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Firmament (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "HE DIDN'T SEE HER; but he heard her voice..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bill Foley, Roger Gilmore, Jason Skinner (more...)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10-Luke, 14, is in big trouble. "Skin," a teen with a well-earned reputation for violence, has threatened to seriously hurt him if Luke refuses to break into an old woman's house and steal a beautiful wooden box sure to contain valuables. Luke is trapped, and once inside the house, he's startled by the devastating weeping of a young girl. Worse, Skin isn't Luke's only problem. He's still grieving so hard over his father's death that he can't concentrate and is nearly flunking out of school. He skips classes; fights with his mother, who has a new boyfriend; and is rude and surly to everyone, even his beloved music teacher. Luke feels that the only thing he has left is his music, his gift for playing the piano, just like his father. Firmament is a fascinating coming-of-age story with deeply developed characters. The author's understanding of the way a musician separates notes in his head and the ability to translate them into a dialogue between his hands and his instrument is amazing. However, one disturbing scenario might hit readers hard, especially given recent news stories of abducted children. Once Luke discovers that the mentally retarded child had been found and hidden away by the old woman for two years, he reunites her with her parents but does not notify authorities. Overall, though, the author's lyrical writing will enthrall readers and draw them into a heartfelt story that resonates just like great music. Pair Firmament with Bruce Brooks's Midnight Hour Encores (HarperCollins, 1986) during booktalks. Both titles will be eagerly snatched up and loved.-Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. Fourteen-year-old Luke is brilliant in music, but after his concert pianist father's untimely death, his life goes into free fall. He finds himself haunted by sounds--music, a constant weeping, a mysterious rumbling--and by the unseen but deeply felt presence of his father. Worse, he begins to hang out with a local gang, and when, to prove himself, he breaks into the home of a wealthy recluse, he finds something that will change his life. Carnegie Medal-winning author Bowler writes beautifully about music and the emotional pain of loss. His characters are multidimensional and always interesting, but his uneasy mixture of genres--realism, fantasy, and mystery--doesn't quite gel. Nor does he satisfactorily explain Luke's central--and highly improbable--decision to join the gang. On the other hand, the enigmatic elements of his plot are tantalizing, and the novel's emotional intensity will attract an enthusiastic readership. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry; 1 edition (April 6, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0689861613
ISBN-13: 978-0689861611
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #917,137 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
HE DIDN'T SEE HER; but he heard her voice. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Bill Foley, Roger Gilmore, Jason Skinner, The Haven, Nut Bush Lane, Barley May Roberts, Luke Stanton, Biggin Hill, Buckland Forest, Miss Grubb, Stony Hill Cottage, Peace of the Forest, The Dance of the Blessed Spirits, Strawberry Hill, Bobby Speedwell, Upper Dinton, Frank Meldrum, Love Thee

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 3 books:

Dance of the Blessed Spirits by Christoph Willibald Von Gluck on page 46, and page 105
River Boy by Tim Bowler in Front Matter
Storm Catchers by Tim Bowler in Front Matter

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent!, April 17, 2009

By	eine Leserin - See all my reviews

Oh, I loved this book! It's got such perfect emotional tension in it. The main character, Luke, is a gifted musician, like his father was, but ever since his dad died he's been kind of messed up. When the gang he's lowered himself to hang out with sets him up to break into an old lady's house, he discovers a mysterious child hidden inside and starts to wake up to himself. The writing is lovely, the stakes are all set up perfectly so that whenever Luke chooses to do the right thing somewhere, it pulls on another plot thread, and the connection with his music and his father is strong and satisfying. This is my first Tim Bowler book, but it won't be my last.

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5.0 out of 5 stars a powerful coming-of-age story, May 17, 2004

By	Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Luke is a highly gifted pianist but is uncertain of his place in the world. His grief over his father's death is still a deep pain for him, and he has turned this grief into a kind of anger at everyone and everything. He can't stand his mother's new boyfriend; he is sullen and rude to his teachers.

The only place he thinks he fits in is with local outcasts Daz, Speed and Skin. Totally ruled by the unstable Skin, all the boys follow Skin's every wish. All of this is just a way to "get through" for Luke, until one night when he is sent into Mrs. Little's house to look for something to steal. Once inside the dark, creepy house he follows the sound of a child's weeping voice and encounters a situation that totally changes his life.

As Luke becomes torn between helping the child and Mrs. Little, he also encounters the wrath of Skin and his gang. There is a great sense of tension as the story winds its way to the final scenes.

Some of the events toward the end of this book feel somewhat forced, but at the same time Tim Bowler is able to maintain a wonderful sense of magic through the characters. FIRMAMENT provides a wonderful coming-of-age story combined with an exciting edge of suspense.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts (stibbetts@maine207west.k12.il.us)

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