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Write Before Your Eyes

(2008, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Lisa Kline)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 8, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    An unoriginal fantasy plot, but some good discussion points.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Some of what Gracie does with her power is positive (helping the food bank, blood bank, and animal shelter) and some of what she does is negative (like giving her friends acne and bad hair for gossiping about her sister and making a boy she likes more interested in her than before). Parents answer their cell phones and kids play portable video games at the dinner table. Gracie's parents argue because her dad doesn't have a job. When the school drops its dress code, girls take off their shirts and do a victory dance in sports bras.

  • Violence:

    A girl tells Jen to stay away from her boyfriend; they shove each other and then the girl starts hitting and slapping Jen.

  • Sex:

    Dylan suggests sleeping in each other's bedrooms as one of the advantages of being invisible. Dylan asks Gracie to make a girl he likes kiss him. Plus some mild sexual innuendo and references to boys patting butts and brushing breasts.

  • Language:

    "Hell," "sucks for you," "crap" (often), "bite me," "freaking" (as an adjective). A girl calls Jen "a lying skank."

  • Consumerism:

    Several brand references (Nike, Polo, BlackBerry, Game Boy, La-Z-Boy) and to songs by specific artists, such as Incubus.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Write Before Your Eyes

Parents need to know the protagonist in the book seems younger than eighth grade, which make the romantic parts of the book a little jarring. Many "craps," references to boys brushing breasts and patting butts, and a girl fight in the lunchroom mean this a choice for readers older than the publisher's suggested 8 and up. Gracie's power is sometimes used for good and sometimes used to manipulate feelings or punish others.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what they would do with a magical book that turned written statements true. In the book, Gracie's wishes don't always work the way she intended; can family members anticipate any potential problems if their desires came true? Gracie uses some of her wishes to fix problems with her parents' marriage and some to make a boy "more than friends" with her. Do you think someone should have the power to manipulate the feelings of others?
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