posted on 19 Oct 2020

A Remarkable Ear by Anne Fine, illustrated by Roxana de Rond

Many books about the things young boys are interested in still seem to conform to the stereotypical view that they like sport rather than anything else. Of course this is not necessarily the case, so I really looked forward to reading this one about a music lover - and it's by one of my favourite authors.

Will is surprised to learn that his talent for remembering complex tunes is unusual. He is used to being told off for humming and singing loudly wherever he goes. His family don’t think much of this habit and even teachers at school don’t seem impressed. That is until he meets music teacher Mr Brand. He recognises that Will needs to be nurtured and encouraged to develop his confidence and recommends that he learns the violin. He is a hard taskmaster, but Will is up for the challenge. This isn’t easy at first but with lots of practice, he learns to play the instrument well so that by the time he goes to secondary school he is very proficient.

Anne Fine is adept at portraying families that don’t always conform to the ideal. Will’s mum comes across as being rather disinterested and sometimes neglectful. His step father seems reluctant to engage with him or anything other than watching TV, and his older sister pays him little attention other than to complain about his constant violin practising. Against this background Will impresses as a boy who is determined to make the best of his musical opportunities. I was reminded of Billy Elliot who had to stand his ground against those who felt his talent wasn’t worthy of note. He also was reluctant to let his peers know about it because of potential bullying.

Fortunately, Mr Brand is determined to support his special pupil and helps him to improve still further by providing free home lessons. It seems that Will has ‘a remarkable ear’ and as he rapidly improves, he realises that he might even have a future career as a musician, especially if he can overcome his shyness. Perhaps he might even be good enough to go to a specialist music school?

It was great to read for once about a school where individual interests are recognised, encouraged and valued.

The softly drawn illustrations by Roxana de Rond show Will as he changes shape from a sturdy four year old with his mum at the library to a tall, relaxed looking teenager being admired by an appreciative audience.

The publisher Barrington Stoke prides itself on offering high quality books with a format aimed at reluctant and dyslexic readers. But this well designed, engaging book will also satisfy any reader who needs an upbeat story about how dreams might come true. I loved it.

 

Karen Argent

October 2020