Sylvie and the Songman [Library Binding]

Tim Binding (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

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 is visited by a terrifying apparition—a half-man, half-creature who is searching for something and will not rest until he has found it. . . .

Sylvie uncovers an underground world of magic and evil, and with help from her friends, she must hold off a power that threatens the lives of all beings in the world. The Songman is at large, and is determined to steal music and use it for his own evil ends. . . .


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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 City END --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Starred Review, Booklist, June 1, 2009:
“[T]he sheer force of what [Binding] realizes makes this an unforgettable tale, rife with thoughtful explorations of animal life, fascinating displays of instinctual communication, and breezy interpretations of the everyday magic we take for granted.”

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2009:
"This is an exceptionally honed story with levels of depth."


From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 352 pages
• Publisher: David Fickling Books (August 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385751591
• ISBN-13: 978-0385751599
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.1 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,523,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 21, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sylvie and the Songman (Hardcover)

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.

Reviewed by: Theresa L. Stowell

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tells of a world where music and sound are changing, September 19, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sylvie and the Songman (Hardcover)

Tim Binding's SYLVIE AND THE SONGMAN tells of a world where music and sound are changing: Sylvie's dog has lost his bark, the birds have stopped singing, and her music-making father has vanished. Sylvie and her best friend, tone deaf George, are thus drawn into the dangerous world of a Songman haunted by Woodpecker Man in his swan-powered balloon - a world where nobody can speak and nothing can sing - in this vivid fantasy of change.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ride to remember, August 5, 2010

By 

yearningtoread - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sylvie and the Songman (Hardcover)

All is not well in London, England. Sylvie has noticed that the birds refuse to whistle, and her own dog, Mr. Jackson, apparently has lost his bark. The fox she always sees from the train isn't on his platform, watching her pass. Her father, Daniel, a creative musician who builds and plays his own insturments, has just discovered an entirely new note. Shortly afterward, he disappears, leaving only an eye drawn on the bathroom mirror with toothpaste to give Sylvie a clue to work with. Sylvie and her friend George must find Daniel and figure out why the world has stopped singing - and all the while running from the evil Woodpecker Man and his master.


Buying this book was a gamble: I hadn't heard anything about it, but it looked too good to pass up. (I don't normally just buy books because nowadays, unless I've read them from the library and just have to have them on my shelf.) Sylvie and the Songman definitely could have gone either way, but I was willing to take the chance.

It was amazing. I read it once last December, and I just finished it for the second time. What a ride! It's full of mystery, interesting (and sometimes scary) characters, and a fascinating battle between good and evil. The Songman is a psychological and puzzling man, worthy of note. His helper (one of those wicked characters who, even though he works for someone, isn't actually bound to that person) is the Woodpecker Man, a frightful character who flies in a balloon pulled by swans, surrounded by green woodpeckers. Then there's Rabbit-tooth and the Knitting woman. Daniel and Sylvie and George themselves are masterpieces. Daniel is still saddened by the loss of his wife, but loves Sylvie and wants her to be happy. Sylvie and George make quite a duo: Sylvie is quiet and curious, while George is proud and ambitious. They work well together and emit a wonderful sense of loyalty throughout the book.

Tim Binding is a very talented writer. His style forms this story into what it is - a beautiful piece of prose, a wonderful work of the English language. And I can tell you now... You'll never see woodpeckers the same again.