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Sylvie and the Songman
Sylvie and the Songman
Author: Tim Binding, Angela Barrett (Illustrator)
A compelling story full of magic and music. — Sylvie Bartram lives alone with Mr. Jackson the dog and her eccentric composer father, who invents strange and wonderful musical instruments. One day she returns from school to find a message left in toothpaste on the bathroom mirror: her father has been kidnapped. Later that night, the house i...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780385751575
ISBN-10: 0385751575
Publication Date: 8/11/2009
Pages: 352
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1

4 stars, based on 1 rating
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
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GeniusJen avatar reviewed Sylvie and the Songman on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Thirteen-year-old Sylvie Bartram's father is not just any musician in SYLVIE AND THE SONGMAN by Tim Binding. Daniel Bartram is an inventor and composer whose search for that one perfect note leads to more trouble than anyone could have imagined.

One night, father and daughter experiment with his homemade instruments and hit an unusual note. The next day, Sylvie comes home from school to find that her father is missing and a mysterious message is on the bathroom mirror. The novel traces Sylvie's and her best friend George's adventures as they set off on a quest to find him.

Daniel's note seems to have drawn the attention of the Songman, a mysterious figure who has been stealing the voices of animals. As Sylvie and George search for her father, they must elude The Drummers, a strange old couple who are able to control behavior through the rhythmic beats they create, and the Woodpecker Man. The Woodpecker Man travels in a hot air balloon pulled by swans and accompanied by myriads of green and red birds.

Sylvie is aided by Mr. Jackson, her much-loved dog who has lost his voice, and a friendly fox who gives her the ability to understand the language of animals. Sylvie discovers that animals communicate in ways that are much different than humans, and their understanding of the world can help her to see the things around her differently, as well.

The adventure undertaken by these two children opens their hearts to realizations that though the adults around them are motivated by a variety of actions which the children do not always see, their parents' love for them is never out of reach. The novel is a lovely story of friendship, love, and belonging.

Alongside Binding's captivating text, Angela Barrett's beautiful illustrations bring the characters and story to life.


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