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The Silent Boy
Precocious Katy Thatcher always knew she wanted to be a doctor like her father. She joins him on his rounds and has a keen interest in the people around her. She's especially intrigued by Jacob, a gentle, silent boy who has a special sensitivity toward animals. While Jacob never speaks to or looks at Katy, they develop an unusual friendship and understanding. The townspeople dismiss Jacob as an imbecile. Katy just thinks of him as someone special who has a way of communicating with the animals through his sounds and movements.
And only Katy comes to realize what the gentle, silent boy did for his family. He meant to help, not harm. It didn't turn out that way.
And only Katy comes to realize what the gentle, silent boy did for his family. He meant to help, not harm. It didn't turn out that way.
178 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
241 people are currently reading
5750 people want to read
About the author
Lois Lowry
143 books22.8k followersTaken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 812 reviews
August 25, 2017
Library Audiobook: narrated by Karen Allen.
I'm pretty sensitive to the voices on audiobooks-- I tend to either really like them or not. It's not uncommon for me to send back a half dozen audiobooks that I've tried.
So, I'm going to begin to take more responsibility-and begin to remember the names of the audiobook narrator's.
Karen Allen, the audiobook narrator, had a very different type speaking voice than other female voices I've listened to --which has nothing to do with an accent. She spoke softly, a very serene feeling--- a meditative feeling. IT WORKED VERY NICE FOR THIS STORY.
I was fully engaged - and peaceful on my walks with Karen reading to me.
This is a 'looking back' story. Katy Thatcher is a grown women remembering when she was a child.... with special focus on Jacob, who obviously is autistic.
Lois Lowry does a beautiful job dealing with complex and tragic issues.... capturing the qualities of autism,, and the insults and mocking from the kids in the community.
The end of this book is quite disturbing. I can't imagine reading this book to young children. Mature middle school kids could handle it -- but I actually think adults would appreciate this book most.
I was very drawn into this community. Strong characterization... voiced through the children's eyes....
Jacob's had disabilities, but his humanity shined through.
I'm pretty sensitive to the voices on audiobooks-- I tend to either really like them or not. It's not uncommon for me to send back a half dozen audiobooks that I've tried.
So, I'm going to begin to take more responsibility-and begin to remember the names of the audiobook narrator's.
Karen Allen, the audiobook narrator, had a very different type speaking voice than other female voices I've listened to --which has nothing to do with an accent. She spoke softly, a very serene feeling--- a meditative feeling. IT WORKED VERY NICE FOR THIS STORY.
I was fully engaged - and peaceful on my walks with Karen reading to me.
This is a 'looking back' story. Katy Thatcher is a grown women remembering when she was a child.... with special focus on Jacob, who obviously is autistic.
Lois Lowry does a beautiful job dealing with complex and tragic issues.... capturing the qualities of autism,, and the insults and mocking from the kids in the community.
The end of this book is quite disturbing. I can't imagine reading this book to young children. Mature middle school kids could handle it -- but I actually think adults would appreciate this book most.
I was very drawn into this community. Strong characterization... voiced through the children's eyes....
Jacob's had disabilities, but his humanity shined through.
July 23, 2016
FULL REVIEW HERE: literarycafe.weebly.com
I'm actually rather stunned by this book. Not in a good way. It was disturbing, dark, and certainly not appropriate for the age it was recommended to (5th-7th grade). While I am a fan of Lois Lowry and many of her excellent books, I must say she certainly dropped the ball with this one.
I won't make this a long post, since what I have to say is relatively short. Don't read it. (please :)
This book is enshrouded by darkness and depression... and the narrator is just an 11-year-old girl. Her entire world and mind is depressed. Really? The book begins by the child (Now an old woman. The book is her recounting the experience) that the story she is about to tell isn't appropriate for young ears and is dark and gloomy. Yet it's marketed to young readers. I don't understand, I really don't.
Here are the main reasons why this is anything but a children's book:
-Depression and darkness are pervasive.
-a young girl (Katie, the narrator, and protagonist) trying to figure out what autism is (they call it being 'touched', 'silent', etc.), and people around her calling the boy an idiot, maniac, stupid, and belonging in an asylum.
-A detailed description of a factory fire, and the wounded and how they were treated for the burns. Her 'praying' (or rather thinking) every night for a deceased 11-year-old girl, and later Katie names her cat after the girl. (Morbid, much?)
-Katie's father bringing her to an insane asylum (he's a doctor) and hearing a woman violently screaming in the building, while she waits outside.
-Katie walking in on two teenagers (a maid and a rich kid) having an affair (twice).
-Later Katie finds out that the maid is pregnant and the rich guy is sent off to an all boys boarding house, which she thinks is good for him since he's 'such a flirter'. What 11-year-old actually thinks along those lines?
-This will give away the end of the book: That's not just mildly disturbing. It's atrocity thrown into a novel for shock value. There's something fundamentally wrong with Lowry if she thinks that's appropriate for a young child. Yes, there are evil things in the world, but this type of content should certainly not be read by small children.
In short, you can see that I am not overly happy with this book. I could probably rant for hours more, but I just want you to be warned that, although this is marketed for kids, it certainly shouldn't be. I can't even begin to express the level of depression that you could feel through the words of the book. This novel is warped, from its beginning to its core. My advice is simple: stay away.
GENERAL NOTES:
Genre: Childrens, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Age Level: 17+ (But honestly, I wouldn't read it if you were 40. There's simply no need for it.)
Content rating (1-10): 5
Pages: 178
Please, please, if you were considering reading this, don't. There are so many excellent books that surpass this not only in morals but also in plot and writing, that there's simply no reason to be drawn to Silent Boy.
Check our our blog which constantly gives content review warnings: literary.cafe.weebly.com
I'm actually rather stunned by this book. Not in a good way. It was disturbing, dark, and certainly not appropriate for the age it was recommended to (5th-7th grade). While I am a fan of Lois Lowry and many of her excellent books, I must say she certainly dropped the ball with this one.
I won't make this a long post, since what I have to say is relatively short. Don't read it. (please :)
This book is enshrouded by darkness and depression... and the narrator is just an 11-year-old girl. Her entire world and mind is depressed. Really? The book begins by the child (Now an old woman. The book is her recounting the experience) that the story she is about to tell isn't appropriate for young ears and is dark and gloomy. Yet it's marketed to young readers. I don't understand, I really don't.
Here are the main reasons why this is anything but a children's book:
-Depression and darkness are pervasive.
-a young girl (Katie, the narrator, and protagonist) trying to figure out what autism is (they call it being 'touched', 'silent', etc.), and people around her calling the boy an idiot, maniac, stupid, and belonging in an asylum.
-A detailed description of a factory fire, and the wounded and how they were treated for the burns. Her 'praying' (or rather thinking) every night for a deceased 11-year-old girl, and later Katie names her cat after the girl. (Morbid, much?)
-Katie's father bringing her to an insane asylum (he's a doctor) and hearing a woman violently screaming in the building, while she waits outside.
-Katie walking in on two teenagers (a maid and a rich kid) having an affair (twice).
-Later Katie finds out that the maid is pregnant and the rich guy is sent off to an all boys boarding house, which she thinks is good for him since he's 'such a flirter'. What 11-year-old actually thinks along those lines?
-This will give away the end of the book: That's not just mildly disturbing. It's atrocity thrown into a novel for shock value. There's something fundamentally wrong with Lowry if she thinks that's appropriate for a young child. Yes, there are evil things in the world, but this type of content should certainly not be read by small children.
In short, you can see that I am not overly happy with this book. I could probably rant for hours more, but I just want you to be warned that, although this is marketed for kids, it certainly shouldn't be. I can't even begin to express the level of depression that you could feel through the words of the book. This novel is warped, from its beginning to its core. My advice is simple: stay away.
GENERAL NOTES:
Genre: Childrens, Fiction, Historical Fiction
Age Level: 17+ (But honestly, I wouldn't read it if you were 40. There's simply no need for it.)
Content rating (1-10): 5
Pages: 178
Please, please, if you were considering reading this, don't. There are so many excellent books that surpass this not only in morals but also in plot and writing, that there's simply no reason to be drawn to Silent Boy.
Check our our blog which constantly gives content review warnings: literary.cafe.weebly.com
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2007
While this book was beautiful, as well as being a useful look at autism before we began to understand it, I think it is completely inappropriate for the age range for whom it was written. Reviews suggest grades 5-8. The serious subject matter, references to sex and a resulting pregnancy, and a very horrific ending make this book only appropriate for a YA audience. That audience must also be comfortable with a dark tale that has no real resolution. In general, I found this book too gloomy to be enjoyable.
April 24, 2014
This story takes place in 1910-1911 and the sights and sounds are wonderfully crafted. It is told through the eyes of Katy, a young girl who sometimes accompanies her father, the local doctor, on house calls. You experience what it would be like to ride in a buggy on a cold day. Katy gets glimpses into lifestyles very different from her own and makes a gentle friendship with boy a few years older than she is, Jacob, who is developmentally disabled. The subject is handled very well for the times in which the characters lived. Katy isn't scared of Jacob as many people were then. She is accepting of his differences and enjoys his quiet company.
The story doesn't really center around Jacob, although the thread of his story runs throughout, but the entirety is a great slice of life from the early part of the twentieth century.
Jacob's story and his fate, is very believable for the era in which he lived. It is heartbreaking.
Definitely recommend. Perhaps best for older children and a great place to start discussions.
Make sure to read the acknowledgements in the front. It ties in to the photos in the story and knowing this makes the story even better.
The story doesn't really center around Jacob, although the thread of his story runs throughout, but the entirety is a great slice of life from the early part of the twentieth century.
Jacob's story and his fate, is very believable for the era in which he lived. It is heartbreaking.
Definitely recommend. Perhaps best for older children and a great place to start discussions.
Make sure to read the acknowledgements in the front. It ties in to the photos in the story and knowing this makes the story even better.
February 24, 2012
He was different from others. Jacob Stolz walked head down, large feet shuffling along the dirt roads. He did not talk, but when engaged, made noises to imitate his surroundings. The sound of the great gristmill grindstone as it crushed the grain was expressed as shooda, shooda, shooda. The marbles as they hit each other were click, click, click. "Touched" is what people said about Jacob. Pointing to their heads, they said he was "touched." Representing protection from the outside world, his firmly placed cap rarely left his head. A lover of animals, he took comfort in their softness and beauty.
She was different from others. Unlike the Stolz family,13 year old Katy Thatcher was a child of privilege. Unlike Jacob, she walked confidently. Her insatiable curiosity prompted her to engage with surroundings. A precocious child, this daughter of the small-town doctor had a keen sense of social injustice and an intuitive need to understand situations and people.
In 1908 the world was different. The new fangled automobile was rare and for the very rich. The girls of poor farm families were hired help for those who lived in the large houses.
Jacob's two sisters are different from each other. Peggy, the kind, sensible sister, is a maid to the Thatcher family and Nellie, the brassy, dramatic one, scrubs the floors next door at the Bishop household.
The Thatcher family is different. They welcome Peggy as a family member. Their daughter Katy is taught to respect and include.
The Bishop family is different.The hired help have a room in the cold winter attic. Their eldest son Paul knows that brassy, dramatic women have a role and will do his bidding, and the hay in the barn is the place they belong.
Lowry is a magical writer. The book is filled with paradoxes, and as dramatic events spin out of control, we watch as the Thatcher, Bishop and Stolz families collide.
While the reader is awed by the initial softness of a slower life time in history, the author is masterful in the juxtaposition of harsh realities of class, of both fair and unjust treatment of people, and the perception of "differentness."
Highly recommended.
She was different from others. Unlike the Stolz family,13 year old Katy Thatcher was a child of privilege. Unlike Jacob, she walked confidently. Her insatiable curiosity prompted her to engage with surroundings. A precocious child, this daughter of the small-town doctor had a keen sense of social injustice and an intuitive need to understand situations and people.
In 1908 the world was different. The new fangled automobile was rare and for the very rich. The girls of poor farm families were hired help for those who lived in the large houses.
Jacob's two sisters are different from each other. Peggy, the kind, sensible sister, is a maid to the Thatcher family and Nellie, the brassy, dramatic one, scrubs the floors next door at the Bishop household.
The Thatcher family is different. They welcome Peggy as a family member. Their daughter Katy is taught to respect and include.
The Bishop family is different.The hired help have a room in the cold winter attic. Their eldest son Paul knows that brassy, dramatic women have a role and will do his bidding, and the hay in the barn is the place they belong.
Lowry is a magical writer. The book is filled with paradoxes, and as dramatic events spin out of control, we watch as the Thatcher, Bishop and Stolz families collide.
While the reader is awed by the initial softness of a slower life time in history, the author is masterful in the juxtaposition of harsh realities of class, of both fair and unjust treatment of people, and the perception of "differentness."
Highly recommended.
April 7, 2008
Ugh, this was such paint by numbers historical fiction. Little girl ahead of her time (She wants to be a doctor like her daddy!) + vaguely quaint descriptions of daily life (Time to harness the horses and hang the laundry!) + awkwardly inserted Important Historical Events (The Triangle Shirtwaist fire! The first car in town!) + Special Lessons (Guess where babies come from! The hired girl's brother is "touched!"). It has that vacuous invented middle class sense of nostalgia we associate with the 50s. And it really bothered me that the silent boy isn't silent, nor is the story actually about him. Though it could have been a cool story told from his perspective. Points for taking the really obvious scandal a lot darker than I expected, otherwise I might have lost interest by the end.
For girly Americana that really sticks to your ribs try something by Karen Hesse or Karen Cushman. Or a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird.
For girly Americana that really sticks to your ribs try something by Karen Hesse or Karen Cushman. Or a classic like To Kill a Mockingbird.
August 20, 2015
As an author, Lois Lowry is quite gifted, however, I found this book to be a bit disappointing.
The tale is told in the early part of the 20th century, a classic loss-of-innocence at an innovative time in history. It reminded me of a want-to-be To Kill A Mockingbird.
There were several moments which I found to be quaint and captivating, but many of them were drenched in an over-stereotyped version of this time period.
It was marketed to 5th-8th graders, and I would not agree with a ten-year old reading this book. The tale of a baby unloved by everyone but a severely 'touched in the head' (most resembling a severe non-verbal autistic) teenage boy, who when told to drown the baby, tries to take it to his friend's (Katy Thatcher) house, and accidentally suffocates it, is not a tale which I would want a middle-school child to read.
By the very first mention of Nellie and Paul being caught alone together, I instantly put together the pieces. It was predictable, stereotypical, and not at all what I would expect of Lowry.
However, that's not to say that I hated the book. There were many moments which were insights into the perceptions of the characters (Peggy explaining the drowning of the kittens, etc.) that I otherwise would have not considered. I loved the idea of taking photographs and writing stories of each one (reminded me of Hemingway's writing style).
In conclusion, is you want to read a story about classic loss-of-innocence, a judgmental community, an over-involved father and nearly absent mother, and a stereotypical time period portrayal, I'd recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, instead.
The tale is told in the early part of the 20th century, a classic loss-of-innocence at an innovative time in history. It reminded me of a want-to-be To Kill A Mockingbird.
There were several moments which I found to be quaint and captivating, but many of them were drenched in an over-stereotyped version of this time period.
It was marketed to 5th-8th graders, and I would not agree with a ten-year old reading this book. The tale of a baby unloved by everyone but a severely 'touched in the head' (most resembling a severe non-verbal autistic) teenage boy, who when told to drown the baby, tries to take it to his friend's (Katy Thatcher) house, and accidentally suffocates it, is not a tale which I would want a middle-school child to read.
By the very first mention of Nellie and Paul being caught alone together, I instantly put together the pieces. It was predictable, stereotypical, and not at all what I would expect of Lowry.
However, that's not to say that I hated the book. There were many moments which were insights into the perceptions of the characters (Peggy explaining the drowning of the kittens, etc.) that I otherwise would have not considered. I loved the idea of taking photographs and writing stories of each one (reminded me of Hemingway's writing style).
In conclusion, is you want to read a story about classic loss-of-innocence, a judgmental community, an over-involved father and nearly absent mother, and a stereotypical time period portrayal, I'd recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2013
I originally thought that The Silent Boy was a mid-grade novel. The protagonists, Katy, tells the story about her childhood, when she was 8 through 10 years old. It is a lyrical story, as Lowry expertly does, set during the pre-war years of 1910 and 1911. The "silent boy" is the brother of Katy's family maid. The story is very powerful in creating the relationship between Katy and Jacob, given that Jacob is "touched" and cannot speak. Despite their lack of dialogue, and never getting into Jacob's head, I felt like I knew Jacob. I certainly cared about what happened to him from the very first chapter. Towards the end, the plot veers off into rather more mature issues, making me think my middle school daughter is not going to read this book--at least not yet! I do recommend it, nonetheless, to high schoolers who should not be put off by the young age of the narrator. It is a simple, but haunting tale...better than the Giver in my view.
August 4, 2015
(review originally posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com/...)
Why I Read It: Waayyy back in grade 11(5-6 years ago), I read Lowry's The Giver and fell absolutely in LOVE with it. Since then, I've only read her other Newberry Award winner Number the Stars (which I also enjoyed, but not with the fervor that I loved The Giver). Since then, I have been interested in reading more of her work, but I was convinced that nothing would ever impress me as much as The Giver so I didn't really go seeking it out. Jump to this past summer; I went to visit a friend in Ottawa and before she offered to lend me The Silent Boy, telling me it was one of her favorite books by Lowry. I needed a back-up plan for reading material for my ride home, and since it was Lowry, I accepted. I ended up having enough books to last me most of my trip home, so I didn't read it then. Jump to the beginning - mid November: I'm swamped with homework and essays and all kinds of other stuff and I wanted to read short stuff. This fit the bill perfectly, billing in at just over 200 pages.
All right, so our story is told from a first-person POV from an old lady named Katy Thatcher. She starts off the story by claiming that she's told her grandchildren all kinds of stories but never this one -- this one is too sad and too real and she doesn't think they're quite ready for it yet. But she's going to tell us. So begins her story about The Silent Boy.
Having the story told to us from AFTER they've happened was effective in that you know Something Bad is going to happen. On the flip side though, you are constantly waiting for the Thing, and The Silent Boy takes its sweet time in getting to that point. For the first 9/10 of this novel it feels like we're meandering and watching young Katy's privileged life. It's not that bad or anything, but it honestly all felt pretty aimless and I honestly didn't see where the plot was going, or what the Bad Thing was going to be. I knew it was obviously going to involve Jacob (the titular character -- he's a mute who's affected by some kind of mild mental disorder and loves animals) but I wasn't sure HOW, though I was positive it would be because of his condition.
Once at the end of the novel however, and the Thing happens, almost everything else that came before it makes perfect sense, and all kinds of little pieces of the puzzle that seemed trivial when they were presented suddenly come together to paint a very sad picture. It was definitely a punch to the gut and because I didn't see it coming it made it feel all the more gut-wrenching. So the story? Really good. It felt slow despite its length, but I realized by the end that it was deliberate and Lowry had actually supplied me with everything I needed to piece the story and the outcome together -- the pieces were just so well and subtly placed that I missed them, which to me indicates a job well done, especially with this kind of story.
I unfortunately didn't feel so impressed about anything else though. I feel bad phrasing it that way because nothing was BAD, I just wasn't blown away. The writing was fine and seemed to adequately reflect the mind of someone Katy's age, but I found a bit of a discrepancy when it came to the narration. It's supposed to be Katy's older self telling us the story decades after the events took place, yet when reading from young Katy's perspective it's like you're in the mind of a 7-9 year old (I forget how many years the novel spans, but it was somewhere around there I think). But then sometimes, it would go from this 7-9 perspective and say something like "And that was the last time we were all happy together" like we've jumped back into 90+ year old Katy's mind. There needed to be a clearer indication of when we were in Young Katy's mind and Old Katy's mind. I guess you could argue that that's how Katy would tell the story regardless -- she tells it to us like she might've when she was younger -- but I don't know.. it felt off to me.
As for the characters, I wish I could have felt a little more attached to them. Again, it's not that anything was BAD, but I didn't fall in love with anyone. Katy was cute and could be a brat, but just as much as was normal for someone her age, her parents were good people (especially liked the relationship between Katy and her father) and I liked the poorer girl who worked as a maid for them (can't remember her name); she was very sweet and likable and was probably my favorite of the bunch. I do also wish I could have become more attached to Jacob, but I found there wasn't enough of him throughout the novel to really cement any kind of connection with him. I did however get a touch of the fuzzy wuzzies when he gave Katy the little kitten as a sign of friendship -- there were some little moments like that between them that I really liked and really wish there could have been more of.
Final Judgment: So, The Giver still remains victor in regards to being my favorite Lois Lowry novel (and honestly one of my favorite books ever), but this book is still worth checking out. Despite having a slow-moving story that appears aimless, it drops hints and clues about the Big Reveal at the end of the story seamlessly into the plot which makes said Reveal even more shocking. And it really is a tragic and sad ending, so if you want something uplifting, you might want to look elsewhere. While I liked the story (especially the ending), I found the novel a bit lacking in other areas: I was a little confused about the narrative voice and I wasn't as attached to the characters as I might've had liked (though there were some pretty touching moments in this book, especially between Katy and her dad, and Katy and Jacob).
Why I Read It: Waayyy back in grade 11(5-6 years ago), I read Lowry's The Giver and fell absolutely in LOVE with it. Since then, I've only read her other Newberry Award winner Number the Stars (which I also enjoyed, but not with the fervor that I loved The Giver). Since then, I have been interested in reading more of her work, but I was convinced that nothing would ever impress me as much as The Giver so I didn't really go seeking it out. Jump to this past summer; I went to visit a friend in Ottawa and before she offered to lend me The Silent Boy, telling me it was one of her favorite books by Lowry. I needed a back-up plan for reading material for my ride home, and since it was Lowry, I accepted. I ended up having enough books to last me most of my trip home, so I didn't read it then. Jump to the beginning - mid November: I'm swamped with homework and essays and all kinds of other stuff and I wanted to read short stuff. This fit the bill perfectly, billing in at just over 200 pages.
All right, so our story is told from a first-person POV from an old lady named Katy Thatcher. She starts off the story by claiming that she's told her grandchildren all kinds of stories but never this one -- this one is too sad and too real and she doesn't think they're quite ready for it yet. But she's going to tell us. So begins her story about The Silent Boy.
Having the story told to us from AFTER they've happened was effective in that you know Something Bad is going to happen. On the flip side though, you are constantly waiting for the Thing, and The Silent Boy takes its sweet time in getting to that point. For the first 9/10 of this novel it feels like we're meandering and watching young Katy's privileged life. It's not that bad or anything, but it honestly all felt pretty aimless and I honestly didn't see where the plot was going, or what the Bad Thing was going to be. I knew it was obviously going to involve Jacob (the titular character -- he's a mute who's affected by some kind of mild mental disorder and loves animals) but I wasn't sure HOW, though I was positive it would be because of his condition.
Once at the end of the novel however, and the Thing happens, almost everything else that came before it makes perfect sense, and all kinds of little pieces of the puzzle that seemed trivial when they were presented suddenly come together to paint a very sad picture. It was definitely a punch to the gut and because I didn't see it coming it made it feel all the more gut-wrenching. So the story? Really good. It felt slow despite its length, but I realized by the end that it was deliberate and Lowry had actually supplied me with everything I needed to piece the story and the outcome together -- the pieces were just so well and subtly placed that I missed them, which to me indicates a job well done, especially with this kind of story.
I unfortunately didn't feel so impressed about anything else though. I feel bad phrasing it that way because nothing was BAD, I just wasn't blown away. The writing was fine and seemed to adequately reflect the mind of someone Katy's age, but I found a bit of a discrepancy when it came to the narration. It's supposed to be Katy's older self telling us the story decades after the events took place, yet when reading from young Katy's perspective it's like you're in the mind of a 7-9 year old (I forget how many years the novel spans, but it was somewhere around there I think). But then sometimes, it would go from this 7-9 perspective and say something like "And that was the last time we were all happy together" like we've jumped back into 90+ year old Katy's mind. There needed to be a clearer indication of when we were in Young Katy's mind and Old Katy's mind. I guess you could argue that that's how Katy would tell the story regardless -- she tells it to us like she might've when she was younger -- but I don't know.. it felt off to me.
As for the characters, I wish I could have felt a little more attached to them. Again, it's not that anything was BAD, but I didn't fall in love with anyone. Katy was cute and could be a brat, but just as much as was normal for someone her age, her parents were good people (especially liked the relationship between Katy and her father) and I liked the poorer girl who worked as a maid for them (can't remember her name); she was very sweet and likable and was probably my favorite of the bunch. I do also wish I could have become more attached to Jacob, but I found there wasn't enough of him throughout the novel to really cement any kind of connection with him. I did however get a touch of the fuzzy wuzzies when he gave Katy the little kitten as a sign of friendship -- there were some little moments like that between them that I really liked and really wish there could have been more of.
Final Judgment: So, The Giver still remains victor in regards to being my favorite Lois Lowry novel (and honestly one of my favorite books ever), but this book is still worth checking out. Despite having a slow-moving story that appears aimless, it drops hints and clues about the Big Reveal at the end of the story seamlessly into the plot which makes said Reveal even more shocking. And it really is a tragic and sad ending, so if you want something uplifting, you might want to look elsewhere. While I liked the story (especially the ending), I found the novel a bit lacking in other areas: I was a little confused about the narrative voice and I wasn't as attached to the characters as I might've had liked (though there were some pretty touching moments in this book, especially between Katy and her dad, and Katy and Jacob).
May 8, 2024
Heartbreaking. 3.5 stars cuz I wasn't in the mood to have my heart broken.
January 29, 2016
Few books have moved me in such a peculiar way as this book has. I try to analyze what I'm feeling, try to put it into words. I feel a deep, profound but satisfied sadness. Somehow, I feel also, mixed with these emotions, peace. How can I feel all of this together? I truly don't understand it. This authors ability to move and change me never ceases to amaze me. There are some characters in this story whose choices tear at my heart strings and cause a deep ache in my soul. They affect many people's lives around them forever. Not one of the people adversely affected had any control over the other people's choices, nor can they change the circumstances or the results. This is a true human story that I think most anyone can resonate with. It's a simple truth. It is true also, that time seems to steadily move on and with its movement comes, mending. This story, though tragic, teaches us to have faith through the hard times and hope for better times to come. It teaches compassion and it causes us to ponder on our own personal responsibility for the choices we make on life's journey. It causes us to think seriously about where the choices we make will take us and others. It helps us to trust that when things are out of our control, although we may be and will remain changed, but we can still choose to love, and hope, and trust in right and good and God and peace and healing.
May 16, 2014
This book made me think a lot about the way we used to treat mental illness and people with disabilities. It is sad that families had no resources or help in caring for a child with special needs. Often their only option was to lock them away in an asylum. I can't imagine as a parent having to do that. There was so much fear and misunderstanding. People often thought that disabilities were "contagious" or that the parent's had done something "wrong" and were being punished. I'm not sure all of these misunderstandings and superstitions have been dismissed, but there are certainly more options and resources available now than there were one hundred years ago.
January 24, 2019
I picked up this book thinking I wouldn't like it very much, but boy was I wrong! It isn't like anything I have ever read before. I really enjoyed it, and highly recommend it!
January 4, 2024
I NEED TO STOP RATING EVERY BOOK FIVE STARS!!!!
but goodness do i love short and charming books.
i didn’t realize this book was due in like three days but that did not ruin it for me.
fantastic book.
but goodness do i love short and charming books.
i didn’t realize this book was due in like three days but that did not ruin it for me.
fantastic book.
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February 14, 2022Well, that was tragic. 😬
(Full review possibly to come.)
(Full review possibly to come.)
December 23, 2023
Just wow! I was taken on a emotional rollercoaster. This is what I love about Lowry's writing - she writes in such a simplistic way but makes you feel almost every emotion possible.
This book will forever be in my mind and heart! Recommend to eveyone - definitely talk about it afterwards.
This book will forever be in my mind and heart! Recommend to eveyone - definitely talk about it afterwards.
November 8, 2017
A realistic story about growing up in 1915-18 in rural America. Do not listen to the audiobook of this one! The woman's voice sounds depressed all the way through!
September 25, 2013
"My mother says 'touched by the Lord,' and I think it's true."(page 73) Jacob Stoltz is a boy who, although nowadays people would call him "autistic" or "mental," has a way with animals of all sorts. He roams around all day, and he tends to the animals on his family's farm. He always looks out for the animals and tries to take care of them. For example, there was a female dog who died giving birth to a litter of puppies, and all of them died but the one Jacob saved. He fed it cow's milk every day from a rag so the puppy could suckle. Also, when a lamb's mother didn't want it's baby, Jacob put it with another mother so it would be able to survive.
When Jacob's sister Peggy goes to work as a hired girl for the Thatchers, nothing really changes for him, except that now both of his older sisters are out of the house. Peggy and Nellie both work as hired girls; Peggy works at the Thatchers', and Nellie works at the Bishops'. It is unsurprising when the Bishops' oldest son Paul had failed." (page 170)
Note: This is a work of fiction
When Jacob's sister Peggy goes to work as a hired girl for the Thatchers, nothing really changes for him, except that now both of his older sisters are out of the house. Peggy and Nellie both work as hired girls; Peggy works at the Thatchers', and Nellie works at the Bishops'. It is unsurprising when the Bishops' oldest son Paul had failed." (page 170)
Note: This is a work of fiction
August 29, 2013
If you have ever been to the early 1900's you could probably relate to this book. This fiction novel by Lois Lowry was made for people somewhere around the ages of twelve to eighteen. This story has many speed bumps as your racing through it. Every time you start to get the picture they throw another major event or conflict at you. When you first begin the book you feel like it will just be a boring historical book and then you meet the characters, and it pulls you in.
A hardworking farm family runs into trouble when their ambitious daughter comes home with a surprise. While they are trying to make extra money and try to solve the problem that she brought home, a little boy tries to help, but ends up destroying his own life and a few others.
I thought this book was well thought out, but certain events were too disturbing for the target age group. Most people my age (13), especially girls, would find this to be very sad and horrific. I think a few people would be too immature to grasp the main concept of this book. I personally love this book, and I’m sure many others have and will. I thought it was beautifully written and very detailed, not to mention that the entire story is actually a reflection of Katy’s, the main character, past. It’s also an insightful book showing how people with autism and other mental disorders were treated. Altogether I thought this book was very entertaining, as I believe that was its main purpose, and very real. I had to remind myself it was a fiction story when I was reading.
You may have never lived in the early 1900's, or maybe you haven’t even seen a black and white photograph, but when you finish this book you’ll feel like you grew up there.
A hardworking farm family runs into trouble when their ambitious daughter comes home with a surprise. While they are trying to make extra money and try to solve the problem that she brought home, a little boy tries to help, but ends up destroying his own life and a few others.
I thought this book was well thought out, but certain events were too disturbing for the target age group. Most people my age (13), especially girls, would find this to be very sad and horrific. I think a few people would be too immature to grasp the main concept of this book. I personally love this book, and I’m sure many others have and will. I thought it was beautifully written and very detailed, not to mention that the entire story is actually a reflection of Katy’s, the main character, past. It’s also an insightful book showing how people with autism and other mental disorders were treated. Altogether I thought this book was very entertaining, as I believe that was its main purpose, and very real. I had to remind myself it was a fiction story when I was reading.
You may have never lived in the early 1900's, or maybe you haven’t even seen a black and white photograph, but when you finish this book you’ll feel like you grew up there.
October 30, 2009
Genre/Category: mental illness/family/loss of innocence
Read for "oral author report: Lowry"
Summary: Katy Thatcher grows up in a small town hoping to be a doctor like her father. On a trip to pick up the "hired girl," Katy meets and befriends Jacob, a boy with a mental illness. As Katy goes through the year, she meets Jacob in a variety of situations and she begins to understand his actions and reasons for doing certain things. Katy also tries to make sense of some sexual images she comes across that involve the neighbor boy and the neighbor's hired girl. When their relationship results in pregnancy, things quickly take a turn for the worse, involving Jacob. Only Katy understands what has happened and why.
I thought the language of this book was geared for a young grade, perhaps 5th to 7th; however, the content (sexuality, death, mental illness) and the ending result in a dark book that should really only be read by mature 8th graders or high school students.
Read for "oral author report: Lowry"
Summary: Katy Thatcher grows up in a small town hoping to be a doctor like her father. On a trip to pick up the "hired girl," Katy meets and befriends Jacob, a boy with a mental illness. As Katy goes through the year, she meets Jacob in a variety of situations and she begins to understand his actions and reasons for doing certain things. Katy also tries to make sense of some sexual images she comes across that involve the neighbor boy and the neighbor's hired girl. When their relationship results in pregnancy, things quickly take a turn for the worse, involving Jacob. Only Katy understands what has happened and why.
I thought the language of this book was geared for a young grade, perhaps 5th to 7th; however, the content (sexuality, death, mental illness) and the ending result in a dark book that should really only be read by mature 8th graders or high school students.
April 21, 2012
I was kind of disturbed by this tale. It is told by Katy, a young girl at the turn of the century, about a boy named Jacob, the titular “silent” boy. He is what modern folks would refer to as mentally challenged, speaking no words but able to accurately replicate the sounds he hears, such as a grindstone in motion or a horse’s whinny. This is not a light read, and may be one that haunts me for quite a while. I can’t really say why without giving away the ending, but if you’ve read it, you probably understand what I mean. There’s no happy ending, and from the start Katy warns the reader that most would find this tale “too depressing”. And it’s not that, exactly, but it’s definitely sad. Well written, but very sad.
December 14, 2018
Thinking back, my interest in literary historical fiction can be traced to the works of Lois Lowry; in particular, Number the Stars, winner of the 1990 Newbery Medal. It was Lois Lowry's realistic, soul-stirring, searingly painful novels about events that actually happened in history that began in me a hunger to find out what else there was to know about the time periods she wrote about. I trust Lois Lowry with a story more than virtually anyone else; her books are perfect fusions of emotion and historical truth. I was excited about reading The Silent Boy, and it lived up to my hopes for it.
Looking back on her life in 1900s and 1910s America, eighty-three-year-old Katy Thatcher has an important story to tell from her youth. It's a tale that has remained unspoken for the majority of her life, yet the people in it who were hurt so long ago are no less significant just because of the passage of time, and Katy knows that what happened all those years ago should have ended differently. When she was very young there was less understanding in the world about the disabled and the mentally impaired, less sympathy and common compassion for the plight of a soul hampered by obvious defects of the mind and body. Then as now, good intentions would often go unrecognized, and could not save a person who had already been condemned in the eyes of the common man.
Young Katy is luckier than most, growing up in the first quarter of the twentieth century in a family with plenty of love to go around and financial security to match, thanks mostly to her father's job as a doctor. In fact, the year that Katy turns eight years old, the Thatchers have enough money to take in a young working girl as part of their unit, a thirteen-year-old named Peggy who had previously lived with her less affluent family a few miles down the road. Katy and Peggy become good friends, but it is Peggy's older brother, Jacob, in whom Katy takes a particular interest. The boy has always been as silent as a wall, she is told; he is "touched", as some put it, nicely or otherwise. Yet Katy sees the kindness with which he treats the animals on his family's farm, and marvels at his impressive auditory mimicry of a variety of distinct and repetitive sounds, which he seems able to reproduce with little effort. Jacob may be "touched", but Katy understands that he is decidedly not the idiot that the unenlightened far too often take him to be. Jacob simply has his own style. Even though he won't look directly at Katy and never speaks a word to anyone, Katy senses that they have become a special kind of friends.
The times are changing all around Katy, inside her family and in the world at large, and she sometimes struggles to keep up with everything that a person is supposed to know. Troubles creep into Peggy's family as her older sister Nell, who had been hired out to the family living next to the Thatchers in the same way that Katy's family had taken in Peggy, creates problems within that family by her relationship with their oldest son, Paul. Conflict heightens and the stress within Peggy's family increases, but the uncomfortable situation doesn't become an unbearable one until the night that Katy's mother makes a shocking discovery in one of the bedrooms of the Thatchers' house. Jacob, the silent boy, tried his best to do what he thought needed to be done in a desperate situation, but life among humans can't always work the way it does with the animals on a farm. And people are not always eager to look for an obscured truth in motive when they've set their minds to think oppositely right from the start.
I believe that everybody has their quirks, but it's always so much easier to understand and rationalize our own than it is to do the same for someone else's. I don't know what it's like to be mentally crippled, accepting all the new information that comes my way through the prism of a congenital mental defect like the one that hampers Jacob. However, I think we all know to a certain extent what it's like to be marginalized by others because of perceived flaws in our personal makeup, to face rejection by people who can't look beyond our idiosyncrasies to see that a worthwhile person exists inside of us. And as long as that sort of thoughtless derision continues to occur, there will always be remarkable human beings like Jacob who are never given an opportunity to fly high, and we will be the ones made poorer collectively for our lack of understanding.
Up until the last twenty-five pages or so, The Silent Boy reads like a historical fiction novel of average quality, a nice, simple period piece that could teach us something about life in another time. The story's powerful conclusion, which of course I was anticipating all along from a writer like Lois Lowry, doesn't begin to show signs of its appearance until very close to the end, and then it drops with the speed of a lead weight. It may leave us wondering what good actually comes from the story, but there is hope to be found if we look for it. Even in the face of complicated and heavy-handed injustice there's still hope to be seen in the silent imperative given to us all to do better right where we stand, in history's Today.
As always, Lois Lowry has succeeded in writing a good story that will affect sensitive readers for a long time after finishing the final page. The photographs at the start of each chapter, actually taken during the time when The Silent Boy is set, add texture to the narrative, allowing us to put real faces to the characters that the author has created. Even readers who aren't normally fans of historical fiction are sure to get something out of this book, and may find that it lights a spark of interest in the genre inside themselves, just as Lois Lowry's unique novels did so effectively for me when I was in my own very early years of reading. I would give at least two and a half stars to The Silent Boy, and quite possibly the full three.
Looking back on her life in 1900s and 1910s America, eighty-three-year-old Katy Thatcher has an important story to tell from her youth. It's a tale that has remained unspoken for the majority of her life, yet the people in it who were hurt so long ago are no less significant just because of the passage of time, and Katy knows that what happened all those years ago should have ended differently. When she was very young there was less understanding in the world about the disabled and the mentally impaired, less sympathy and common compassion for the plight of a soul hampered by obvious defects of the mind and body. Then as now, good intentions would often go unrecognized, and could not save a person who had already been condemned in the eyes of the common man.
Young Katy is luckier than most, growing up in the first quarter of the twentieth century in a family with plenty of love to go around and financial security to match, thanks mostly to her father's job as a doctor. In fact, the year that Katy turns eight years old, the Thatchers have enough money to take in a young working girl as part of their unit, a thirteen-year-old named Peggy who had previously lived with her less affluent family a few miles down the road. Katy and Peggy become good friends, but it is Peggy's older brother, Jacob, in whom Katy takes a particular interest. The boy has always been as silent as a wall, she is told; he is "touched", as some put it, nicely or otherwise. Yet Katy sees the kindness with which he treats the animals on his family's farm, and marvels at his impressive auditory mimicry of a variety of distinct and repetitive sounds, which he seems able to reproduce with little effort. Jacob may be "touched", but Katy understands that he is decidedly not the idiot that the unenlightened far too often take him to be. Jacob simply has his own style. Even though he won't look directly at Katy and never speaks a word to anyone, Katy senses that they have become a special kind of friends.
The times are changing all around Katy, inside her family and in the world at large, and she sometimes struggles to keep up with everything that a person is supposed to know. Troubles creep into Peggy's family as her older sister Nell, who had been hired out to the family living next to the Thatchers in the same way that Katy's family had taken in Peggy, creates problems within that family by her relationship with their oldest son, Paul. Conflict heightens and the stress within Peggy's family increases, but the uncomfortable situation doesn't become an unbearable one until the night that Katy's mother makes a shocking discovery in one of the bedrooms of the Thatchers' house. Jacob, the silent boy, tried his best to do what he thought needed to be done in a desperate situation, but life among humans can't always work the way it does with the animals on a farm. And people are not always eager to look for an obscured truth in motive when they've set their minds to think oppositely right from the start.
I believe that everybody has their quirks, but it's always so much easier to understand and rationalize our own than it is to do the same for someone else's. I don't know what it's like to be mentally crippled, accepting all the new information that comes my way through the prism of a congenital mental defect like the one that hampers Jacob. However, I think we all know to a certain extent what it's like to be marginalized by others because of perceived flaws in our personal makeup, to face rejection by people who can't look beyond our idiosyncrasies to see that a worthwhile person exists inside of us. And as long as that sort of thoughtless derision continues to occur, there will always be remarkable human beings like Jacob who are never given an opportunity to fly high, and we will be the ones made poorer collectively for our lack of understanding.
Up until the last twenty-five pages or so, The Silent Boy reads like a historical fiction novel of average quality, a nice, simple period piece that could teach us something about life in another time. The story's powerful conclusion, which of course I was anticipating all along from a writer like Lois Lowry, doesn't begin to show signs of its appearance until very close to the end, and then it drops with the speed of a lead weight. It may leave us wondering what good actually comes from the story, but there is hope to be found if we look for it. Even in the face of complicated and heavy-handed injustice there's still hope to be seen in the silent imperative given to us all to do better right where we stand, in history's Today.
As always, Lois Lowry has succeeded in writing a good story that will affect sensitive readers for a long time after finishing the final page. The photographs at the start of each chapter, actually taken during the time when The Silent Boy is set, add texture to the narrative, allowing us to put real faces to the characters that the author has created. Even readers who aren't normally fans of historical fiction are sure to get something out of this book, and may find that it lights a spark of interest in the genre inside themselves, just as Lois Lowry's unique novels did so effectively for me when I was in my own very early years of reading. I would give at least two and a half stars to The Silent Boy, and quite possibly the full three.
July 16, 2020
This is the third book that I have read by this author. As with other books written by Lois Lowry, there is a darkness in this story. The story is told through a young girl named Katy Thatcher who is the daughter of a local Dr. While on a call, with her father, young Katy meets a young farm boy who some called "touched" by the name of Jacob. The story of Jacob and Katy's interactions follow a timeline, as Katy describes the events leading up to a tragedy. I like Lois Lowry's books and although I liked her other stories a bit better than The Silent Boy, it was a good read. Parents: I would recommend you read this book first, before determining if it is appropriate for your particular child, as subject/events described in story is sensitive.
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December 12, 2017I read this years and years ago and COULD NOT for the life of me remember the name or the author or anything but some of the broader plot points. Now I've found it and it's time to reread. I am a little surprised to discover it's marketed for children, based on what I remember of the plot, but I suppose that makes sense based on when I got ahold of it.
July 24, 2019
Target audience is 6th to 8th grade, but at 3 1/2 hours , just right as an audiobook. Katie is a precocious girl who wants to be a doctor. Jacob is a nonverbal boy who is good with animals but misunderstood by the villagers. There are some very adult themes and it doesn't end well for Jacob.
May 8, 2021
This tragic story is a great reminder of how we all need to remember to have empathy for others, to do our best to understand others and their world/experiences.
July 27, 2021
This book was part of my supplementary reading list from school and I can only describe it thus:
So disturbing yet So understandable.
So disturbing yet So understandable.
February 4, 2022
Poignant story told by Katy, a future doctor, growing up in the early 1900's about a "touched boy" and others she knew. Worthwhile.
May 25, 2022
This is so good! I loved it :)
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