Sylvie and the Songman
Grade 4–6—In this powerfully written fantasy, Sylvie, whose mother drowned a year ago, becomes concerned when strange events begin to happen. First, her beloved dog, Mr Jackson, loses his voice. Then, a note from one of her father's musical instruments causes an explosion. As she begins to notice that the usual animal sounds have vanished, her father, a musician and composer, disappears; a frightening man appears at her house; and a fox she sees each morning is no longer there. The sense of menace grows alarmingly when the terrifying Woodpecker Man attacks the house with Sylvie and her friend George inside. They figure out that he works for the Songman, whose plan is to capture and hold captive all the world's songs. The friends embark on a dangerous adventure to find Sylvie's father and save the world from the fate of silence. Binding has created rich and interesting characters in Sylvie's friend George, her dog, and the fox that bites Sylvie's hand, giving her the power to understand the language and thoughts of animals. Sylvie herself is a likable and spunky character, even if she is a little too self-sufficient to be entirely believable. While the action lags a little in some sections, Binding's rich language and multisensory descriptions of the world of animals are absorbing, and Sylvie's terror at discovering that she has enemies all around her will have readers on the edge of their seats.—Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York CityEND