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The Girl with the Silver Eyes
Katie, who has strange powers that make people shun her, attempts to start a new life in another town with her mother. Then Mr. Cooper moves into her apartment building and starts asking too many questions about Katie . . .
198 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1980
About the author
Willo Davis Roberts
125 books129 followersWillo Davis Roberts was an American writer chiefly known for her mystery novels for children and young adults. She won Edgar Allan Poe awards in 1989, 1995, and 1997 for best juvenile and best young adult mysteries. Her books included The View from the Cherry Tree, Twisted Summer, Don't Hurt Laurie, Megan's Island, Baby-sitting is a Dangerous Job, Hostage, The Girl with Silver Eyes, The One Left Behind and Scared Stiff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 801 reviews
October 6, 2018
JUNE
as part of my personal reading challenges for 2017, once a month i will be revisiting a favorite book from when i was a little bitty karen and seeing if it holds up to my fond memories and determining if i can still enjoy it as an old and crotchety karen.
fingers crossed.
so: first things first. in answer to the question 'does this book hold up?' this time, i gotta say "no." i'm keeping baby karen's star rating, since there's no way to preserve the two ratings, but adult-karen rates this lower. unless there is a sequel to this book (and there is NOT), baby-karen imagined a whole bunch more to this book than ms. roberts actually wrote.
baby-karen's review:
this book is great because she has SILVER EYES and that's so cool! also, she can throw rocks at people using her MIND, and i want to do that, too. also, i could set the dinner table while reading in my room and that would be rad. i like to read.
(it should be noted that baby-karen thought willo davis roberts was a man, probably because "david" and "robert" are typically names given to males, and baby-karen had some mild dyslexia when it came to names - for years, she introduced herself as "karen brissette tiffany." what a dope.)
adult-review:
first, here is a detailed, medium-snarky synopsis - you decide if you wanna risk being spoiled on a 198-page book for kids written in 1980.
katie is a silver-eyed nine-year-old with magical powers that allow her to move things with her miiiiiind!!
she has been living with her grandmother for years because her parents split up and couldn’t afford to care for her, but then her grandmother died and now she’s living with her mom and they barely know each other and her mom’s bf smokes and doesn’t seem to like kids and both of the babysitters her mom hires are lame and katie has a tendency to freak people out because of her eyes and her flat affect and also because she recklessly uses her powers to harass her sitters and this one grumpy dude in her building and she doesn’t have any friends except for the paperboy and the elderly mrs. m. and her cat lobo and oh, yeah, she can talk to cats which is a much cooler power than telekinesis, if you ask me, but no one asks me, and then this man named mr. c moves into her building and starts asking everyone pretty specific questions about katie that no one seems to find suspicious at all and then katie finds out that her mom used to work at a pharmaceutical factory with four other ladies who all became pregnant at the same time and whose kids were all… unusual, so katie decides to track them down so she won’t feel like such an oddball and luckily they all live within a bus ride from her place and she finds them pretty easily and it turns out mr. c. is basically less-magical but more-ambulatory dr. xavier and runs a school for gifted youngsters and he wants them all to live on his campus but they say noooooo and decide to stick together and stay where they’re at and be magical homeschooled friends only occasionally poked at by mr. c.’s people. the end.
which is basically cutting the story off just when it becomes interesting, right? unless you like your sci-fi novels to be more about searching through mommy's drawers for her friends' birth announcements, cold-calling strangers, slumber parties as camouflage and riding the bus and not so much about what happens when a bunch of mischievous kids with powers get together.
i’m not sure why i liked this one so much when i was little, because not a whole lot happens. the sci-fi elements are basically just a metaphor for “being different;” katie is a lonely girl who wants friends and when she finds other kids like her, the implication is that now everything is going to be roses for her, but since the book cuts off before any of those roses blossom, we don’t know if having magical abilities is enough of a foundation upon which to build lasting friendships, and we don’t get to see them do anything cool.
but i do enjoy being unfair to these books and assessing them with modern-day sensibilities. and so:
the blurb from booklist on the back cover:
”An intriguing idea…Roberts’ smooth writing will lure [readers] right to the end.”
ah, the 80’s. when you could celebrate someone’s ability to “lure” children without some asshole like me coming along to laff about it. this idea of luring children extends to one of my major criticisms in the book - the lack of suspicion towards the character of mr. c. katie is suspicious of him, but for different reasons than “this rando adult male is showing a lot of interest in this little girl. should we perhaps be alarmed? nah. let’s just freely answer all of his questions and see what happens.”
katie’s mother sits companionably by the pool with mr. c, who is watching katie swim and asking lots of questions about her and she's all “doodly-doo - what a nice, inquisitive man taking an interest in my nine-year-old daughter!”*
and this is after he’s approached katie on her own, asking for her help moving in. because this book predates the lessons we all learned from Silence of the Lambs about why you never help a stranger move furniture:
and because nine-year-olds are known for their abilities in the department of heavy lifting, particularly scrawny and bookish nine-year-old girls in glasses. true, katie has an advantage with her magical powers and all, but that’s not common knowledge, and his attention should probably cause some mild alarm - both his request and his eagerness to be katie’s swim-buddy:
”Listen, are you busy, young lady, or would you help me haul things in tomorrow morning? When I bring my stuff over? I’ll pay you.”
Katie shrugged. “Sure. Why not. Are you going to swim in the pool?”
“Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Why, you need a swimming partner?”
…
“Tell you what, after we get my junk carried in tomorrow, we’ll go swimming. OK?”
he asks her to carry his JUNK? gross. but hilarious wordplay aside, bribing a little girl into your apartment alone with the promise of slappy-happy bathing suit time is just red flags all over town.
katie’s grandmother raised her right, and katie knows to avoid certain situations, even if she’s unclear of the reasons why:
katie does use her bright brain, briefly, to ponder whether mr. c has interference on his mind, or whether her mother will think he does, at any rate:
…she wondered uneasily if her mother would agree to that or if the new tenant fell into the category of “strange men” and was therefore to be treated warily.
and her mother, who hasn't been an active mother for years, still knows all about stranger-danger, which is clear from an argument they have where katie is scoffing at the very idea of a nine-year-old needing a sitter:
so how does katie’s mother not equate a man’s interrogations and intense interest in her daughter with the dangers of city living and not register his behavior as ‘off?’ is mr. c’s casual assertion that he’s totes not a kiddy-diddler enough to set her mind at ease?
”…I’d asked the little girl to help me haul things in, in the morning, And then it occurred to me that maybe I’d better talk to her folks, first. Make sure it was all right with them. People get ideas, these days, about strange men and little girls.
maybe don’t say “little girls” so much. it comes across as creep city.
at least mrs. m. has some sense:
”What do you want with a little girl who isn’t even ten years old yet?” Mrs. M. asked. “She isn’t much more than a baby.”
as it happens, he is not a perv, so all of my affronted bluster is unnecessary, but still, people! STILL! it's carelessness like this that leads to lotion being put in baskets.
more proof that this was written in the wayback comes in the laxity of punishment for prepubescent students carrying weapons into the classroom.
katie tells a story about what happened to her at her old school with a bully named DERWARD, and the pocketknife he regularly carried to school.
wow, she should be angry! a little boy stabbing a little girl with a knife? what a bully! expel that weaponized bully!!
but it doesn't really play out that way:
wow. what an excellent message that sends. katie's mom had the safety of country living all wrong. but in case you think there's no justice, it should be known that one time, this knife-wielding child was in fact punished:
so - locking some girls in an outhouse (and while we're at it, how did he shepherd multiple girls into that outhouse to begin with, and how big was this outhouse?) is a suspendable offense, but carrying a weapon is all good, so long as the victim is not well-liked.
that's all i got in me for this reread. not nearly as good as i remember, but i hope i didn't tarnish any of your childhood memories of it.
* not an actual quote
******************************************
sigh, another book without a bookplate or other adorable baby-karen scrawls. it does have my handy-dandy “books i read” notations, but that’s only a little bit fun. i will be going to my dad’s place soon, and i hope some of my kids’ books will be accessible and will be FULL of bookplates and doodles.
JANUARY: wait till helen comes
FEBRUARY: the little gymnast
MARCH: zucchini
APRIL: something queer at the library
MAY: good-bye pink pig
JULY: the phantom tollbooth
come to my blog!
as part of my personal reading challenges for 2017, once a month i will be revisiting a favorite book from when i was a little bitty karen and seeing if it holds up to my fond memories and determining if i can still enjoy it as an old and crotchety karen.
fingers crossed.
so: first things first. in answer to the question 'does this book hold up?' this time, i gotta say "no." i'm keeping baby karen's star rating, since there's no way to preserve the two ratings, but adult-karen rates this lower. unless there is a sequel to this book (and there is NOT), baby-karen imagined a whole bunch more to this book than ms. roberts actually wrote.
baby-karen's review:
this book is great because she has SILVER EYES and that's so cool! also, she can throw rocks at people using her MIND, and i want to do that, too. also, i could set the dinner table while reading in my room and that would be rad. i like to read.
(it should be noted that baby-karen thought willo davis roberts was a man, probably because "david" and "robert" are typically names given to males, and baby-karen had some mild dyslexia when it came to names - for years, she introduced herself as "karen brissette tiffany." what a dope.)
adult-review:
first, here is a detailed, medium-snarky synopsis - you decide if you wanna risk being spoiled on a 198-page book for kids written in 1980.
katie is a silver-eyed nine-year-old with magical powers that allow her to move things with her miiiiiind!!
she has been living with her grandmother for years because her parents split up and couldn’t afford to care for her, but then her grandmother died and now she’s living with her mom and they barely know each other and her mom’s bf smokes and doesn’t seem to like kids and both of the babysitters her mom hires are lame and katie has a tendency to freak people out because of her eyes and her flat affect and also because she recklessly uses her powers to harass her sitters and this one grumpy dude in her building and she doesn’t have any friends except for the paperboy and the elderly mrs. m. and her cat lobo and oh, yeah, she can talk to cats which is a much cooler power than telekinesis, if you ask me, but no one asks me, and then this man named mr. c moves into her building and starts asking everyone pretty specific questions about katie that no one seems to find suspicious at all and then katie finds out that her mom used to work at a pharmaceutical factory with four other ladies who all became pregnant at the same time and whose kids were all… unusual, so katie decides to track them down so she won’t feel like such an oddball and luckily they all live within a bus ride from her place and she finds them pretty easily and it turns out mr. c. is basically less-magical but more-ambulatory dr. xavier and runs a school for gifted youngsters and he wants them all to live on his campus but they say noooooo and decide to stick together and stay where they’re at and be magical homeschooled friends only occasionally poked at by mr. c.’s people. the end.
which is basically cutting the story off just when it becomes interesting, right? unless you like your sci-fi novels to be more about searching through mommy's drawers for her friends' birth announcements, cold-calling strangers, slumber parties as camouflage and riding the bus and not so much about what happens when a bunch of mischievous kids with powers get together.
i’m not sure why i liked this one so much when i was little, because not a whole lot happens. the sci-fi elements are basically just a metaphor for “being different;” katie is a lonely girl who wants friends and when she finds other kids like her, the implication is that now everything is going to be roses for her, but since the book cuts off before any of those roses blossom, we don’t know if having magical abilities is enough of a foundation upon which to build lasting friendships, and we don’t get to see them do anything cool.
but i do enjoy being unfair to these books and assessing them with modern-day sensibilities. and so:
the blurb from booklist on the back cover:
”An intriguing idea…Roberts’ smooth writing will lure [readers] right to the end.”
ah, the 80’s. when you could celebrate someone’s ability to “lure” children without some asshole like me coming along to laff about it. this idea of luring children extends to one of my major criticisms in the book - the lack of suspicion towards the character of mr. c. katie is suspicious of him, but for different reasons than “this rando adult male is showing a lot of interest in this little girl. should we perhaps be alarmed? nah. let’s just freely answer all of his questions and see what happens.”
katie’s mother sits companionably by the pool with mr. c, who is watching katie swim and asking lots of questions about her and she's all “doodly-doo - what a nice, inquisitive man taking an interest in my nine-year-old daughter!”*
and this is after he’s approached katie on her own, asking for her help moving in. because this book predates the lessons we all learned from Silence of the Lambs about why you never help a stranger move furniture:
and because nine-year-olds are known for their abilities in the department of heavy lifting, particularly scrawny and bookish nine-year-old girls in glasses. true, katie has an advantage with her magical powers and all, but that’s not common knowledge, and his attention should probably cause some mild alarm - both his request and his eagerness to be katie’s swim-buddy:
”Listen, are you busy, young lady, or would you help me haul things in tomorrow morning? When I bring my stuff over? I’ll pay you.”
Katie shrugged. “Sure. Why not. Are you going to swim in the pool?”
“Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Why, you need a swimming partner?”
…
“Tell you what, after we get my junk carried in tomorrow, we’ll go swimming. OK?”
he asks her to carry his JUNK? gross. but hilarious wordplay aside, bribing a little girl into your apartment alone with the promise of slappy-happy bathing suit time is just red flags all over town.
katie’s grandmother raised her right, and katie knows to avoid certain situations, even if she’s unclear of the reasons why:
…a man had stopped and asked her if she wanted a ride. He was a perfectly nice man, Katie knew he was, and she hadn’t gotten into the car, and the man had simply smiled and driven away. Katie had tried to explain that it was only that he thought she was a long way from home, and it was cold and raining, and he was kind. But Grandma Welker was convinced he was a child molester.
Katie was a little vague about what child molesters actually did. But she knew it was something unpleasant, and she had sense enough not to get into a car or walk away with a stranger, for heaven’s sake. Grownups told you and told you things, and then they acted as if you didn’t have any brains at all, even when they admitted you were bright.
katie does use her bright brain, briefly, to ponder whether mr. c has interference on his mind, or whether her mother will think he does, at any rate:
…she wondered uneasily if her mother would agree to that or if the new tenant fell into the category of “strange men” and was therefore to be treated warily.
and her mother, who hasn't been an active mother for years, still knows all about stranger-danger, which is clear from an argument they have where katie is scoffing at the very idea of a nine-year-old needing a sitter:
”…you’re used to living in the country, and it’s different, in the city. All kinds of things can happen-"
“I know about child molesters and all that,” Katie said with dignity. “And keeping the doors locked and not admitting on the telephone that I’m alone. I’m not stupid.”
so how does katie’s mother not equate a man’s interrogations and intense interest in her daughter with the dangers of city living and not register his behavior as ‘off?’ is mr. c’s casual assertion that he’s totes not a kiddy-diddler enough to set her mind at ease?
”…I’d asked the little girl to help me haul things in, in the morning, And then it occurred to me that maybe I’d better talk to her folks, first. Make sure it was all right with them. People get ideas, these days, about strange men and little girls.
maybe don’t say “little girls” so much. it comes across as creep city.
at least mrs. m. has some sense:
”What do you want with a little girl who isn’t even ten years old yet?” Mrs. M. asked. “She isn’t much more than a baby.”
as it happens, he is not a perv, so all of my affronted bluster is unnecessary, but still, people! STILL! it's carelessness like this that leads to lotion being put in baskets.
more proof that this was written in the wayback comes in the laxity of punishment for prepubescent students carrying weapons into the classroom.
katie tells a story about what happened to her at her old school with a bully named DERWARD, and the pocketknife he regularly carried to school.
She’d tried to ignore Derward, but after a few minutes of feeling the point of his pocketknife jabbing more and more painfully between her shoulder blades, Katie had used all the force she could muster and turned the thing back away from herself.
The next thing she knew, Derward was yelling, and there was blood all over his hand and his desk, and when Miss Cottrell came to the back of the room, she was very angry.
wow, she should be angry! a little boy stabbing a little girl with a knife? what a bully! expel that weaponized bully!!
but it doesn't really play out that way:
Katie remembered standing in front of the principal’s desk, her legs quivering, and being asked for her version of the story.
What could she say? That she’d used some mental force that nobody else seemed to have to twist the knife against the boy who was jabbing her with it?
“It was his knife,” Katie said. “He was fooling around with it, poking me.”
“And so you twisted around and cut him with it?” the principal asked.
“I jerked away,” Katie said, “and somehow he cut himself. I can still feel where he poked me.”
The principal looked at the back of her blouse, but he said there was no cut in it. “Do you want the nurse to look at your back and see if there is a mark on your skin?”
“No,” Katie said. If there was no tear in her shirt, it was unlikely that there’d be a mark on her skin.
“But it was his own fault.”
In the end, nothing happened to either of them, Katie or Derward. They were sent back to class, where spelling was all over and the kids were doing arithmetic. But all the kids looked at Katie out of the corners of their eyes.
Katie still remembered the way the principal and the teacher had looked at her. Not at Derward, but at her.
wow. what an excellent message that sends. katie's mom had the safety of country living all wrong. but in case you think there's no justice, it should be known that one time, this knife-wielding child was in fact punished:
Once he’d locked some girls in an outhouse when they were on a class picnic at a park, and it had been over an hour before anyone heard them yelling and let them out. Derward had been suspended for three days because of that. Not that Derward minded; he had returned to school boasting that his father had taken him fishing for three days.
so - locking some girls in an outhouse (and while we're at it, how did he shepherd multiple girls into that outhouse to begin with, and how big was this outhouse?) is a suspendable offense, but carrying a weapon is all good, so long as the victim is not well-liked.
that's all i got in me for this reread. not nearly as good as i remember, but i hope i didn't tarnish any of your childhood memories of it.
* not an actual quote
******************************************
sigh, another book without a bookplate or other adorable baby-karen scrawls. it does have my handy-dandy “books i read” notations, but that’s only a little bit fun. i will be going to my dad’s place soon, and i hope some of my kids’ books will be accessible and will be FULL of bookplates and doodles.
JANUARY: wait till helen comes
FEBRUARY: the little gymnast
MARCH: zucchini
APRIL: something queer at the library
MAY: good-bye pink pig
JULY: the phantom tollbooth
come to my blog!
August 14, 2015
Reread for our classics discussion on Friday 8/28! :)
******
One of the first scifi/paranormal books I ever remember reading, and one that still holds up as an adult. I loved the whole idea of a girl with telekinetic powers who doesn't fit anywhere--until she finds out that there is a small group of other kids just like her. Well-written with memorable characters (and a lovely old cat), it's one of the first books that started my love for non-realistic fiction.
This one's a bit obscure, but it's still in print and available as an ebook, and well worth seeking out.
******
One of the first scifi/paranormal books I ever remember reading, and one that still holds up as an adult. I loved the whole idea of a girl with telekinetic powers who doesn't fit anywhere--until she finds out that there is a small group of other kids just like her. Well-written with memorable characters (and a lovely old cat), it's one of the first books that started my love for non-realistic fiction.
This one's a bit obscure, but it's still in print and available as an ebook, and well worth seeking out.
June 20, 2007
This was one of my favorite books for a long time. I reread it at regular intervals, and never ceased to thrill every time Katie learned to use her powers in a different and more spectacular way. I identified strongly with Katie, I think, because I was also an extremely precocious child whom grownups found intimidating and inscrutable, and I valued anyone who treated me like a real person instead of a freak or a "genius."
November 23, 2014
One of the first scifi/paranormal books I ever remember reading, and one that still holds up as an adult. I loved the whole idea of a girl with telekinetic powers who doesn't fit anywhere--until she finds out that there is a small group of other kids just like her. Well-written with memorable characters, it's the book that started my love for supernatural books. It's a shame the author's other books never really lived up to this one.
November 2, 2021
Nine-year-old Katie loves to read, and doesn't mind sitting quietly by herself, practicing her telekinesis. She has silver eyes, and no friends, and even her own mother finds her unnerving. Frustrated and lonely, she stumbles upon the possibility that she's not the only one with silver eyes and unusual talents, and sets out to find other kids like her . . . while a mysterious new neighbor begins to ask too many questions . . .
Read aloud 2021: My kids got really into this! I had forgotten how suspenseful it was.
Read aloud 2021: My kids got really into this! I had forgotten how suspenseful it was.
December 23, 2007
I read this so many times as a child, and wished I was a character in the book.
April 3, 2022
Updated review:
Rereading a childhood favorite is risky. Yet this is one of those books that I remembered so fondly that I had to give it another try--once I realized it's back in print! (Or still in print?) Luckily, that gamble paid off.
The story may not be perfect, and the ending left me wanting more, but I had such a good time reading it. The characters came to life on the page and Katie is still a girl I'd want to be my best friend.
As an adult (and an author), I love how Willo Davis Roberts writes from a child's perspective without infantilizing the character. Katie doesn't think she needs an adult to look after her and she doesn't mind telling people what she thinks.
The book holds up well, even as it shows the ways childhood was different in the 1980s--whether you had silver eyes or not.
Original review:
I admit, I haven't read this book in at least 20 years, probably 4th or 5th grade, but I loved it back then!
I think most kids (adults too) relate to stories where the protagonist is 'different' but discovers that not only are the differences a good thing (super powers), but that they may someday find others who are like them.
I'm tempted to pick up this book again, but I have such good memories that I'm not sure I want to chance rereading it with grown-up eyes.
Rereading a childhood favorite is risky. Yet this is one of those books that I remembered so fondly that I had to give it another try--once I realized it's back in print! (Or still in print?) Luckily, that gamble paid off.
The story may not be perfect, and the ending left me wanting more, but I had such a good time reading it. The characters came to life on the page and Katie is still a girl I'd want to be my best friend.
As an adult (and an author), I love how Willo Davis Roberts writes from a child's perspective without infantilizing the character. Katie doesn't think she needs an adult to look after her and she doesn't mind telling people what she thinks.
The book holds up well, even as it shows the ways childhood was different in the 1980s--whether you had silver eyes or not.
Original review:
I admit, I haven't read this book in at least 20 years, probably 4th or 5th grade, but I loved it back then!
I think most kids (adults too) relate to stories where the protagonist is 'different' but discovers that not only are the differences a good thing (super powers), but that they may someday find others who are like them.
I'm tempted to pick up this book again, but I have such good memories that I'm not sure I want to chance rereading it with grown-up eyes.
August 26, 2016
The little one said it perfectly, as we neared the end of the book: "But, like, it hasn't even started yet!"
While well-written with likable characters, it felt like the first 7/8 of the book was just setting up the story, and then the climax kind of just plopped out like cold Beefaroni into a dirty bowl.
Perhaps we've been spoiled with all the decent paranormal and superhero fiction available nowadays, but we sort of expected more from a tale about a young girl with telekinesis.
While well-written with likable characters, it felt like the first 7/8 of the book was just setting up the story, and then the climax kind of just plopped out like cold Beefaroni into a dirty bowl.
Perhaps we've been spoiled with all the decent paranormal and superhero fiction available nowadays, but we sort of expected more from a tale about a young girl with telekinesis.
December 8, 2015
An amazing classic, sci-fi read. I should have read this a long time ago and if you haven't read this yet, I really think you should amend that.
May 30, 2023
2023
2020
2019
Katie is almost 10 years old. She likes to read books, she doesn't need a babysitter and she doesn't like pineapple on pizza. Oh, and she can move things with her mind. She knows people find her unsettling, both grownups and children alike, but she really does try to not upset them (like by moving things telepathically around them - unless it benefits her).
I really like Katie. And, even though her mom isn't the most nurturing lady, I like the dynamic between the two of them. Katie's mom, Monica, really does try. She may not feel the most comfortable around her own daughter, but she's willing to give it a shot. And Katie instantly connects to Mrs. M (who is awesome, btw). I love watching Katie's character grow. Although it's said that in the past, she's had trouble connecting with other people, it was nice watching Katie connect with others, like Mrs. M. And Jackson Jones. Even Miss K likes her.
And I love the way it ended. Not just because Katie is finally starting to feel accepted into her own home, but because she learns that she's not alone. I love watching her ace detective skills. And seeing her connect with people that are much like herself.
2015
I read this book so many times when I was a kid. I think that it sparked my love for paranormal fiction. I loved the whole concept of a strange girl with telekinetic powers who didn't quite fit in anywhere. Then she finds out that there is a small group of kids that are just like her. She starts to seek them out, but then she realizes that someone is trying to track her down. It's a well-written novel with memorable characters and I would absolutely recommend it to younger readers.
2020
2019
Katie is almost 10 years old. She likes to read books, she doesn't need a babysitter and she doesn't like pineapple on pizza. Oh, and she can move things with her mind. She knows people find her unsettling, both grownups and children alike, but she really does try to not upset them (like by moving things telepathically around them - unless it benefits her).
I really like Katie. And, even though her mom isn't the most nurturing lady, I like the dynamic between the two of them. Katie's mom, Monica, really does try. She may not feel the most comfortable around her own daughter, but she's willing to give it a shot. And Katie instantly connects to Mrs. M (who is awesome, btw). I love watching Katie's character grow. Although it's said that in the past, she's had trouble connecting with other people, it was nice watching Katie connect with others, like Mrs. M. And Jackson Jones. Even Miss K likes her.
And I love the way it ended. Not just because Katie is finally starting to feel accepted into her own home, but because she learns that she's not alone. I love watching her ace detective skills. And seeing her connect with people that are much like herself.
2015
I read this book so many times when I was a kid. I think that it sparked my love for paranormal fiction. I loved the whole concept of a strange girl with telekinetic powers who didn't quite fit in anywhere. Then she finds out that there is a small group of kids that are just like her. She starts to seek them out, but then she realizes that someone is trying to track her down. It's a well-written novel with memorable characters and I would absolutely recommend it to younger readers.
October 12, 2020
I loved this book when I was a kid, so I was happy to find it stood up to adult reading. It's refreshing to find a tale of psychic children who use their powers not to save the world but to make their beds, harass their babysitters, and generally act like kids. The conflict arises from misunderstandings between kids and adults, not some evil opposing force.
In short, there's no "with great power comes great responsibility" here, just good old-fashioned fun. And it is old-fashioned in a certain sense--the book is very definitively set in the late 1970s, with fashion and child-rearing attitudes reflecting the time period. But I think it would still be enjoyable for a modern elementary or middle school student.
My memory had the book running much longer, so I was surprised to see it ended where it did. Pity the author never wrote a sequel.
In short, there's no "with great power comes great responsibility" here, just good old-fashioned fun. And it is old-fashioned in a certain sense--the book is very definitively set in the late 1970s, with fashion and child-rearing attitudes reflecting the time period. But I think it would still be enjoyable for a modern elementary or middle school student.
My memory had the book running much longer, so I was surprised to see it ended where it did. Pity the author never wrote a sequel.
May 28, 2008
Book worm nerds with telekinesis!
Read
April 6, 2009First of all: holy crap. Dave sent this to me out of the blue, and when I pulled it out of the bubble envelope, I almost jumped. A real icy blast from the past.
But by way of direct review: loved it when I was a kid, loved it again. Had to stay up and read it even though I didn't collect it from the mail until last thing at night. I definitely read it with more of a sinister bent than a kids' book warrants, but I like it better that way.
A girl with silver eyes and mysterious powers (telekinesis and a little telepathy) discovers there may be other children just like her. Since she has always had trouble fitting in, she seeks them out--but discovers there are people seeking her out as well.
I remember thinking when I was a kid that it shouldn't have ended so neatly; maybe if I have time, I'll write the final chapter that should have been. I'm pretty sure Willo Roberts had other ideas about how it should have gone--something a little more Robert Cormier, perhaps?
But by way of direct review: loved it when I was a kid, loved it again. Had to stay up and read it even though I didn't collect it from the mail until last thing at night. I definitely read it with more of a sinister bent than a kids' book warrants, but I like it better that way.
A girl with silver eyes and mysterious powers (telekinesis and a little telepathy) discovers there may be other children just like her. Since she has always had trouble fitting in, she seeks them out--but discovers there are people seeking her out as well.
I remember thinking when I was a kid that it shouldn't have ended so neatly; maybe if I have time, I'll write the final chapter that should have been. I'm pretty sure Willo Roberts had other ideas about how it should have gone--something a little more Robert Cormier, perhaps?
March 12, 2019
real rating: 4.5
This book was amazing! I really thought it was cool and interesting.
This book was amazing! I really thought it was cool and interesting.
November 21, 2023
Pseudoscience vs neurodivergence
There is a thing about Willo Davis Roberts' The Girl with the Silver Eyes that I liked a lot. There is another thing about it that I disliked a lot.
Putting the positive first: Katie Welker, our point-of-view character, is wonderful. At ten years old she's intelligent, has great taste in books, and is a clear and independent thinker. What's more, she's neurodivergent. That word was not in use in 1980, but neurodivergent readers will recognize and like Katie.
The thing I disliked about The Girl with the Silver Eyes is that it promotes pseudoscience. Specifically it presents the view that paranormal abilities are a real thing. At one point Katie thinks, "Lots of people had ESP; she knew that, she’d read about it often." That "Lots of people have ESP" is dangerous nonsense. There is no credible evidence for ESP. It is true that you will read this in many places, and that many people believe it. That is why it's dangerous.
Fantasy is not a problem -- stories of vampires and fairies are fine, because almost everyone realizes that those things are made up. Many, many people believe that astrology, mind-reading, precognition, etc, are real, and The Girl with the Silver Eyes supports such nonsense.
Despite its excellent sympathetic portrait of neurodivergence, I cannot recommend The Girl with the Silver Eyes. We can do better.
Blog review.
There is a thing about Willo Davis Roberts' The Girl with the Silver Eyes that I liked a lot. There is another thing about it that I disliked a lot.
Putting the positive first: Katie Welker, our point-of-view character, is wonderful. At ten years old she's intelligent, has great taste in books, and is a clear and independent thinker. What's more, she's neurodivergent. That word was not in use in 1980, but neurodivergent readers will recognize and like Katie.
The thing I disliked about The Girl with the Silver Eyes is that it promotes pseudoscience. Specifically it presents the view that paranormal abilities are a real thing. At one point Katie thinks, "Lots of people had ESP; she knew that, she’d read about it often." That "Lots of people have ESP" is dangerous nonsense. There is no credible evidence for ESP. It is true that you will read this in many places, and that many people believe it. That is why it's dangerous.
Fantasy is not a problem -- stories of vampires and fairies are fine, because almost everyone realizes that those things are made up. Many, many people believe that astrology, mind-reading, precognition, etc, are real, and The Girl with the Silver Eyes supports such nonsense.
Despite its excellent sympathetic portrait of neurodivergence, I cannot recommend The Girl with the Silver Eyes. We can do better.
Blog review.
January 7, 2021
4.5 stars
Yes, I know, I'm 51 reading a kid's book. Thing is, a good book is a good book regardless of the age it's aimed at and this is a good book, hands down. For years, I kind of hoped Ms. Roberts would revisit Katie and her friends to see how things had turned out for them, but I guess she'd said what she wanted to say and there was no more to say.
Katie is an odd kid, it's true. She has unusual colored eyes and has the gift? curse? of telekinesis or the ability to move objects with only her mind. She's also a fairly serious person and prefers to read to being rowdy, for all that she really wants friends. As a kid myself, I didn't see some of her behavior in the book as problematical, but as an adult, she does come across as a bit of a brat, but given that some of the adults around her are less than friendly, and see her as a troublemaker even when she's not, I cannot say that I blame her either.
As an adult, listening to the audio version of this book, I found I could analyze what about this book drew me in as a kid and there was a lot. A sense of not belonging, being different, and an outsider are the main topics of this story, but also finding people who look beyond the surface and see someone they like and can get along with and are accepting. Katie found those things in the end, though I wish the book were a bit longer so we could spend time with the other kids and get to know them too. The ending, I have to say, is just a little too pat.
As a so called adult, I can put the ideas and thoughts of this book into a context that make sense to me now: I too was different; being asexual and aromantic does put one outside of the so called "normal" teenage experience of finding a boy/girlfriend, etc. I was and still am socially awkward, shy, and a big time introvert too. Sadly, I never did develop into a Tomorrow Person. I found my people after I got out of high school and joined a couple of SF clubs - most of them are still friends.
[ETA] This is a very Gen-X book complete with divorced or working parents, latchkey kids, and a lot of alone time.
Thanks for letting me wander down memory lane Ms. Roberts. I hope you have found your peace too.
Yes, I know, I'm 51 reading a kid's book. Thing is, a good book is a good book regardless of the age it's aimed at and this is a good book, hands down. For years, I kind of hoped Ms. Roberts would revisit Katie and her friends to see how things had turned out for them, but I guess she'd said what she wanted to say and there was no more to say.
Katie is an odd kid, it's true. She has unusual colored eyes and has the gift? curse? of telekinesis or the ability to move objects with only her mind. She's also a fairly serious person and prefers to read to being rowdy, for all that she really wants friends. As a kid myself, I didn't see some of her behavior in the book as problematical, but as an adult, she does come across as a bit of a brat, but given that some of the adults around her are less than friendly, and see her as a troublemaker even when she's not, I cannot say that I blame her either.
As an adult, listening to the audio version of this book, I found I could analyze what about this book drew me in as a kid and there was a lot. A sense of not belonging, being different, and an outsider are the main topics of this story, but also finding people who look beyond the surface and see someone they like and can get along with and are accepting. Katie found those things in the end, though I wish the book were a bit longer so we could spend time with the other kids and get to know them too. The ending, I have to say, is just a little too pat.
As a so called adult, I can put the ideas and thoughts of this book into a context that make sense to me now: I too was different; being asexual and aromantic does put one outside of the so called "normal" teenage experience of finding a boy/girlfriend, etc. I was and still am socially awkward, shy, and a big time introvert too. Sadly, I never did develop into a Tomorrow Person. I found my people after I got out of high school and joined a couple of SF clubs - most of them are still friends.
[ETA] This is a very Gen-X book complete with divorced or working parents, latchkey kids, and a lot of alone time.
Thanks for letting me wander down memory lane Ms. Roberts. I hope you have found your peace too.
April 18, 2017
This is one of those books that I was told to read back in school by other kids who knew I loved to read. I'd always intended to pick this book up, and even now when I mentioned on Facebook that I was reading it, I had a handful of comments about how this was someone's favorite book growing up.
Here too, is a book that needs to be examined in context of the time.
Back when this was written in 1980 there wasn't much that would be considered paranormal for kids to read. So the idea of a girl with the powers of telekinesis is pretty cool overall, and her situation is exciting.
So from that point of view, had I read this book back when I was ten, I would probably have been floored and thought this the most awesome book ever.
What bothered me is something I see when I compare it to work of today, where paranormal takes such outlandish forms, and telekinesis seems a little bit...tame. To be fair the story is still exciting, at least for a little while. But the ending comes so quickly and just kind of...drops...with the feeling that the REAL story is yet to come...left me disappointed. Mostly because there IS NO SEQUEL to let us know what happens from here, when the story was just starting to get so interesting.
For a book that I wanted to love very much, I came away a bit saddened that I hadn't read this at the age of ten so I can have that cherished memory as well. As it is, I'm glad I'm read it finally. But now I'm left wanting the rest of the story....
Here too, is a book that needs to be examined in context of the time.
Back when this was written in 1980 there wasn't much that would be considered paranormal for kids to read. So the idea of a girl with the powers of telekinesis is pretty cool overall, and her situation is exciting.
So from that point of view, had I read this book back when I was ten, I would probably have been floored and thought this the most awesome book ever.
What bothered me is something I see when I compare it to work of today, where paranormal takes such outlandish forms, and telekinesis seems a little bit...tame. To be fair the story is still exciting, at least for a little while. But the ending comes so quickly and just kind of...drops...with the feeling that the REAL story is yet to come...left me disappointed. Mostly because there IS NO SEQUEL to let us know what happens from here, when the story was just starting to get so interesting.
For a book that I wanted to love very much, I came away a bit saddened that I hadn't read this at the age of ten so I can have that cherished memory as well. As it is, I'm glad I'm read it finally. But now I'm left wanting the rest of the story....
February 23, 2012
My sister had a copy of this book when we were kids and she read it over and over again. I don't know why I never read it. I typically read anything and everything that was lying around the house. Maybe Sis never let go of it long enough for me to read it.
I knew that the book involved a little girl who could move things with her mind. Sometimes I tried to do that too. I never had any success, but I halfway believed I couldn't do it because I didn't believe I could do it.
When I decided to read nothing but children's and YA fiction in January, I knew I had to read this one.
Now I understand why my sis read it over and over again. This book is good stuff! It has everything a girl in elementary school could want--spunky, smart, clever, brave ten-year-old girl protagonist; danger; excitement, intrigue; under-involved parents; maginc/supernormal powers.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm sorry that I waited so long to do so.
Update: I'm adding this book to my "found" shelf because I helped someone on the What's the Name of This Book??? group find it. Here's the link to the thread
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...
I knew that the book involved a little girl who could move things with her mind. Sometimes I tried to do that too. I never had any success, but I halfway believed I couldn't do it because I didn't believe I could do it.
When I decided to read nothing but children's and YA fiction in January, I knew I had to read this one.
Now I understand why my sis read it over and over again. This book is good stuff! It has everything a girl in elementary school could want--spunky, smart, clever, brave ten-year-old girl protagonist; danger; excitement, intrigue; under-involved parents; maginc/supernormal powers.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'm sorry that I waited so long to do so.
Update: I'm adding this book to my "found" shelf because I helped someone on the What's the Name of This Book??? group find it. Here's the link to the thread
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...
December 23, 2008
This book made a huge impression on me when I was a kid, and I've since learned that many other people remember it fondly. I was pleased to find that it holds up pretty well on re-reading, although it's shorter and less in-depth than I remembered -- I apparently inadvertantly mixed in some plot elements from Stephen King's Firestarter in my recollection.
Anyway, like I said, it holds up well. Katie, who has psychokinetic powers, remains a wonderfully precocious and slightly off-putting protagonist; even as the reader sympathizes and identifies with her, there is still a touch of the alien, which is fantastic. I think this might be one of Roberts' best, in terms of characters, but I haven't read all that much Willo Davis Roberts, so I could be wrong. The book appears to be out of print, which is unfortunate; it didn't strike me as particularly dated, and I think that it could easily sit comfortably on the shelf next to some of the other popular science fiction middle readers at my library.
Anyway, like I said, it holds up well. Katie, who has psychokinetic powers, remains a wonderfully precocious and slightly off-putting protagonist; even as the reader sympathizes and identifies with her, there is still a touch of the alien, which is fantastic. I think this might be one of Roberts' best, in terms of characters, but I haven't read all that much Willo Davis Roberts, so I could be wrong. The book appears to be out of print, which is unfortunate; it didn't strike me as particularly dated, and I think that it could easily sit comfortably on the shelf next to some of the other popular science fiction middle readers at my library.
November 26, 2020
This was a childhood favorite. The main character has my name, but I'm pretty sure I pulled it off the shelf way back because of the title.
Anyway, it holds up pretty well. Kids with super powers! (I wonder if this is the first of that genre I read?) I liked the power to see in the dark the best because it meant you could READ IN THE DARK. And now with fancy Kindles, I CAN read in the dark. Also I suppose my parents aren't going to drive across town in the middle of the night and yell at me for reading with a flashlight under the covers.
Anyway, it holds up pretty well. Kids with super powers! (I wonder if this is the first of that genre I read?) I liked the power to see in the dark the best because it meant you could READ IN THE DARK. And now with fancy Kindles, I CAN read in the dark. Also I suppose my parents aren't going to drive across town in the middle of the night and yell at me for reading with a flashlight under the covers.
February 10, 2018
weird gender stuff (and a race-as-allegory moment), use of the r-slur, 'intelligence' is special and makes you better than other people, uninspired plot. at least it was an easy read that i didn't waste much time on. i'd have enjoyed it as a child, but i enjoyed reading basically anything (my mom had to ban me from reading cereal boxes at the breakfast table) (a lot of cereal boxes would have entertained and challenged me more than this book did).
September 20, 2009
I'm starting to notice a pattern here; a lot of the books I really liked as a kid had to do with extra smart kids who wore glasses and were bookish and somewhat socially awkward. Huh. I liked that this book in particular draws a very specific parallel between disability and people's fear of difference. Again, no wonder I liked it.
January 4, 2012
Pretty good story. Solidly written. Built a decent amount of suspense. Need to find if there's a sequel. A decent kid version of the X-men (with magic powers not quite as exciting).
Loneliness, being different, adults not respecting kids
Loneliness, being different, adults not respecting kids
July 17, 2007
I had forgotten about this book! It was a marvelous book for a kid who was used to being seen by her peers as "too smart."
December 31, 2015
Another one that I wish I would have read when I was young but I still enjoyed it. Glad that these four children who are not like everyone else found each other.
November 21, 2022
I picked this because of a challenge and I am pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
How smart our main character is. How she takes what people say and lets it go. But the fact that she befriends the right people at the right time. It's interesting and to find out she isn’t the only one with her gifts well that’s kinda cool.
At first I thought her mom was a little shady but then I thought about it from her side, her child can do things that shouldn’t be done.
I would totally check out more books by this author because she sucked me right in.
How smart our main character is. How she takes what people say and lets it go. But the fact that she befriends the right people at the right time. It's interesting and to find out she isn’t the only one with her gifts well that’s kinda cool.
At first I thought her mom was a little shady but then I thought about it from her side, her child can do things that shouldn’t be done.
I would totally check out more books by this author because she sucked me right in.
August 5, 2020
This was a fun, quick read! This books reads as if Matilda had been recruited to be in the X-Men. There’s some dated language and attitudes but on the whole, a fun kid’s sci-fi/supernatural book.
March 11, 2017
I really wish I had read this book in elementary school. I would have been obsessed! Reading it as an adult was fun, but I just keep imagining 10 year old me pretending to have telekinetic powers.
4 stars for adult me but 5 for the 10 year old who still lives inside me. :)
4 stars for adult me but 5 for the 10 year old who still lives inside me. :)
August 30, 2015
Originally posted at Log Cabin Library
When Katie Welker was four, her parents got divorced and she began living with her grandmother. But, now that her grandmother is gone, she has moved to the city to live with her mother. Katie has always made people feel nervous, even her family. Maybe it was her silver eyes, or the way that she never expressed any emotion on her face. Or maybe it was because they suspected that she was peculiar and strange things always happened when she was around. Objects would move, breezes seemed to appear out of nowhere, doors slammed and papers scattered unexpectedly. But, people didn't know that Katie had always been able to move these things with her mind. She'd tried to blend in, seem normal, but it can be exhausting pretending to be normal all of the time. Now that Katie is in the city, she's faced with her mother trying to get her a sitter and a strange man who is asking a lot of questions about her. Katie also uncovers that there were three other children born during the same time as her who might be just as peculiar as she is, and she plans to find them.
I enjoyed reading The Girl with the Silver Eyes, I can't say that I've read many books where the main character has telekinetic powers and telepathy. Well, Carrie does come to mind, but this is no way near that book. The writing style defiantly had a classic feel to it for me. A sort of gentler time, where your next door neighbor (Mrs. M) is looking in on you. I'm not convinced that this book would work as well now as it might have back then. There isn't nearly enough action and I so wish there had been more about Katie's powers. There are a few humorous moments where she pulls pranks on her disgruntled neighbor Mr. H. Like when he doesn't pay the newspaper boy and I did really like Katie's ability to tell what Lobo (Mrs. M's cat) was thinking. There were also lots of questions that I was able to ponder with my child as I was reading. For example, Katie questions whether having telekinesis makes her life easier. Sure it would be cool to swirl leaves around you as you walked, but does putting sugar in your tea with your mind make things easier? When would these powers be most useful? Also, would it be better to know an animals or peoples thoughts? Katie ponders each of these as she is learning more about whether her peculiarities are due to something that happened to her, versus due to a freak of nature. What got me the most is how alone Katie feels, not accepted by her family and having no friends. And what it means to want to be accepted for who you are. Although, I was happy for Katie when she finally connected with the other children, I couldn't help feeling like the ending wasn't completely resolved for me.
When Katie Welker was four, her parents got divorced and she began living with her grandmother. But, now that her grandmother is gone, she has moved to the city to live with her mother. Katie has always made people feel nervous, even her family. Maybe it was her silver eyes, or the way that she never expressed any emotion on her face. Or maybe it was because they suspected that she was peculiar and strange things always happened when she was around. Objects would move, breezes seemed to appear out of nowhere, doors slammed and papers scattered unexpectedly. But, people didn't know that Katie had always been able to move these things with her mind. She'd tried to blend in, seem normal, but it can be exhausting pretending to be normal all of the time. Now that Katie is in the city, she's faced with her mother trying to get her a sitter and a strange man who is asking a lot of questions about her. Katie also uncovers that there were three other children born during the same time as her who might be just as peculiar as she is, and she plans to find them.
I enjoyed reading The Girl with the Silver Eyes, I can't say that I've read many books where the main character has telekinetic powers and telepathy. Well, Carrie does come to mind, but this is no way near that book. The writing style defiantly had a classic feel to it for me. A sort of gentler time, where your next door neighbor (Mrs. M) is looking in on you. I'm not convinced that this book would work as well now as it might have back then. There isn't nearly enough action and I so wish there had been more about Katie's powers. There are a few humorous moments where she pulls pranks on her disgruntled neighbor Mr. H. Like when he doesn't pay the newspaper boy and I did really like Katie's ability to tell what Lobo (Mrs. M's cat) was thinking. There were also lots of questions that I was able to ponder with my child as I was reading. For example, Katie questions whether having telekinesis makes her life easier. Sure it would be cool to swirl leaves around you as you walked, but does putting sugar in your tea with your mind make things easier? When would these powers be most useful? Also, would it be better to know an animals or peoples thoughts? Katie ponders each of these as she is learning more about whether her peculiarities are due to something that happened to her, versus due to a freak of nature. What got me the most is how alone Katie feels, not accepted by her family and having no friends. And what it means to want to be accepted for who you are. Although, I was happy for Katie when she finally connected with the other children, I couldn't help feeling like the ending wasn't completely resolved for me.
August 27, 2015
This month I read the #tmgreadalong book on time and I really enjoyed it!
I keep on thinking how much I would have liked to have read this one as a young girl and how I would have dreamed that I could also move things with my mind, like Katie does.
Katie has just moved into a new place with her mum and she's having to adapt to the new place and living with her mother and a new place and new people. Something that might be hard for any kid, but Katie has never been a normal kid, and adults tend to be wary of her.
She finds herself dealing with unwanted babysitters, nice neighbours and others that are certified jerks and she makes some friends, and finds some acceptance to her oddity but still finds herself very much alone.
It was hard for me to read about how alone Katie really was, not able to confide in her mother or having her support, but instead feel like she was judged weird and held at arms lenght. She entertained herself and even if she tried to hide how she was "peculiar", she still felt like she shouldn't have to be ashamed of it.
I loved to see how resourceful she was once she found a hint of answers for her being different and how determined she was to finding someone else that would maybe be like her and would understand how she felt.
Seeing Katie use her powers for both good and mischief was a lot of fun, and I kept rooting for her to get rid of the babysitters and instead hang out with her neighbour, who would lend her books and was kind and understanding for a change. And once more silver eyes enter the fray, it was a lot of fun to see them understanding each other and working together.
It was quiter heartwarming seeing Katie's mum proving herself reliable and a better mother figure than appearances led us to believe at first, even if something dramatic had to happen to shake her into it.
All in all, a great read, both fun and with enough depth to hold its own well with younger and older readers alike! Well deserved 4 stars!
I keep on thinking how much I would have liked to have read this one as a young girl and how I would have dreamed that I could also move things with my mind, like Katie does.
Katie has just moved into a new place with her mum and she's having to adapt to the new place and living with her mother and a new place and new people. Something that might be hard for any kid, but Katie has never been a normal kid, and adults tend to be wary of her.
She finds herself dealing with unwanted babysitters, nice neighbours and others that are certified jerks and she makes some friends, and finds some acceptance to her oddity but still finds herself very much alone.
It was hard for me to read about how alone Katie really was, not able to confide in her mother or having her support, but instead feel like she was judged weird and held at arms lenght. She entertained herself and even if she tried to hide how she was "peculiar", she still felt like she shouldn't have to be ashamed of it.
I loved to see how resourceful she was once she found a hint of answers for her being different and how determined she was to finding someone else that would maybe be like her and would understand how she felt.
Seeing Katie use her powers for both good and mischief was a lot of fun, and I kept rooting for her to get rid of the babysitters and instead hang out with her neighbour, who would lend her books and was kind and understanding for a change. And once more silver eyes enter the fray, it was a lot of fun to see them understanding each other and working together.
It was quiter heartwarming seeing Katie's mum proving herself reliable and a better mother figure than appearances led us to believe at first, even if something dramatic had to happen to shake her into it.
All in all, a great read, both fun and with enough depth to hold its own well with younger and older readers alike! Well deserved 4 stars!
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