Reviews for The wind singer

The average rating for The wind singer based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-07-28 00:00:00 Marc-Andre Frechette Oh my goodness! I read this book when I was about eleven years old and I've been searching for it every since. No, really. You know those books you read as a kid that kind of stayed with you, but you can't remember the title? That was this book. I searched for it in the library, rooting through the orange coloured books. I scoured titles for something with "Wind" in it. That's all I could remember. And then, by some bizarre chance, a friend asked, "Did you ever read the Wind on Fire trilogy?" Me: "Never heard of it. What's it about?" She goes on to explain it, and I get more and more excited because It's the book. So, she lent it to me and I reread it, and now I have warm happy, fluttery things in my chest and stomach. It was as good as I remembered it, and left me with nostalgic fuzzies to boot! Obviously, I'm a bit biased in this review. When it comes to my childhood... Well, let's say that while I'm usually not a romantic, (Well, I am kind of, I just like to pretend that I'm not half as much a romantic as I actually am) I tend to romanticize my childhood and almost everything that has to do with it now contains some sort of special aura around it that brings me happiness. And sadness. And pretty much the whole spectrum of feelings that one associates with their childhood. Anyway. This book was part of my childhood, albeit a very small part, and taking what I've just said, you can be pretty certain that this review will be kind of gushy and biased. I love it. The setting, the word, the richness of sand that I can practically feel, and the characters. I just get myself lost in the wonderful description and setting. It's like how I viewed the world of The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumier. The world had such charm, and character. Also, both worlds would make an awesome setting for a Studio Ghibli movie. The plot is exciting, and though a bit juvenile and lacking in a whole lot of controversy, it's easy to stay engaged in. The characters are charming, relatable, and, well, simply darling. They're characters that I really wanted to pick up in a big hug and squeeze and squeeze. Especially Mumbo. And Bowman. And Pinpin. And Kestrel. And almost everyone. I have little to complain about. Obviously, this is for younger readers, but I still enjoyed it now as a young adult. The characters weren't super deep, but like I said, they were sweet and likable. This is one book that I will definitely be purchasing and then forcing on the kids/younger teens of my acquaintance. So good.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-09-28 00:00:00 Joaquin Salet Children's books about the horrors of standardized testing are increasingly popular these days. From Edward Bloor's well-intentioned, Story Time to The Report Card by the otherwise talented Andrew Clements, these books have attempted to capture the dangers of this destructive teaching tool. Both books have fallen short, leaving some people to wonder if there could ever be a book that discusses this controversial subject well. What few people know is that there's a fantastic well-written and beautifully put together fantasy series that begins with the horrific results of what happens when a society bases all decisions on testing. Regular methodical testing. In William Nicholson's, "The Wind Singer", (the first in his "Wind On Fire" trilogy), the term "distopia" takes on a whole new look and meaning. In a book that is simultaneously wise, beautifully penned, and deeply moving, "The Wind Singer", gets to the bottom of rigid test-based communities and show us a great worst-case scenario. Aramanth is a community that loves its tests. Living by the daily pledge, "I vow to strive harder, to reach higher, and in every way to seek to make tomorrow better than today", its citizens embody the ultimate caste system. Based on strict standardized testing, people live according to how well they test. The nicest homes belong to those members of society that answer quizzes effectively and intelligently. For those people who don't like tests or don't do well on them for a variety of reasons, they live on the bottom rungs of society. There's very little rebellion in Aramanth due to its rigid control of any possible insubordination on the part of its citizens. That is, until the day little Kestrel Hath decides that she doesn't want to live in a world based on testing anymore. Suddenly she's endangered her family and herself. There seems no escape from Aramanth's rules and regulations, until the ancient Emperor, a disused ruler, tells Kestral about the Wind Singer. This gigantic and ancient construction of pipes that towers over the town was once given the ability to sing to its citizens, calming their hearts and making them happy. When the key to the Wind Singer's voice was stolen, the society became cold and hardened into its current state. With her twin brother Bowman and their initially unwanted tagalong Mumpo at her side, Kestral and company embark on a quest to save Aramanth from itself once and for all. I nominate this book for the title, Perfect Distopian Novel. I've not fallen for a fabulous fantasy in a long time, and this book has everything you could want in it. A great (and little used) moral. Characters you care about deeply. A gripping plot. Everything. I greatly appreciated that the parents of the heroes in this book were not only both alive (not usually the case in fantasies) but also active, amusing, and subversive aids to their kids' efforts. Too often parents fret and flail in children's novels, adding nothing to the story but woe. In this book Mr. and Mrs. Hath recognize the quest their children are on and decide to raise a little hooplah in Aramanth on their own. The results are quite fabulous. The most recommended fantasy book in schools nation-wide is undeniably Lois Lowry's, The Giver. I suggest that, as good as it is, we give, "The Giver", a break for once and encourage our kids to read "The Wind Singer" instead. Those children that suffer under the strain of repeated testing will appreciate the book's strong message. Children who like great action sequences and heightened danger will fall for the book's fast-paced escapes and battles. And those children that simply like a good story with good writing will be entranced. I say with conviction that this is probably one of the strongest British fantasy book for children written in the twenty-first century. It's simply the best.