Sil

by Jill Harris

Sil is a rising star among tuis; a brilliant singer and talented composer. For him the annual singing competitions loom large. Daredevil Bron is Sil's best friend who tells it like it is. They've got a good thing going. But a sense of menace closes in as magpies plot to devastate the valley. The tui way of life, flying free and singing in the dawn is about to be destroyed. Suggested level: intermediate, junior secondary.

227 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Jill grew up in Takapuna, North Shore, New Zealand, spending a lot of her childhood swimming, boating, fishing and reading. She worked as a teacher and a librarian including three years teaching English in central Java, retiring to write children's fiction, poetry and liturgies. Jill's books grow out of a commitment to the power of stories, music and the natural world. She thinks that a novel for children and young adults should be a rattling good yarn.

Reviews

[Sparrowkeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sil, a novel is the exciting story of Sil, a New Zealand Tui practicing for the singing competitions. It was a thrilling book that captured my attention from beginning to end, and one I highly recommend if you find it. Jill Harris knows how to write a story, and a very good one at that!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping novel from the point of view of a tui, Sil, who is determined to win a competition. When he loses, he makes a terrible mistake in which lives are lost. Magpies are hunting the tuis and harrassing even the humans. The tuis have to stop them, somehow, but it would not be without lives lost. Definitely a page turner and very worthy of being the Finalist in the NZ Post Book Awards.

[Andrea Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful, think of it every time I hear birdsong. Adds a little layer of knowing joy.

[Danielle]

Sil - By Jill Harris

Genre - Fantasy

A problem the main character Sil had was that he could not accept failure. Sil entered a singing contest which he expected to win. Sil however, comes second. “His bitterness was as great as his disappointment and humiliation.” Sil cannot accept he lost and he makes a terrible mistake, as he attempts to fly across the ocean. The winner of the competition, Tor comes to his rescue, but another bird dies saving him. The author discusses the idea of failure to show that failure is a part of life and you must accept it and move on. Sil made a decision while he was angry “He felt strongly fueled by anger.” The author shows the reader why we should not make decisions while we are angry. Sil needed to accept his emotions and learn from his failures. Failures are a part of life. We do not have to enjoy them but we must not let them define us. There are many examples of now famous people that have failed. Henry Ford's first two automatic cars failed and he was bankrupt. Albert Einstein was labeled ‘mentally slow’ at school and J K Rowling received 12 rejections before Harry Potter was published.

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

a realy cool book that there is finally something right in there lives and then something bad happens. i really love this but it is sad because old sil dies by a magpie atake. in is so kool.