The Silent Voice

Burnish Me Bright #3

by Julia Cunningham

Auguste has no voice, no home, and no friends but wins a place in the home of an old man who teaches him mime and promises him a future.

145 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

On October 4, 1916 in Spokane, Washington, Julia Cunningham was born. Julia went to school for a short time in Virginia. She was an editor and held various other jobs before writing children's and young adult books. The Vision of Francois the Fox, Ms. Cunningham's first book, was published in 1960, followed by Viollet (1966), The Treasure is the Rose (1973), and Tuppeny (1978).

Her book, Dorp Dead (1965), has been called "a ground-breaking novel that dramatically changed children's literature in the 20th century."

As a children's author, Cunningham has felt she needs to "listen - look - daydream - be aware of smell and taste - and be "disciplined." Critics have praised her works for their originality and "poetic prose."

Among her many honors are the Christopher Medal for Come to the Edge and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor for The Flight of the Sparrow. The Treasure is the Rose was a National Book Award Finalist. Julia Cunningham lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this sequel to "Far in the Day" with my 6th grader. We both liked "Far in the Day" better. Although it had a touch of sadness, it was just a more fun read.

What I like about this book and this series is that it teaches compassion and admires artistic beauty. It also reminds me of the story of another mute child I've enjoyed - George MacDonald's "Sir Gibbie." If one were to read that, though, I'd suggest the Michael Philips translation into more modern English.

Astair's actions later in the book weren't very good, but I do realize that she was trying to rescue Auguste's dream.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most beautiful and tragic books I have ever read! The characters are the best and worst of humanity and what one is like on the inside is what really counts. I would highly recommend this book for a short, touching read.