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The Girl with the Silver Eyes
by
Katie, who has supernatural powers, attempts to start a new life in another town with her mother. The attempt succeeds until Mr. Cooper asks Katie too many questions.
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Paperback, 208 pages
Published
January 1st 1991
by Scholastic / Apple Books
(first published July 1st 1980)
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Showing 1-30

Start your review of The Girl with the Silver Eyes

Mar 13, 2008
karen
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mg-rereads-2017,
kiddiwinx
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 ...more
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 ...more

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 s ...more
******
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 s ...more

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."
...more

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.
...more

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. ...more
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. ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

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.
...more

Sort of "Carrie", only more fun than horrifying. A young girl with silver eyes and some mysterious powers decides to use her powers to fight back when her uniqueness becomes a matter of scientific interest. Along the way she discovers that she isn't the only one thus "gifted". . . .
...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

Apr 06, 2009
John
added it
First 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 a ...more
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 a ...more

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 s ...more
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 s ...more

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 th ...more
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 th ...more

Jan 03, 2009
HeavyReader
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kids-chapter-books,
found
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 no ...more
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 no ...more

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 protagonis ...more
Anyway, like I said, it holds up well. Katie, who has psychokinetic powers, remains a wonderfully precocious and slightly off-putting protagonis ...more

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 r ...more
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 r ...more

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.
...more

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 ...more
Loneliness, being different, adults not respecting kids ...more

Jul 16, 2007
rivka
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Kids, especially "gifted" kids
Shelves:
kids
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."
...more

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).
...more

Aug 27, 2015
Brenda
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Brenda by:
The Midnight Garden Classic Read-along
Shelves:
science-fiction
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 ...more
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 ...more

Jul 31, 2009
Lori S.
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2021-return,
audios,
american-authors,
20th-century-lit,
long-time-favorites,
kidsfun,
favorites
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 ...more
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 ...more

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 ...more
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 ...more

I read this book when I was younger, and I remember liking it very much, but I couldn't remember why.
Katie Welker is an unusual girl. She creeps people out, because of her flat expression and silver-colored eyes. That's even before they know that she can move small objects with her mind, call up breezes that can slam doors and scatter papers, and she can communicate with animals. When her grandmother, who's been taking care of her most of her life, passes away unexpectedly, she goes to live with ...more
Katie Welker is an unusual girl. She creeps people out, because of her flat expression and silver-colored eyes. That's even before they know that she can move small objects with her mind, call up breezes that can slam doors and scatter papers, and she can communicate with animals. When her grandmother, who's been taking care of her most of her life, passes away unexpectedly, she goes to live with ...more

The Girl With the Silver Eyes is based on a similar idea as Roald Dahl's Matilda, that is: what would happen if a little girl had a telekinetic ability?
What I liked about The Girl with the Silver Eyes is that it was focused more on normal everyday type circumstances and people finding connection in their differences rather than focusing primarily on the fantastic.
In Matilda, the heroine suffers misunderstanding on all sides, and exacts childish revenge on her tormenters. She is put against a f ...more
What I liked about The Girl with the Silver Eyes is that it was focused more on normal everyday type circumstances and people finding connection in their differences rather than focusing primarily on the fantastic.
In Matilda, the heroine suffers misunderstanding on all sides, and exacts childish revenge on her tormenters. She is put against a f ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Childrens/YA Fantasy. Teenage girl with telekinesis uses her grey/silver eyes to move objects. Read around 2014. [s] | 5 | 23 | Nov 17, 2020 09:27PM | |
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA paranormal book- Teen girl has power (teleport?) - moves into new home [s] | 7 | 314 | May 15, 2014 01:13PM |
Willo 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 B
...more
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“Kerry had “unusual” eyes, and she was “strange,” and her mother didn’t understand her, either.”
—
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“While Grandma Welker didn't come right out and accuse Katie of being a witch, or something worse, it was easy to see that she wasn't comfortable around her.”
—
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