Silent to the Bone

Silent to the Bone

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77  ·  rating details  ·  3,132 ratings  ·  325 reviews
Connor is sure his best friend, Branwell, couldn't have hurt Branwell's baby half sister, Nikki. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how can he prove Branwe...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published May 25th 2004 by Aladdin Paperbacks (first published January 1st 2000)
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Josiah
"I don't think there is any feeling I like more than the one that someone is glad to see me."

--Connor Kane, "Silent to the Bone", P. 51

"I'm not sure that love and like aren't like cats and dogs: One can't grow up to be the other, but they can be taught to live under the same roof."

--Connor Kane, P. 74

My expectations for E.L. Konigsburg are always as high (or higher) than those I have for any other writer, and I have never known her to let me down. She did not disappoint in "Silent to the Bo...more
Casey
E.L. Konigsburg really comes through with this one. Beware, this isn't a book for younger readers. Branwell- a slightly odd, very precocious child- stops talking the day he calls 911. His sister Nikki is in a coma, and the au pair (the icky Vivian) explains that Bran shook and then dropped her. Bran is put in a juvenile detention center, and it's up to his best friend, Connor, to develop a code and find out what really happened that day.

This book is really, really good.
Corine
Silent to the Bone Alddin paperbacks, 2002, 261pp,. $5.99

e.l. Konigsburg ISBN 0-689-83602-3

Imagine you cradling your half baby sister in your arms, looking into her new born baby eyes, enjoying the moment, then all of a sudden you drop her. You run to call 911, you open your mouth…but nothing comes out. This is what happened to Branwell Zamborska. Since that tragic day, Branwell hasn’t talk since. His sister’s suffering from a coma and if he doesn’t speak up now he could be convicted for mansla...more
Carrie
In Silent to the Bone, E. L. Konigsburg (author of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler) examines communication in relationships, and what gets lost when we do not speak. The book opens with a mysterious 911 call. This call reveals that 13-year-old Branwell Zamborska is struck dumb during the same incident that puts Nikki, his baby half-sister, in a coma. The British au pair is the only other known person who witnessed the incident and can vocalize what happened, and her finger p...more
Anne
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg is one of my favorite books. Part mystery, part drama, this book is written with wit in Konigsburg’s style that I just adore. Told in first person from Connor Kane’s point of view, the thirteen year old boy tells the story of Branwell and and a tragic accident. Or so it seemed.
It all starts with a phone call to 911. Branwell’s half-sister Nikki is unresponsive and breathing unsteadily. His au pair is screaming on the phone while Branwell stands silent. The...more
Caitlyn
Let me just start by saying I love E.L. Konigsburg. And while Mixed-Up Files is great, I really like the twistier stuff. This book has more in common with the strange favorite from my youth, (George).

Silent to the Bone is in some sense, a mystery. Branwell's baby sister is in a coma after being dropped, and the finger of blame is pointing at him. As soon as it happened, Branwell found himself unable to speak. Luckily, his best friend Connor has found a way to communicate with him, and starts sif...more
Stephanie
This review originally appeared at www.readinasinglesitting.com.

EL Konigsburg’s Silent to the Bone is the third book I’ve read recently involving a character who has withdrawn from the spoken world. I’m fascinated by the idea of voicelessness, particularly as a form of protest: it’s a world apart from a mere failure to speak up. A deliberate, defiant silence is a removal of oneself from the social mainstream, a renouncing of the communication norms that are so essential to getting by. Unlike a f...more
Morgan
After the horrific incident that caused Branwell's baby sister, Nikki, to fall into a coma, Branwell is sent to the juvenile behavioral center because Branwells au pair, Vivian reported to the police that she "saw" Branwell drop and shake the baby. His best friend Conner knows that Branwell would never do such a thing, but when Branwell becomes turns silent, Conner knows something isn't right. He begins to visit Branwell in the behavioral center, and soon they figure out a way to communicate wit...more
Karen
This book is about a boy called Branwell, and his little half sister Nikiki is getting hurt in coma, and people thought that is because of Branwell. However, Branwell is not mean to hurt her; and this is only known by his best friend Connor. Because of this event, Branwell becomes speechless. He doesn’t talk to other people, so he can’t explain by himself that he doesn’t mean to hurt Nikiki. Connor, as his best friend is the only one who can help her. He is using many different ways to help Bran...more
Menna

Summary: Connor's best friend Branwell has been accused of deliberatly hurting his baby half-sister, Nikki, who is now in a coma. If she dies, Branwell will be charged wtih manslaughter if he did not hurt her on purpose, but if he did, then he'll be charged with murder. Noone knows for sure-because Branwell stopped speaking. Connor believes that his friend is innocent. He goes to the Behavioral Center where Branwell is after school and uses a system of cards to help them communicate. Slowly Conn...more
Liz Lloyd
Silent to the Bone is a novel about a young man, Branwell, who is force into silence because of an event that took place that has made his baby sister comatose. Branwell is forced into silence not by his own will but perhaps because he is scared of what has happened to his sister. He is placed into a behavioral center where many of his family members, lawyers and friends tries to get him to open up and tell what has taken place the day of the incident. He refuses to speak to any of them. His bes...more
Amanda Touchton
I so enjoyed this book! For young adult readers who have never read a mystery novel, it would be a great introduction to the genre.
The story is told from the perspective of Connor, whose best friend, Branwell, has been placed in a detention center after a 911 call, in which the family's nanny claims that Branwell shook his baby sister unconsious. Branwell refuses to speak, but through a system of cards and eye blinks, Connor is able to communicate with Branwell and investigate on his belhalf.
The...more
SBY Youth Services Rencsko
Newbery award winning author Konigsburg states, “On Wednesday, November 25, at 2:43PM, Eastern Standard Time, Branwell Zamborska is struck dumb.” It is here that readers are introduced to Branwell and his commitment to silence due to the fact that he is accused of harming his baby half sister Nikki who has been rushed to the hospital for a serious head injury.Unable to speak, Branwell’s best friend Connor has been asked to visit him in the juvenile behavior center to see if he cannot only connec...more
Jessica
Connor's precocious friend Branwell suddenly stopped talking the day Bran's baby sister was injured and the babysitter blamed it on him. While little Nikki is in the hospital in a coma, Bran is sent to a juvenile detention center, and Connor visits him every day to try to develop ways to communicate so that they can get to the bottom of the mystery of what really happened that day.

The book is well-written and engaging, and I bought everything except for the overarching premise that a 13-year-old...more
Heather
Branwell stops speaking after something happens to his baby sister that makes her go into a coma. His best friend, Connor, devises a method through flashcards and blinking in which Branwell can communicate with him. The mystery of what happened between Branwell, the baby, and the au pair is revealed little by little as Connor works to free his best friend from silence.

Totally great. This book approaches a few subjects that are really hard for teenage and preteen boys to talk about.
Jodi Papazian
Silent to the Bone has been tempting me for a few years now. It is on the school summer reading list and I try to familiarize myself with a handful of them throughout the year.
I found this book to be highly engaging. After a near-death experience involving his baby sister, Branwell finds himself struck silent. Due to incriminating evidence from the au pair, Vivian, everyone is led to believe that this is due to Branwell's guilt believing that he had something to do with the incident. The only...more
Rachel
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Tamika Hutchinson
Branwell’s baby sister, Nikki, has had a head injury and is in a coma and no one knows for certain what happened. It is unknown whether she will survive. It all began with a 911 call. Afraid and shaken, Branwell dials the phone, and unable to tell the operator that his baby sister was breathing funny and wouldn't wake up because he has lapsed into silence, unable to speak. He was struck mute. Vivian, the au pair hired to take care of the baby, told the emergency workers that Nikki had been dropp...more
Flannery
E.L. Konigsburg Week, Book 1. 3.5/5 stars
Kelly Mayfield
First book read by this author. I thought the characters and family relationships were interesting and the story had a good sense of suspense. I found the wrap-up sort of anti-climatic, but it didn't ruin the rest like some endings do. A few favorite lines:
"There were times when Branwell thought that he remembered nothing about the accident, but he had been told about it so often that there were other times when he was not sure if he remembered being there or being told he was." (p.14) I thin...more
Stacy Chrzastowski
Grade Level/Interest Level: grade 4th-6th
Reading Level: 810L Level grade 4-5
Main Characters: Connor Kane, Branwell, Vivian, Margaret, Nikki
POV: First person narrator, Branwell
Setting: Clarion County

Silent to the Bone is about a young boy, Branwell, who was accused of hurting his half sister Nikki. The day that his sister was taken to the hospital and put in a coma, he stopped talking, so many assumed that he had something to do with the harm to his sister. His baby sister was dropped and abuse...more
Mary
E.L. Konigsburg is such a fantastic writer; I just want to gush all over the page about her. She writes about some serious issues in this book--child endangerment and abuse, juvenile delinquency, complex family dynamics, racism, reasons why people lie, the power and oppression of silence, first experiences with sex, the meaning of friendship--yet somehow it's on a level appropriate for middle school readers that also resonates with adult readers.

I love how dedicated Connor is in his quest to unc...more
Emma  C.
Oct 03, 2011 Emma C. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: mystery fans, suspense fans, youth fiction fans
Recommended to Emma by: Eamon Callahan
Bran's best friend, Connor is sure that Bran didn't hurt Nicky, his new younger sister from his fathers second marriage, on purpose. He starts to play detective to figure the truth out, being helped by his older sister, Margaret, and the different witnesses of the crime that Bran hopefully didn't commit.

I thought this book was amazing. It ended way too fast for me. Though the end was ruined (on accident) by a friend, it was still my favorite summer book and by one of my favorite authors, E.L. Ko...more
Iskreads
The book Silent to the Bone is a mystery novel. Branwell, one of the main characters, has been sent to a juvenile detention center because he is being accused of dropping his sister, Niki, on the floor, putting her into a coma. His friend, the narrator of the book, thinks he's innocent and is trying to find out the truth.

I think it's interesting that the author creates a character that's so important but doesn't speak. it adds to the suspense and mystery of the book. If you're very impatient the...more
Adriana Vanderheyden
Nov 17, 2009 Adriana Vanderheyden rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who likes a good mystery...
This is a book that compels the reader to flip the page again and again! It's dramatic and mysterious, and it plays with both of these conventions in a very appealing way. As punishment for dropping his baby sister and pushing her into a coma, Bramwell Zamborska is sent to a youth detention center. The only problem is that he refuses to say what really happened. In fact, he refuses to say anything at all! And its up to his best friend, Connor, to discover what really happened.

The book is a grea...more
Laina
This book was interesting--I didn't want to stop reading. Still, by the end, I was a little disappointed. I felt that the main conflict between Branwell and the baby-sitter was one dimensional. The mystery of it wasn't too mysterious, but maybe that was how the book was meant to be?

Some things I really did like about he book: The conflict between Margaret and her father. I thought that was real, and added a lot to the plot that would've been missed otherwise.

Connor's relationship with Margaret....more
Samanthagranito
The book, Silent To the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg has many exciting lines that leave me with suspense, and make me never want to stop reading. From the minute I read the first line in the book, to the last line in the book, I was always engaged in the reading. On the first page, Conner says, “ It is easy to pinpoint the minute when my friend Branwell began his silence. It was Wednesday, November 25th, 2:43P.M., eastern standard time. It was there-or I guess you could say not there-on the tape of...more
Arwen
Weird little book. Like all Konigsburg, this was masterfully written, and the relationship of the protagonist and his best friend and family was wonderful. The plot unraveled in that slow, many layered way that Konigsburg does children's books. My son got it out and read it, and then handed it to me. "Mom. You need to read this. It's amazing."

But what a strange plot. A boy is manipulated through sexual interest in his sister's nanny into being silent about her neglect &/or abuse.

I think th...more
Nora Nerius
This is a more mature read than I initially thought. However, it was that maturity that made me really enjoy this book. The friendship between Connor and Branwell is one that is very admirable. Connor never allows the thought that his best friend could have hurt his sister into his mind at any point. The persistence to get him to talk and make him feel better makes Connor so likable as a character. Branwell's guilt and the struggle he endures wishing his sister gets better as well as knowing the...more
Melissa
After a slow start this novel gets more and more interesting. The premise is that Junior High student Connor has been instructed to get his best friend to talk about what really happened on the day he stopped talking, the day that his baby sister went into a coma. Connor uses a system of cards and pointing to get to the bottom of the mystery with help from his half sister Margaret and his own knowledge of what might trigger his best friend to talk. What is engaging about this story is that the c...more
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Elaine Lobl Konigsburg was an American author and illustrator of children's books and young adult fiction. She was the only author to win the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year (1968), with her second and first books respectively: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. Kongisburg won a second Newbery...more
More about E.L. Konigsburg...
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler The View from Saturday The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley and Me, Elizabeth A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver

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“Talk was like the vitamins of our friendship: Large daily doses kept it healthy.” 17 people liked it
“I don't think there is any feeling I like more than the one that someone is glad to see me.

—Connor Kane”
16 people liked it
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