Customer Reviews

The Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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Silver Spoon of Solomon Snow follows Solomon the son of poor washer people, Prudence, an aspiring writer, and the Prodigy Rosabella, good at getting whatever she wants, on a quest to find Solly's inheritance - a silver spoon. A spoon that was found literally in his mouth as a baby, when he was discovered on the doorstep of very poor people.

The fun is in the journey and the people they meet along the way. The characters are well developed and easy to visualize. I think this book would be well enjoyed when read aloud.

Those who love books such as Horatio Alger's Ragged Dick stories and the Series of Unfortunate Events, will enjoy this quick read.

I am looking forward to its sequel

At the school book fair, CookieBooky kid tried to steer me away from this strange little unassuming book with the alliterative title. And CookieBooky kid is often right when it comes to picking out which books I'd like. But something kept drawing me back to Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon. Luckily, I didn't let her change my mind. I really enjoyed this book.

Solomon Snow has just learned that he was left on the washer woman's doorstep in a basket when he was just a baby. The only things that were with him was a little cloth blanket and silver spoon. He uses the cloth as a napkin now but several months ago his father pawned the spoon to buy Solomon a pair of boots.

Turns out that the boots were too small and the spoon is the only way Solomon can find out who his real parents are. So starts out his adventure. Along the way, he makes friends of Prudence (she is the author of this adventure in more ways than one), Rosabella the 'Pwodigy' (who has trouble with her 'R's' but not much else) and Freddy (who's just happy to be there). In their Dickensian world, the four friends face the many dangers of being a child alone in a mean, cold town. But the snow is the worst of their problems, they'll have to deal with the child farmer, the orphanage matron and a mean old chimney sweep before they're done.

The tale is told in a wonderful way. At first, I was worried that the story might be a little heavy on the 'clever'. But luckily, the author used the clever naming tool only sparingly (and it added to the story rather than detracting from it). In addition, Kaye Umansky has painted the dreary picture she set out to create. I enjoyed the smatterings of humor as well. Best of all, the characters are all lovable in their own way - even Prudence. And the plot has its twists and turns with an ending that I (happily) did not expect.

A wonderful read.

Personally, I thought it was a fabulous book. Solomon Snow is a woeful being with a sad existance. When he meets the stubborn Prudence Pridy, and discovers that he is a foundling, Solly sets off to find his long lost silver spoon. Solly encounters several situations that he would never dream of, prior to meeting Prudence. I think that thoug it is somewhat predictable, it was satisfying, and I can't wait for the sequel.

We read this one out loud (the better to hear the voice of the Pwahdigy!) and one and all had a fun time. An easy book for a 12 year old (the upper limit of the age bracket), but the laughs come easily and the action moves at a steady pace.

Looking forward to getting the next book about Solomon, Prudence, the Prodigy et al...

Solomon Snow is a poor peasant boy that lives with his Ma and Pa in the village of Boring. He works with his parents in their laundry business and has nothing to his name. He befriends another outcast child from the village, a girl named Prudence, who takes him on an adventure he will never forget. Together Prudence and Solly discover that his past and true identity is connected to a silver spoon he had as a baby. They decide to journey to Town and uncover all the secrets in Solly's life. On their way they meet an unforgettable cast of characters.

In this well written book Umansky strives to model Dickens' style of writing. She inserts humor as often as possible, which gives this dark and frustrating tale a good balance that keeps the reader interested. The story is clearly character driven. Without each distinct character it would fall apart. Each character from the lonely and worrisome Solly, to the boisterous chimney sweep Freddy, brings a different feeling and tone to the tale. The character's actions and words make this book easy and enjoyable to read and move plot along. The reader is bound to connect to one of the many characters present; therefore, when the story is over the reader is left wanting more.

This book is a fun read and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for good story about a journey, and self discovery. I can't wait for the sequel to find out how Solly and all his friends will deal with the secrets that were revealed!

Poor Solomon Snow works as a laundry boy, delivering people's clothes. But when he hears about the silver spoon leading to his identity, he sets on to Town. Along the way, meeting normally very rude and unwelcome people. A girl with an abnormaly large nose, a girl who cares for nothing but sweets, and a dirty boy.

This is a wonderful book, an easy read, and always entertaining. You always feel for the poor Solomon Snow, always wanting to see what will happen to the poor children. You'll really enjoy this read, and i hope you'll give it a try.