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Lin Oliver

Sound Bender Hardcover – November 1, 2011

by Lin Oliver (Author), Theo Baker (Author)

13 ratings

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A roaring, supernatural adventure that spans New York, and the globe!

After their parents' plane goes down over the ocean, Leo and his brother Hollis are forced into the custody of their rich and enigmatic uncle Crane, a dealer of rare and probably illicit antiques. But almost as soon as he's settled--or as close to settled as he can get in the bleak Brooklyn mansion, surrounded by his uncle's dubious staff--Leo receives a mysterious package his father put together long ago, to be opened on his 13th birthday. With the package, Leo discovers he has an amazing ability. He can hear the history of any object by touching it. But when Leo finds a strange helmet buried among his uncle's artifacts, and hears a pained cry coming from it, a mystery unravels as to its origin.

Reading age

10 - 14 years
Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Grade level

5 - 9
Lexile measure

730L
Dimensions

6.59 x 0.98 x 8.3 inches
Publisher

Scholastic Press
Publication date

November 1, 2011
ISBN-10

0545196922
ISBN-13

978-0545196925
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This series opener introduces Leo, a newly orphaned New Yorker who discovers on his thirteenth birthday that he has inherited an ability to reconstruct powerfully vivid visions of past events from voices and other sounds that he “hears” from certain objects. When one such object turns out to be a helmet secretly developed by the Soviet military to enslave dolphins, he sets out on a rescue mission with a renowned dolphin researcher and other allies—and also finds himself at serious odds with his outrageously wealthy guardian/stepuncle Crane, a shady antiquities dealer. Leo’s inner struggles to cope with severe surges of grief and his equally harrowing powers mix uneasily with lighter incidents involving suddenly friendly girls, his adversarial little brother, and a supporting cast of broadly exaggerated thugs and nerds. The search for understanding takes him from a Brooklyn warehouse filled with secret rooms and crated mysteries to the South Pacific and leads to hard tests of courage and heart. Grades 5-8. --John Peters

About the Author

Lin Oliver is a television producer and writer and the Executive Director of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She coauthored (with Henry Winkler) the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling middle-grade series HANK ZIPZER: THE WORLD'S GREATEST UNDERACHIEVER, and wrote the series WHO SHRUNK DANIEL FUNK? Lin resides in Los Angeles, California.

Theo Baker has had a lifelong fascination with sound. Wizened in Santa Barbara and toughened by New York, Theo has worked as a record producer, a music journalist, a sound designer, and a court reporter, amongst other odd jobs. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Publisher : Scholastic Press; First Printing edition (November 1, 2011)
Language : English
Hardcover : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 0545196922
ISBN-13 : 978-0545196925
Reading age : 10 - 14 years
Lexile measure : 730L
Grade level : 5 - 9
Item Weight : 13.6 ounces
Dimensions : 6.59 x 0.98 x 8.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,840,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #38,388 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
- #50,382 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
13 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		38%
4 star		30%
3 star		10%
2 star		22%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Ed8r

Meh

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

After reading a good review I thought I'd try it, but aside from the basic premise and some interesting settings, I found it trite and ill-organized. Part SciFi, part fantasy, and part adventure . . . but I cannot abide being lectured about someone's worldview as opposed to it being carefully woven into the story itself. After the set-up, in the end, I was disappointed and let down.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Phyllis Berger

a page-turner!!

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2011

Verified Purchase

At the suggestion of a friend's 12 year old son, I read this book, not realizing how much I would enjoy it myself! The characters are engaging, the idea so original and the plot thoroughly compelling. I'm hoping it's the beginning of a "Sound Bender" series. It seems a great platform for so many fantastic adventures. I unhesitatingly recommend this to anyone looking for an imaginative, fun, well-written read for their young adult reader.

Helpful

Jaimie Engle Author

Cool book. Worth the read.

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2013

Verified Purchase

This was a great book, although I was waiting for it take off more. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys middle grade books.

Helpful

Fascinating premise with intriguing surprises

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2019

Sound Bender is an intriguing novel for middle-grade readers with much to offer that mythical reluctant boy. The protagonist is orphaned, lives with an almost scary uncle, meets curious strangers, and enjoys the promise of a glorious future if he can just let go of the past. Sibling rivalries, small betrayals, and a teenager’s longing for independence are convincingly brought to life. Meanwhile a curious skill with electronics, plus a previously unknown talent combine to tell Leo there’s more to his world than the hope of a bright future. And behind it all there’s a mystery…

Mystery and family combine in this tale, as Leo comes to learn more of his skills and his family’s past. It’s a cool tale of curious artifacts, nations and peoples, and more, and I’d love to read book 2.

Disclosure: I found it on a deal and couldn’t resist buying it.

Helpful

Teacherrates

Dolphins Are People Too!

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2013

Please understand that all my reviews focus on the interests of my middle school students. I never do a full plot synopsis in a review and try to give as little away as possible.

This is not the sort of book I normally like, nor one that I normally would predict will be very popular with my students (I bought it this summer; my kids will have to wait until school starts to check it out of my in-class library). But, I loved it and I know a lot my kids will as well.

The basic premise of the novel is that the main character (Leo, 13) and his little brother (Hollis, 11) have just lost their parents in a plane crash. They have gone to live with their very cold and rich step-uncle, Crane. Leo gets a letter his dad wrote for him on his first birthday, but posted that it was not to be delivered until his 13th birthday, which just occurred. With the letter and with help from his brilliant African-American friend, Trevor, Leo discovers he is Sound Bender. Not a Sound Bender; it is his name as well as his talent. He can hear events connected with objects he touches (kind of like Charlie Bone and photographs). And he learns there are people who are in terrible pain and sadness that need his help. It turns out the people are dolphins, and the book records his efforts to help them. Along the way, he picks up some intriguing allies in addition to Trevor and makes an enemy of his step-uncle.

I can't really tell you why I liked the book so much, because I don't know myself, exactly. I usually like a lot of action, a bit of danger for the main characters, and a clear goal for the hero. The book has some action and a little danger, especially if the uncle turns out to be really evil. It has a "kind-of" goal, but even Leo doesn't know what it actually is until the very end, and I was very confused as to how it was met. So why did I like it so very much?

One definite reason is that music is very important to the plot, and music is one of my passions. Maybe it's also because I was actually tingling as I finished the book. Maybe it is that I know what is like to be so suddenly close to your brothers when your dad dies of a heart attack that was as surprising and final as the plane crash; I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose both mom and dad. It might be because Oliver and Baker exactly nail the voice of a smart 13 year old boy; the narration is dead on what I'd expect from one of the boys from my Honors classes, or even my regular classes. It could be the incredible character development of Leo; I really felt like I knew him and I certainly know a lot of boys that are like him because they are in my classes every day. Or maybe it is the touching but awkward strength of the friendship between Leo and Trevor that especially manifests itself when they face adversity together. Finally, I think it is also the fact that the authors get kids; not just voice, but the little things like reactions to adult behavior, clothes, the different types of physical contact, etc.

In the end, it is probably that I feel very sure this book is setting up the series, which will have all the other things I love in books. I recommend this book as much for adults as kids. One caveat: if you lost a parent yourself, be prepared to feel some of that old pain that never seems to completely go away. It's NOT an intentional tear jerker, but you will empathize with Leo and Hollis.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Charles T. Markee

A boys book

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2013

I'm always glad to discover a book for boys about boys, although the `green' theme in this novel should make it attractive to girls as well. The setup for the novel finds 13-year-old Leo and his 10-year-old brother, Hollis orphaned when their parents die in a plane crash. Their totally rich uncle Crane takes them to live with him in a kid's dream palace in a warehouse. When Leo starts hearing sounds that no one else hears, it launches him on an unpredictable adventure with his two best friends.

I like the character mix. The protagonist, Leo, is smart, resourceful, perseverant and he sincerely cares for his younger brother. Leo's friend, Trevor, is super smart--good to have with you on an adventure. Leo's mentor, Jeremy, is reliable--a solid father figure and he's into music.

Leo's paranormal phenomena are clever and intriguing. That caught my interest at the outset of the story and maintained it to the end. Also, the pace of the adventure and Leo's sense of urgency keeps the tension on from the start. However, the story lacks a level of excitement and I think that's because Leo doesn't have much at stake. He's never in any real danger.

The descriptions are clear and build good mental images. The authors use interesting and apt figurative language. The edited book is professional and squeaky clean--what else would you expect from Scholastic Press?

Although the plot and actions are kid-like, I thought the narration and internal dialogue sounded too mature for thirteen, more like sixteen or older. Pre-teens might bog down with this diction, although kids do like to read up.

2 people found this helpful

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