Customer Reviews

Girl with the Silver Eyes (Apple Paperbacks)

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Katie is different from her peers; she has silver eyes, can move things with her mind, and can even read the minds of animals. But she's also a 10 year old girl, and she is beset by the usual problems of fitting in with the other kids, and relating to her mother. But her life takes a turn for the worse when a mysterious man starts asking questions about her. She is eventually forced to strike out into the world in an attempt to learn more about herself, and to help herself deal with the special pressures she must face.
The Good and the Bad:
This is a great book, not least of all because the premise is incredible. Every ten year old dreams of having superpowers, and this book inserts that exciting proposition into a realistic background that is more typical of young adult reading. As a child, I read this book again and again, and even remember having dreams in my adult life that are related to the imagery in the book. The writing is clean and engaging, and allows us to fully enjoy the fascinating story as it unfolds.

This book was written in 1980, but I read it for the first time eleven years later. Honestly, I picked it up because of the cover. *g* I was on a paranormal kick after having read Anne McCaffery's To Ride a Pegasus and Pegasus in Flight (both good books, but the second is great) and though it looked like typcial Apple Paperback fare, I figured it was worth giving a shot.

First, what the book isn't. It isn't brilliantly written. It isn't fabulously plotted. It relies on coincidences that definitely stretch credulity. The end was contrived.

But what it is is wonderful in its own way. It's the story of a 9-year-old girl who is diffeferent in two ways: first, she is incredibly intelligent, and second, she has silver eyes and paranormal powers. The story centers on her paranormal powers, but in many ways, it's as much about the way her intelligence makes people see her as about anything else. By using the paranormal powers as a framework, the author can speak quite bluntly about extreme giftedness in children in a way that connects viscerally with them. This is hardly an accident, as Katie's intelligence is mentioned in conjunction with her other "strangeness" almost every time.

The author frankly states that many people hate people who might seem "better" than them simply for existing and that they scare people. She portrays Katie's differentness not as something that is wrong with her-however others might treat her-but as something of value. She confirms the experience of many very gifted children by creating a parallel in Katie's life, and she also gives those children the holy grail of having others like them through Katie's successful quest to find three others who are the same as she is-she offers up the hope of a group identity to individuals who might never have experienced any sort fo group. She also gives Katie the gift of an adult around whom she can be herself without fearing judgement, dislike, fear, or censure. And the end offers the most wonderful vision of all while still admitting the limitations of existence in such a statictically unlikely minority. The new group of children learn that there's an entire school for kids like them, but the downside is that it's far away and, to some extent, the people who run it share some degree of clinical interest (versus PERSONAL interest) in the children. But on the other hand, their differences are no long muttered about and whispered about by their parents-they're openly acknowledged, and as they are acknowledged, they are ACCEPTED and no longer treated as a fault. A compromise is struck in which the children can go to school like normal and live with their parents like normal for a while and meet on Saturdays for guided advanced lessons and for practice with their paranormal powers, but there is the possibility-even likelihood-that the children will choose to go to the special school at some point in the future.

This book is a relevation and a validation for the isolated extremely gifted child, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. The paranormal twist might give it a slight Indigo Child odor, but that would be invisible to a kid, and there's plenty to redeem it, anyhow.

I read this book when I was seven. Now I'm 26 and still love it! I became a bookworm after reading books like this one and now I'm a librarian.
I think back on this book fondly from time to time. 'The Girl with the Silver Eyes' has just stayed with me. I started asking about Thalidomide after I read this story.
I treasure so many of the books I read in elementary school, among them: Bridge to Tarabithia and Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson, Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry, Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt,

Why are there so many wonderful children books while adult books are dominated by mystery and romance schlock? <<Sigh>>

Katie is a little girl who is a bit unusual to say the least. Born with silver eyes and an uncanny ability to make strange things happen, Katie has been a loner for most of her short life. After the death of her grandmother whom she has lived with for several years she goes to live with her divorced mother and this is when her problems really start. Digging into the past Katie finds out that she isn't the only child who is, well a bit strange. Friends of her mother who all at one time worked for the same medical company also have strange children. Children with silver eyes and strange powers like telekinesis and mind reading. As Katie tries to find her fellow "silver eyes" she is watched from afar by a man who could be a friend or a foe. This is a well-written children's science/mystery fiction book for the younger reader but it can also be enjoyed by older kids and adults alike. A quality book that makes reading fun and exciting.

I got this book for a birthday present and I thought it would just be like any other ordinary book. It wasn't an ordinary book! It was an Extrordinary book. The main character is a 10 year old named Katie who has silver eyes. Everybody thinks she's fairly odd by the way she looks and people are mean to her. She can move things, just by thinking about them and she can talk to animals. (In my opinion, I would be a good friend of hers, because she is just like any other person, but just has AWESOME powers!) In the middle of the book, she tries to find kids like her, she calls people in the phone book that her mom knew of in her past years at the drug store.......(Her mom drank some kind of STRONG liquid when she was pregnamt that made Katie get silver eyes)(Some ladies that Katie's mother knew of, were pregnant also and drank that liguid) ............but does Katie actually get to meet those baby's, (Who are kids now), with special powers like her own? **This Book is best for Kids-Adult**

This book was definitely different from other books I have read in a good way. The main character is Katie Welker. She has silver eyes and telekinetic powers. She is used to being alone in an apartment all day long. She would rather be alone than being with other kids her own age. When she tries to make friends they don't accept her. They are too threatened by her appearance and her powers. Even her own family feels threatened by her! Can you imagine what that must feel like? On top of not being able to make friends another horrible thing happens. Katie overhears a neighbor saying that they might have caused her very own grandmother's death. You have to read the book and see of they catch her listening and find out if she can find more people with silver eyes! I feel that this book was well written. If you do not have patience I don't suggest this book for you. You have to wait for all of the action to begin. But it is worth the wait! I would mostly recommend for girls ages 8 to 12. If you would just like a good book to read this is the one for you.

The Girl with the silver eyes is a wonderful novel for girls or boys who are worried about being different. The message of the book rings loud and clear...people are mean to those they don't understand and they are afraid of what they don't understand.

The heroine,Katie, is different. She has silver eyes and special powers. While not frightened by her own "abnormalities", it seems that certain neighbors are very put out with her abilities to "move things". Katie, of course, enjoys her specialness, but wishes for someone to understand her unusual ways. She finds not one, but three other people affected in the same manner but realizes, that the "normal" world can enjoy her talents as soon as they stop being afraid of them, and see them as "gifts".

The reader is reinforced with a concept that "different" is only confusing and scarey when you don't understand the value of it.

The Girl With the Silver Eyes is one of the best books I have ever read. I'v read it so many times that I know it word for word, It is so inspiring, its such a great book that when you read it, it makes you feel even if you don't have powers you are different everybody's different but reading this book makes you feel as if it doesn't matter how different you are your still important it makes you realize that everyone is important in someway or another

I have been trying to track down this book as it was my favourite book as a child. (Im now 29) I must have read it at least 7 times.

I think that a lot of kids feel alone and that they are different to other kids. And they are longing to feel that they are special in some way. Kids can relate to Katie. Who shows strength and despite her differences learns who she is and learns to accept her own uniqueness.

I recommend it to anyone, and will definitely read it again when i can find a copy.

Girl with the silver eyes is, by far, one of the best childrens books I've read. I am a huge bookworm, and for 4 YEARS went to the library weekly, more than that if I could get my parents to drive me... it was a joke I had there that I was there more then they were and that I would LIVE there if I could(and that is true, it still is for a matter of fact!) As boring as this info may seem, I feel it is necary to explain. When I was 7 I discoverd this book. I thought it was the best book in the world and got it out as many times as possible. I still know it by heart, 6 years later. I remember not being able to understand WHY noone else always had this book out, and I remember the astonishment at finding that 9/10 of the names on the checkout card were mine!! I still love this book, and when schol is getting particuarly overwelming I still check this book out.

This book is a must-have for any kid, any age, and I think all you adults out there would like it to. I give this book a well earned 5 stars, though I would like to give it 6!!!