In the city of Aramanth, the lives of its citizens are ruled by a color-coded caste system of standardized tests. How well one does on the yearly “High Examination” determines what you do for work, where you live, and even what color clothing you wear. Those that test poorly find themselves consigned to the dismal one-room tenements and menial labor of the Grey district, while those who test well can eventually aspire to life in the mansions and illustrious careers of the White district. Free thinking and creativity are unheard of, but most of the city’s residents are content with their way of life. One family, however, is not. The Haths, Hanno and Ira, have raised their three children, the twins Kestrel and Bowman and baby Pinpin, to believe that there are more important things in life than moving up in society’s ranks. They teach their children the old stories that everyone else has forgotten, such as the legend of the strange, archaic structure that still stands in the middle of Aramanth, known as the Wind Singer. The tales go that once the Wing Singer made beautiful music that made everyone in Aramanth happy, and kept away evil. The Wind Singer’s “voice”, however, was lost long ago, causing the conditions in the city to deteriorate rapidly. When one day Kestrel rebels, tired of the endless rules, regulations and tests, and her entire family is put in jeopardy, she finds that the only way to save them and the entire city from their horrible fate is to find the Wind Singer’s voice and return it to its rightful place. Armed with only an old map, she and her brother Bowman, and their friend Mumpo, must set out on their quest, which will bring them face to face with a more sinister evil than any they could have imagined.I picked this up from the library because I have been in kind of a slump as far as reading goes. I have a bunch of books that I’m in the middle of right now that I just can’t seem to slog through past a certain point. I wanted something fun that I could read quickly, and I figured this would be just the thing. While overall I thought this was a pretty good book, I did have some issues with it. The main thing I didn’t like about it was that it seemed, even for a YA book, to be very thinly fleshed out. I thought that the set-up for the kids’ big quest was very good, but once things got moving I felt like the author glossed over too much. After Kestrel, Bowman and Mumpo get started on their journey, they have various adventures, of course, but I felt like these were rushed through and there wasn’t enough detail given about the places they go and the people they meet on their journey. It’s like the author was too focused on getting them from point A to point B to tell us what was happening in-between. This frustrated me, because we’re given glimpses of a unique, interesting world outside the walls of Aramanth, and we’re told next to nothing about it. Also, I felt at the end that things were tied up just a little too neatly. Various problems were resolved too easily to be believable. This seemed to be a problem throughout the book. I didn’t like how most of the time things just conveniently fell into place. The characters would get into a scrape, and instead of finding a way out of it themselves, some miraculous solution would just fall into their laps. With those negative things aside, this book did have a pretty good message at the heart of it, and the characters were essentially likable and easy to root for. Probably the things that bothered me about this book wouldn’t bother a reader more in the age group it was intended for. Also, it did accomplish what I wanted it to. It passed an afternoon quite quickly and got me out of my slump of not being able to finish anything. I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the trilogy, though.
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.
What do You think about The Wind Singer (2002)?
It's been a very long time since I found a book I genuinely wanted to keep reading to the point of ignoring my other responsibilities. It's been a very long time since I woke up thinking, "I had better get my stuff done quickly so I can get back to my book." The Wind Singer is a book like that.The Wind Singer is the first book in the "Wind on Fire" trilogy, but it would stand alone just fine. When Kestrel tires of constant examinations and the focus on ranking of families, she rebels against the system. Consequently, she and her family are punished and demoted from their status as Orange to lowly Grey. Furthermore, her father is sent for reschooling. Kestrel, her twin brother, and a classmate have heard the legend of the wind singer's voice, and they choose to leave their highly ordered society and journey to find the voice for the wind singer, a voice that is supposed to solve all the problems and hopefully will allow them to save their family.This book is similar to The Giver in that the society is highly controlled and a child chooses to break from that mold. This book is similar to the Lord of the Rings in that the children embark on a dangerous journey, battle the bad guys, and return victorious. This book is similar to the Chronicles of Narnia in that the three children learn some important lessons along the way.This is a great fantasy tale, free of objectionable elements and enjoyable. I'll have to see if my local library carries the next two books in the series. If I had a classroom, I would definitely put this book on my shelf.
—Jenni Frencham
The first chapter, if I must say, is really boring. In the whole book you don't feel the need to keep reading. It just continues. The "high" parts, that are supposed to be interesting and quick, they are dull and weird. You don't expect a (it doesn't even says the age) girl to do such things! I liked the creative parts, like the underworld and the eagles, but the Ombarakas and Omchakas are not necessary. Also, it leaves unexplained the origin of the old children and why they were in the city. I loved the connection between brother and sister, but it wasn't powerful enough for chapter 21. In fact, the feelings were very dull in all the book and the whole lack of INTERESTING description didn't made you get fully involved in the book. Definitely I won't read the next two books.SPOILERSMASLO INSCH IS MUMPO'S FATHERKESTREL DIES IN THE THIRD ONEMUMPO MARRIES PINPIN
—Daniela
I read this beautiful trilogy aged 13/14 (borrowed them from the library) and it was years later before I came across it again as I couldn't remember what they were called or who the author was, but the story stayed with me, and the characters - particularly Mumpo who is so kind and sweet and innocent.For me, the most memorable part of these stories is the relationship between the Hath family members. I have never read another story about a family who love each other so much, you don't often see this depicted in stories. There is always something wrong, or there is something they have to overcome to get on with each other, or the father is too strict and the mother too gentle, or the son is naughty etc... But here you have a family who have such a strong bond no matter how far away from each other they are.The author has such a unique voice and way of describing, the stories are easy to read but he doesn't talk down to you. The stories are not complex, they don't have as many characters and plot lines as Dickens, and I like that. You have this simple story of the family and their love for each other, their neighbours and their hope for a better future.
—J Thorne
