I'm B-a-a-a-ck

I'm totally refreshed and not feeling the least bit stressed because I'm so far behind reading my favorite blogs and my messages at Child_Lit and Readerville and the continuing saga at Jane Yolen's On-line Journal.

I have so much to write about, too. I hardly know where to begin. So, I've decided to start with a book I read on vacation because it's overdue at the library.

I read E.L. Konigsburg's Silent to the Bone even though I wasn't crazy about her later book, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, which is sort of connected since it's about the childhood of an adult character in Silent. Hope you followed that.

Anyway, I liked Silent to the Bone much better. Nonetheless, I can't say I'm a huge fan. Silent is one of those books adults like because it exposes kids to the titles of adult books or psychological theories or other smart stuff. It also includes some psychic leaps that I couldn't quite follow. For instance, the main character's sister writes a letter that everyone raves about, but it was way too subtle for me. And I felt that Connor, the main character, had way too much power in the story. Adults were way too willing to talk to this kid.

However, the central event, the central relationship between the au pair and her charge I felt was very well done and very believable. I'm guessing there's going to be a whole generation of kids who've read this book who will never allow an au pair in their homes.