Bibliographical information:

Konigsburg, E. L. Silent to the Bone. New York: Atheneum Books, 2000.

Brief summary:

Branwell Zamborska's baby (half) sister is in a coma. Vivian Shawcurt, the family's au pair, says that Branwell dropped and shook her. Branwell's friend Connor doesn't believe this, but Branwell can't--or won't--speak. The novel traces Connor's investigation of what really happened to  the baby, along with Connor's developing relationship with his older half sister Margaret.

Comments:

This is a compelling and disturbing mystery. For readers familiar with au pairs in the headlines, what happened to the baby will be less interesting than why Branwell has retreated into silence.

Grade/Age level:

The cover recommends age 11 and up, which seems about right.

Cautions:

There's scary stuff here--injured babies, accusations against kids, abusive behavior, sexual manipulation. Some kids will want to debrief after reading.

If you like this book, you might also like . . .

--Lisa Gordis

Feel free to add comments by clicking the comments tab above.