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Parents' Guide to

Remarkable

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Great premise overcomes an excess of clever embellishments.

Book Lizzie K. Foley Mystery 2012
Remarkable Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

AEMom7
AEMom7 Parent
December 1, 2013
age 7+

A Fun Read with Positive Messages

This is fun read for kids while highlighting some important messages such as the value of being true to yourself and what you want to be. My daughter (age 7) has now read it several times and loved the little adventures and characters throughout the story. I agree with the feedback that it can be overly verbose but as far as children's books go, I would definitely recommend this one for kids 7 and up.
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What's the Story?

Plain Jane Doe is just about the only person in the town of Remarkable (her grandfather being the other) who doesn't have a ridiculously ornate name and a spectacular talent to match. She's just an ordinary 10-year-old girl who would like a dog, but her parents are much too busy pursuing their notable achievements to do anything about it -- so day after day, Jane goes to the town's public school, where she's the only student. At least till the Grimlet twins get expelled from the Gifted school, where all the other kids in town go, for their latest misdeed, and things get more interesting ... or at least different.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

REMARKABLE's charms ultimately overcome its weaknesses, chief among which is an overindulgence in verbal cleverness to the point of clutter. Captain Rojo Herring's name isn't the only self-conscious interference with the straightforward unfolding of events, and all this distraction may prove too annoying for some readers. But like Jane and her grandpa, those who persevere will enjoy the rewards.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how frustrating it is when your parents don't listen to you. How do Jane's parents respond when she asks for a dog? Why doesn't that work?

  • Why is Jane's grandfather worried about Lucky and the bell tower?

  • How do the characters learn that just because they're really good at something, that might not be as important as they thought?

Book Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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