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Burnish Me Bright #1
Burnish Me Bright
A mute boy, taught to pantomime by a retired actor, is persecuted by villagers because he seems to have a secret.
78 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
40 people want to read
About the author
Julia Cunningham
39 books10 followersOn 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 22, 2016
A young mute boy named Auguste, kept as a servant and abused, escapes to live with an old man named Hilaire, a retired famous mime. Auguste is amazed by Hilaire's skill, and learns from him how to communicate without words.
I'm not sure when and where this story is supposed to take place, but it's in a time and place in which it's socially acceptable to be horribly cruel to a mute person, and witch hunts are apparently not out of the ordinary.
But amidst all the cruelty, several children become better people as a result of Auguste's magic. So there is a message of hope even during the sadness.
4 stars. A really nice story.
This review is copied from my blog, The Towering Pile. It was originally published here.
I'm not sure when and where this story is supposed to take place, but it's in a time and place in which it's socially acceptable to be horribly cruel to a mute person, and witch hunts are apparently not out of the ordinary.
But amidst all the cruelty, several children become better people as a result of Auguste's magic. So there is a message of hope even during the sadness.
4 stars. A really nice story.
This review is copied from my blog, The Towering Pile. It was originally published here.
September 9, 2018
This is the first in Julia Cunningham's series about the mute boy. However, I still think the series is better read with more mystery if one starts with book 2, "Far in the Day." I re-read this with my 6th grader, who likes them despite declaring them "sad."
I still like the series as one for teaching compassion. It is fun, after solving the mystery of book 2, to read the story of how it all began.
I still like the series as one for teaching compassion. It is fun, after solving the mystery of book 2, to read the story of how it all began.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews