cover image The Silence Seeker

The Silence Seeker

Ben Morley, illus. by Carl Pearce. Tamarind (IPG, dist.), $11.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-848-53003-4

British author Morley's poignant story hangs on a play on words that children may not recognize; Joe's mother describes the teenage son of his new neighbors as an "asylum seeker," but Joe hears "silence seeker." With some effort, Joe, a boy with brown skin, black hair, and glasses, convinces the teenager to visit his secret neighborhood refuges. "I know all the quiet places around here and I can help you find a Silence... if you like!" But they find that each one has been usurped: the laundry room, for example, is full of "biggies," other teens who are "banging and crashing and jumping about to shouty music." Except for the sandwich Joe gives the teen, the expedition is a failure, and the next morning, the neighboring family is gone. Pearce's manga-style art shows grungy urban scenes honestly, with graffitied walls and characterless signs. Joe's real question has to do not with the asylum seeker, but with his own life: can he find silence for himself? The story ends irresolutely, and readers will feel the weight of all Joe has to deal with. Ages 5-7. (Oct.)