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Title: weak for a Newbery
Review: First of all, the boy's disability was hardly worth mentioning. I have known three people (one of them my father) who had one leg shorter than the other since childhood and walked with distinct limps. Their limps never prevented them from doing anything they wanted to do. It seems highly unlikely that this boy would have been permitted to stay out of school.Second, the descriptions of the music didn't make me feel anything; they were just words. I've read writing that sounded like music, but this wasn't it.Third, there was no explanation for the parents' behavior, why they left, or why they returned. In real life, the boy would likely blame himself for their leaving.It has occurred to me that the last page and a half may be meant to take place in heaven after the boy has died of starvation.
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