When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half sister, thirteen-year-old Branwell loses his power of speech and only his friend Connor is able to reach him and uncover the truth about what really happened. ( )

None of the child characters really sounded like children (/teens), but it was an interesting book and had a great reveal at the end. ( )

Moving story--sophisticated psychology.

13 year old Connor's best friend Branwell has been sent to a juvenile detention center after supposedly dropping his baby sister and causing her to slip into a coma. To make matters worse, Branwell has been so shocked by what has happened that he cannot speak, and therefore cannot defend himself or proclaim his innocence. There is talk that he did it because he was jealous of his new baby half-sister but Connor knows that Branwell loved and adored her. It is up to Connor to try and unlock the mystery behind what really happened to baby Nikki - who hurt her and why? A fascinating, well-written mystery about infatuation ( with the British au pair), family (both Connor & Branwell have complicated blended families) and the power of friendship ( when you know a person so well, they don't need to speak for you to understand them)
P.9-12.

Realistic fiction, about one boy's attempt to communicate with his best friend, who has become silent after an accident that puts his sister in a coma. - Dr. Kottke

Yr 9 - Yr 10.
Branwell's baby sister, Nikki, lies in a coma. Vivian, the au pair, blames Branwell, and he is placed in a juvenile detention centre. Though Connor is sure his friend would never hurt Nikki - or anyone - how can he get Branwell to communicate? And what does Morris, Vivian's pizza-delivery boyfriend, really know? ( )

From the moment he makes the 911 call to report an emergency with his baby sister, 13-year-old Branwell Zamborska is unable to talk. According to the family's British au pair, Branwell dropped and then shook the baby, leading to her brain injury. Now he is being held in a juvenile detention center, awaiting trial. But his best friend Connor is certain there's more to the story. He knows Branwell would never hurt his baby sister. He also knows how much Branwell loves language, based on the word games they've played over the years. Is there some way he can use one of those games to unlock the words hidden deep inside his friend? Using 12 cards bearing single words or phrases that have special meaning to both boys, Connor is slowly able to unravel the mystery with the help of his adult stepsister, a savvy young woman who has a special understanding of Branwell and his family. Told in Connor's wry voice, the story moves briskly as each card selected by Branwell sends Connor on a bit of investigative work. And Connor finds that he has another puzzle right in his own family--the source of a long-standing rift between his father and his half sister. Konigsburg's compelling novel reads like a good mystery. It explores the nature of empathy, the complexity of love, and the power of language. Winner, CCBC 2001 Newbery Discussion CCBC categories: Fiction for Children. 2000, Jean Karl/Atheneum, 261 pages, $16.00. Ages 10-14. CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2001)Won:Edgar Allan Poe Awards Nominee

Connor and Branwell are best friends. Something strange is happening to their relationship. When Branwell stops speaking after his half-sister is injured and falls into a coma, Connor tries to figure out what really happened. While Branwell is in a juvenile detention facility, Connor with the help of half-sister Margaret help uncover the truth about what happened to baby Nikki and the role of nanny, Vivian. The boys have great codes like "blue peter" and "SIAS".
We talked about this book in 7th grade book club. ( )

Complex story - definitely true-to-life. I like the fact that the author takes her young characters seriously - not treating them as little adults or small children.

When he is wrongly accused of gravely injuring his baby half-sister, 13 y.o. Branwell loses his power of speech. Only his friend, Connor, is able to reach him and uncover the truth of what really happened.

This story succeeds on several levels. It first struck me as an anthem to friendship -- young male friendship, at that, which is not given as wide a treatment in literature, for children or adults, as its female counterpart. It developed into a good detective story (as an adult, the whodunit and the why became clear relatively early on, but I think the target audience might be in a bit more suspense than that), and touched on themes of psychology, family issues, sexual manipulation (!), and divorce as well. All in all, a strong, worthwhile read. Honestly, I'd never read any Konigsburg except for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which I have read numerous times since the age of eight or so; I was glad to see that over thirty years after winning the Newbery for Mixed-Up Files, she's still writing very well indeed.

This is one of the best children's books ever written.