements really added value and made the experience enjoyable.

However, there were also some areas that could be improved. [Mention the不足之处]. Maybe [suggest a possible improvement]. Despite these drawbacks, the 3.5-star rating still reflects the overall quality and potential of [the thing being reviewed].

In conclusion, while not perfect, [the thing] has its strengths and weaknesses. I would recommend it to others with the caveat that they should be aware of the areas that need attention. With a little more effort, it could easily achieve a higher rating in the future.

Please note that you need to provide more specific details about the article you want to be rewritten and expanded so that I can better meet your requirements.

This is yet another excellently written book penned by Lois Lowry. Her The Giver series was truly remarkable.

This uncomplicated story delves into the experiences of a doctor's young daughter in a small town right after the turn of the 20th Century. It has the power to transport you to a different era and location.

The narrative of Katy's friendship with a "touched" boy who doesn't speak but adores animals and loves to wander is extremely touching and evokes a great deal of empathy.

It offers a gentle exploration of a world that, in some respects, was simpler, yet still held the intricacies of how people related to events and one another. I wholeheartedly relished this book and found it to be a captivating read that left a lasting impression.

It's a story that makes you reflect on the past and appreciate the beauty and complexity that existed during that time.

This book is not as excellent as some of her other works, but I still found it enjoyable.

I somewhat concur with the other reviews regarding the appropriate age for this book. In fact, even the beginning of the book states, "this story is not for kids" when the narrator is explaining the stories told within the family.

However, I don't believe it's entirely inappropriate. I highly recommend that parents read this book themselves before deciding whether to read it with their children or let their children read it independently.

If your child does read it, it is essential to have a discussion afterward. Even as an adult, there are many thought-provoking elements in this book.

It makes you reflect on various aspects of life, family, and relationships.

Overall, it's a book that can offer valuable insights and引发思考 for both parents and children, but it requires careful consideration and guidance.

An interesting book indeed! I truly love how Lois Lowry has the courage to tackle hard subjects head-on. She doesn't shy away from difficult topics but instead, she masterfully turns them into thought-provoking stories that leave a lasting impact on the readers. Lois Lowry is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors. Her books are not just filled with engaging plots but also have great substance. They make you think deeply about various aspects of life, society, and human nature. Each of her works is like a treasure trove of valuable lessons and insights. Whether it's about dealing with loss, facing discrimination, or understanding the importance of individuality, Lois Lowry's books have it all. I can't wait to explore more of her wonderful works and continue to be inspired by her unique writing style and profound ideas.

This book brought to my mind a certain resemblance to the Calpurnia Tate series, even though that particular series was published subsequent to this one.

I am accustomed to Lois Lowry's style of narrating a sorrowful tale from the viewpoint of a character who doesn't entirely grasp all that is transpiring, as seen in works like The Giver and Crow Calls.

In this story, I found it to be rather sad and, towards the end, a bit overly melodramatic. However, a significant portion of the ending was somewhat foreseeable, so it didn't come as a huge shock.

One major distinction between this and Calpurnia Tate lies in the age of the recommended reader. While Calpurnia Tate is targeted at middle grades, for me, the content of this book would place it more in the high school range. Indeed, a more mature reader would likely have a greater appreciation and understanding of it in any case.

Perhaps this is due to the more complex themes and emotions explored in this story compared to the relatively simpler narrative of Calpurnia Tate.

Nonetheless, both series have their own unique charm and offer valuable reading experiences for different age groups.

Rewritten and expanded article:

The review was originally posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com/...

Why I Read It: Way back in grade 11, which was 5 - 6 years ago, I read Lowry's The Giver and was completely smitten. Since then, I've only read her other Newberry Award winner, Number the Stars, which I also enjoyed but not with the same passion as The Giver. I've been interested in reading more of her work, but I was convinced that nothing would ever impress me as much as The Giver, so I didn't actively seek it out. Then, this past summer, I went to visit a friend in Ottawa. Before lending me The Silent Boy, she told me it was one of her favorite books by Lowry. I needed some backup reading material for my ride home, and since it was Lowry, I accepted. I ended up having enough books to last me most of my trip home, so I didn't read it then. Fast forward to the beginning - mid November. I was swamped with homework, essays, and all kinds of other stuff, and I wanted to read something short. This book fit the bill perfectly, being just over 200 pages.

Our story is told from a first-person POV by an old lady named Katy Thatcher. She starts off by saying that she's told her grandchildren all kinds of stories but never this one. This one is too sad and too real, and she doesn't think they're ready for it yet. But she's going to tell us. So begins her story about The Silent Boy.

Having the story told to us after the events have happened is effective because you know something bad is going to happen. On the other hand, you're constantly waiting for that thing, and The Silent Boy takes its time getting to that point. For the first 9/10 of the novel, it feels like we're meandering and watching young Katy's privileged life. It's not bad or anything, but it honestly feels pretty aimless, and I really didn't see where the plot was going or what the bad thing was going to be. I knew it would obviously involve Jacob (the titular character - he's a mute affected by some kind of mild mental disorder and loves animals), but I wasn't sure how, although I was positive it would be because of his condition.

Once we reach the end of the novel and the thing happens, almost everything that came before it makes perfect sense. All the little pieces of the puzzle that seemed trivial when they were presented suddenly come together to paint a very sad picture. It was definitely a punch to the gut, and since I didn't see it coming, it made it feel even more gut-wrenching. So, the story? Really good. It felt slow despite its length, but I realized by the end that it was deliberate, and Lowry had actually given me everything I needed to piece the story and the outcome together. The pieces were just so well and subtly placed that I missed them, which, to me, indicates a job well done, especially with this kind of story.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel as impressed with anything else. I feel bad saying it that way because nothing was bad, I just wasn't blown away. The writing was fine and seemed to adequately reflect the mind of someone Katy's age, but I found a bit of a discrepancy in the narration. It's supposed to be Katy's older self telling us the story decades after the events took place, yet when reading from young Katy's perspective, it's like you're in the mind of a 7 - 9 year old (I forget how many years the novel spans, but it was around there, I think). But then sometimes, it would go from this 7 - 9 perspective and say something like "And that was the last time we were all happy together," like we've jumped back into 90+ year old Katy's mind. There needed to be a clearer indication of when we were in Young Katy's mind and Old Katy's mind. I guess you could argue that that's how Katy would tell the story regardless - she tells it to us like she might have when she was younger - but I don't know... it felt off to me.

As for the characters, I wish I could have felt a little more attached to them. Again, it's not that anything was bad, but I didn't fall in love with anyone. Katy was cute and could be a brat, but just as much as was normal for someone her age. Her parents were good people (I especially liked the relationship between Katy and her father), and I liked the poorer girl who worked as a maid for them (I can't remember her name). She was very sweet and likable and was probably my favorite of the bunch. I do also wish I could have become more attached to Jacob, but I found there wasn't enough of him throughout the novel to really form any kind of connection with him. I did, however, get a touch of the fuzzies when he gave Katy the little kitten as a sign of friendship. There were some little moments like that between them that I really liked and really wish there could have been more of.

Final Judgment: So, The Giver still remains my favorite Lois Lowry novel (and one of my favorite books ever), but this book is still worth checking out. Despite having a slow-moving story that seems aimless, it drops hints and clues about the big reveal at the end of the story seamlessly into the plot, which makes the reveal even more shocking. And it really is a tragic and sad ending, so if you want something uplifting, you might want to look elsewhere. While I liked the story (especially the ending), I found the novel a bit lacking in other areas. I was a little confused about the narrative voice, and I wasn't as attached to the characters as I might have liked (though there were some pretty touching moments in this book, especially between Katy and her dad, and Katy and Jacob).

Ugh, this particular historical fiction was truly of the paint by numbers variety.

We have a little girl who is ahead of her time, with the aspiration of becoming a doctor just like her daddy! Alongside this, there are vaguely quaint descriptions of daily life, such as "Time to harness the horses and hang the laundry!" Then there are awkwardly inserted Important Historical Events like "The Triangle Shirtwaist fire!" and "The first car in town!" not to mention the Special Lessons like "Guess where babies come from!" and "The hired girl's brother is 'touched!'".

It has that vacuous invented middle class sense of nostalgia that we typically associate with the 1950s. What really bothered me was that the silent boy isn't actually silent, and the story isn't truly about him, even though it could have been an interesting tale told from his perspective. However, it does deserve some points for delving a lot deeper into the really obvious scandal than I had anticipated, otherwise I might well have lost interest by the end.

For girly Americana that truly satisfies and sticks with you, it would be advisable to try something by Karen Hesse or Karen Cushman. Or perhaps a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird.

I have read several of Lowry's previous books, such as the entire Giver Quartet and Number The Stars, and I really enjoyed them. So, when I borrowed The Silent Boy from the library, I didn't even bother to look at its description.

I was anticipating something similar to Number The Stars, a hopeful children's story set in a difficult historical time. But to my surprise, The Silent Boy is extremely dark. The climax is very disturbing, and the story ends on a bitter note.

Nevertheless, I did appreciate the glimpse into that time period and the insights it provided into the treatment of autistic and/or mentally ill people in the early 1900s. I often recommend audiobooks to my younger siblings who are 9 and 12 years old, but I won't recommend this one to them. For YA readers and older, it can be read at your own risk. Although it is dark, it is a very thought-provoking read that makes you reflect on various aspects of society and human nature.

Overall, The Silent Boy is a complex and challenging book that may not be suitable for all audiences, but it does offer some valuable perspectives and food for thought.

I really liked this book.

It had a great combination of sad and happy parts, which made it very engaging. The descriptions in the book were so vivid that it presented a very wide and detailed image in my head.

For example, when the terrible fire happened in New York, I could almost see the chaos and destruction.

The book also showed me what was going on in Katy's mind during her visit to the Stoltz family.

It was interesting to read about how Jacob killed the kittens, but also how he gave Katy a kitten and how Katy celebrated her birthday.

However, there were a bit too many characters in the book, which made it a bit difficult to keep track of them all.

But overall, I thought this book was excellent and I wouldn't change a thing about it.

I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story with a mix of emotions and interesting characters.

I picked up this book with a certain preconceived notion. I thought to myself that I wouldn't like it very much. But oh boy, was I ever wrong!

This book is truly one of a kind. It isn't like anything I have ever read before. From the very first page, it had me hooked.

The story is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing style is captivating. I found myself completely immersed in the world that the author has created.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good read. Whether you are a fan of fiction or non-fiction, this book is sure to please. So don't hesitate, pick it up and give it a try!

I truly relished the story and Lois's writing.

The plot was engaging and filled with interesting twists and turns that kept me hooked from beginning to end. Lois has a remarkable talent for creating vivid characters and a rich, immersive world.

However, the narrator was just...awful. Their voice was monotone and lacked the energy and emotion that the story deserved. It was as if they were reading the words without any understanding or connection to the material.

This made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the audio version of the story. I found myself constantly tuning out and having to rewind to catch what I missed.

Despite the narrator's shortcomings, I still highly recommend the story and Lois's writing. It's a shame that the audio version didn't do it justice. Maybe I'll have to pick up a print copy and read it myself to fully appreciate it.