I thought The Silent Boy was a pretty good book except that it sort of left me hanging at the end. Plus it was really sad at the end and I think that the ending was really bad, otherwise it was a pretty good book, but it's not on my MUST READ list.
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The Silent Boy
(2003, Fiction - Family Life, Written by Lois Lowry)
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
A period slice-of-life book.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 9 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About The Silent Boy
Parents need to know that children may wonder what's wrong with Jacob, as it is never made clear. There are a number of disturbing events, such as the Shirtwaist Factory fire, and the way the pregnant girl acts and is treated, that they may want to discuss. Because the narrator doesn't fully understand the events as they are happening, your children may not either.
Read our full review by Matt Berman
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about Jacob and Katy. What do you think is wrong with Jacob? Do you know any children similar to him? Why is Katy drawn to him? How do you think Jacob would be treated by the world today?
Our Members Say
See all 7 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 12 and give itMy concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Good for older kids but not for tweens.
- I rate this title on for age 10 and give it
I thought the book was sad. There were questions that were unanswered and thats kind of annoying. The Silen boy was a little too slow moving for me. It was only exciting at th end.
- I rate this title on for age 9 and give it
Hmmmmmm
This book, THE SILENT BOY, was a sad but pleasing novel. Although I read it over a period of two weeks,(research project going on), I enjoyed it. The sad part though was that it really didn't have a good ending. It left a lot of my questions unanswered, and my mind unsatisfyed. I think perhaps this novel is something you should read, but I'm not saying it's fantasic. I'd much rather read THE GIVER over this, and THE SILENT BOY is not on my own, personal, MUST read list.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
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