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by: Tor Seidler
Amazon.com's Price: $6.99 Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780064410489
ISBN: 006441048X
Label: HarperCollins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 160
Publication Date: November 01, 2004
Publisher: HarperCollins
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Release Date: October 26, 2004
Sales Rank: 951553
Studio: HarperCollins
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
A weathered stranger delivers an old wicker chest to the Carbuncles' doorstep. In it they find two sleeping baby boys and an enchanting silver-stringed instrument. For the sake of appearing charitable, the Carbuncles take the boys in, but William and Jules are consigned to the chilly attic, and the dulcimer is locked away -- until William is old enough to play it.
In an unforgettable journey, William discovers a natural musical talent and the key to unlocking his and Jules's mysterious past.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Depressing and formulaic
Can't add to the breathless reviews here. Even in 1979 wasn't the tale of the put-upon orphan old? The harridan who cleans too much? The snide, hypocritical "adoptive" uncle? ,
The characters do not ring true. I can find no reason for the brother to abandon the other, and (as in so many orphan books) can see no reason they turn out to be nice people when raised by cliches of nastiness.
If you like Tale of Despereaux, another tale wherein mindless, contrived suffering is ... Read More
Rating: - Frankly, it's just unbelievable - but well written
I'm giving this three stars for the strength of the writing, not the story.
Regarding the writing, it was splendid, strong, very textual. However, not much happened in this book, and when I finished it I had many questions. I'm unsure of how many questions I should share in this review, because, unlike other reviewers who lay out entire plotlines, I find that to be a betrayal.
The biggest question I had was this: why in the world did William leave Jules? He loved his brother ... Read More
Rating:  - A masterfully written tale with powerful imagery.
In an eerie world where people have cold and hard hearts, twin baby boys are left at the doorstep of their uncle's house. They grow up into odd boys and are kept hidden from the world because of their strangeness. The only thing they have from their parents is a dulcimer. The dulcimer has a powerful attraction for William, the stronger of the twins, and he decides to take the wonderful instrument and flee. This is a dark, almost gothic story, where cruelty to children is commonplace. In a Dickensian world, ... Read More
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