 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World
- By E. L. Konigsburg
- Genre: Mystery
Common Sense Media says
Brilliant writing for brilliant kids.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there are mentions of matters sexual and violent, but they're nothing more than glancing references. There is some mild swearing.
What's the story?
Soon after moving to a small town in the Florida panhandle, Amadeo meets some intriguing characters. There's schoolmate William, who "had a self-assurance that inspired awe or fear or both." And there's his neighbor, Mrs. Zender: "Amadeo had never seen anyone dressed like that except when he was in an audience."
Mrs. Zender, about to move into a retirement community, has hired William's mother, an estate liquidator. Amadeo, fascinated by both of them, and hoping one day to make an important discovery, volunteers to help with sorting through the mansion. Meanwhile, his godfather, Peter, a museum curator, is preparing for an exhibition of art considered degenerate by the Nazis. This gives Amadeo the background to recognize a mystery both artistic and historical among the fragments of Mrs. Zender's strange life.
Is it any good?
All the classic E.L. Konigsburg themes are here: precociously gifted children, mystery, art history, a brilliantly flamboyant and cantankerous old woman, and deep friendship. Her story is gorgeous and fascinating, but subtle; she is not one to spell everything out for her readers, preferring instead to leave arch and tantalizing hints so that they can figure things out for themselves.
This is not for everyone, or even for most. Konigsburg expects her experienced readers to be equally clever as her gifted characters, to be comfortable with ambiguity and sophisticated vocabulary (or at least willing to look things up), and to be willing to think. If that describes your child, he or she may love this. If it doesn't, but you wish it did, a better place to start would be the author's more accessible From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the general historical background, and Hitler's specific views of art. Why would controlling art have been so important to a dictator like Hitler? Why would others risk their lives for it? What could make a painting so important? Also, the author is sometimes very subtle, and even gifted readers may need some help sorting out the story.
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AGE
Maybe for an education-seeking, artistic pre-teen
Parents might want their kids to read this book because it is, by most parents' standards, clean. However, I found this book utterly boring. I am a fourteen year old female and I was assigned this book for a class. It took me a bit longer to read this book than it normally takes me to read most books, and I did not find it interesting. It is basically about two boys (preteens? teens?) that help an elderly lady clean out her house. The author makes some brief references to the Holocaust era and frequently talks about opera and art. It contains some swear words and brief talks about homosexuality, which may bother some parents. I consider it a boring book with some slight educational values.
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AGE
Most awesome book for pre-teens
the most awesomest book ever
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| Author: | E. L. Konigsburg |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Mystery |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | September 1, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 244 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 10 - 14 |
| Read aloud: | 10 |
| Read alone: | 11 |
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