The Humming Room, by Ellen Potter is a fiction mystery novel for students 9-12 years old.
Summary
Twelve year old Roo Fanshaw
has learned to cope with her troubling life by staying hidden and dreaming of a
garden escape. These coping skills
eventually allow her to provide a sanctuary to an even more troubled cousin.
Roo is orphaned when her
father and step mother are brutally murdered in a supposed drug deal gone
wrong. Soon she is whisked off by a
previously unknown wealthy uncle’s assistant.
Roo finds herself on an island living in a mansion that was once a
children’s tuberculosis sanatorium. She
is instructed not to enter the east wing of the mansion, but how can she resist
the mysterious cries and hums seemingly coming from the walls?
Roo struggles to fit into the
life she has been offered. She feels
called to the outdoors, but is stuck inside with an elderly tutor. She ditches the tutor, finds a secret hiding spot, and finally finds some relief. However, when the tutor is found unable to
properly contain Roo, she is let go. Roo
risks going back to the foster home, yet finds unlikely salvation.
Although a recluse, Roo meets
a mystical misfit and a tormented cousin.
She discovers and nurtures a space that in the course of time holds the
power to mend many troubled souls.
Impression
According to the author, this
book was inspired by The Secret
Garden. Since, unbelievably, I have
never read or seen the movie of The
Secret Garden, this has no bearing on my impressions. I had high hopes for the book, based upon
previous reviews I have read, and the
fact that it is a popular book in a local school library. Unfortunately I was disappointed
overall.
What I admired about the book… The author did an amazing job of developing
the main character and the setting. The
windows into Roo’s thoughts and the details of her history make Roo a realistic
and deep character. The reader is
sympathetic to Roo’s idiosyncrasies and you find yourself rooting for her. The island and garden setting is described in
such detail that you feel as though you are there, and you wish you really were
there. Because of the character and setting you can't help but feel engaged in the book.
The problem I found was that
unfortunately the plot was not well developed.
When evaluating this novel as a mystery, I found myself waiting for
something to happen. The mystery itself
was not enough to keep the reader satisfied.
While waiting for the mystery to unfold, the resolution came abruptly
and was inadequate. There were several
issues that remained unaddressed
Despite my criticism, I do
see a place for the story. The setting,
the character of Roo, and her relationship with the natural environment of
plants and animals would make a beautiful animated movie. Furthermore, middle school readers will find a character who exhibits strength in the face of adversity.
Library Uses
The Humming Room is a mystery with a garden theme.
After reading this book, readers could create a poster of their own
perfect, tranquil, and soul refreshing secret garden. Readers could further be engaged in a
discussion about where they find their refuge from the sometimes harsh
realities of life.
Since the book is inspired by
The Secret Garden, another activity
would be to compare/contrast the two books.
Professional Reviews
References A young orphan finds herself in a remote
mansion that hides many secrets.
Roo’s childhood has been
traumatic; she is ill-fed, ill-clothed and too small for her age. She spends
much of her time hiding in cavelike spaces, with her ear to the ground
listening intensely to the movements within the Earth. When her drug-dealing
parents are killed, she is sent to live with an uncle on an isolated
island—Cough Rock—in the St. Lawrence River in upstate New York. The local
inhabitants are earthy and superstitious and seem to hark back to an earlier
time. Her uncle stays away for months at a time. A newly discovered cousin
screams and cries and rarely leaves his room. There is also a mysterious,
long-neglected garden that calls to her. The characters and events are nearly
exact counterparts to those found in the classic The Secret Garden. Potter
intentionally evokes the earlier work, capturing its bittersweet emotions and
fey qualities. But it is not a clone in modern dress. The author has created a
fresh tale with a strong-willed heroine. Though Jack is no Dickon, Roo might be
more likable than Mary Lennox.
An homage to a cherished
classic that can work as a companion piece or stand alone as a solid, modern
tale for young readers in the 21st century. (Fiction. 9-12)
--Kirkus, 2011
In a resonant novel inspired
by The Secret Garden, Potter (The Kneebone Boy) pays graceful tribute to the
spirit of that classic. The author borrows plot elements effectively, yet her
strong characterizations, fluid dialogue, and evocative descriptions give the
novel a vibrant life of its own. After Roo’s drug dealer father is killed, the
12-year-old girl goes to live with her aloof, widowed uncle in a rambling
former tuberculosis sanitarium on the island of Cough Rock in the St. Lawrence
River. Roo is a loner who hides to avoid others and often puts her ear to the
soil, listening to the sounds of life underground. Other noises—mysterious
humming and crying—lead Roo to twin discoveries: Emmett, a cousin she didn’t
know existed, and a domed, dried-up garden in a remote part of the house.
Potter lavishes attention on the gothic island setting and Roo’s uncle’s
estate; it’s a thrilling ghost story, but one that, like the story it’s drawn
from, has love and rebirth at its heart. Ages 9–12. Agent: Alice Tasman, Jean
V. Naggar Literary Agency. (Feb.)
--Publisher’s Weekly, 2012
References
Children's Book Review: The
Humming Room by Ellen Potter. Feiwel and Friends, $16.99 (192p) ISBN
978-0-312-64438-3. (2012, January 2). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-64438-3
THE HUMMING ROOM by Ellen
Potter | Kirkus. (2011, December 15). Retrieved April 24, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-potter/humming-room/
Potter, E. (2012). The
humming room. New York: Feiwel and Friends.
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