Parents' Guide to

The White Mountains

By Mark Nichol, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Appealing plot, powerful writing offset slow pace.

Book John Christopher Fantasy 1967
The White Mountains Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 2 parent reviews

dans3
dans3 Parent
February 21, 2016
age 17+

Really bad writing technique

Although the story line is fair, the writing style is sub par. In reading this book with my son for school, I don't even understand many of the sentences. The writing is very poor, as I read with my son, I need to change the words to have the book make sense. And then need to explain each paragraph as it is not understandable.
Nothingofwater
Nothingofwater Parent of 2, 7, 10, 11 and 14-year-old
March 31, 2013
age 12+

Great adventure read!

I loved it as a kid, and I love as a parent. Has a lot of the simplistic feeling as 'The Giver', but without all the weighty moralizing. Straightforward plot, with clear progression toward a goal make this an easy read. The book is some forty years old, so the prose is clean, focusing on the story rather than trying to be 'edgy' or 'gritty' like so much more recent books.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

A century from now, humans--living in ignorance of their free past--are subjects of an unseen master race. But one boy's chance meeting with a wandering free man sets him on an odyssey in search of liberty. The story's pace and gravity date it, but the message of the value of free will and self-determination is timeless.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This book has a fascinating premise, and though its pace is slow -- especially for today's young readers, who are used to roller-coaster movie action -- the rewards are great. This is an adventure for thoughtful young people.

The growing realization of the young hero, Will Parker, that he cannot help but reject his docile society, will resonate with passionate young readers who question their own world and their place in it. And his journey is a rite of passage much like adolescence itself. He becomes much more self-aware, but he has his doubts, and at one point he is prepared to settle for easy luxury among the nobility, even if it means abandoning his friends and his quest.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the world the author has created in this book. How would you feel if someone else could control your mind? What makes Will's quest so challenging?

Book Details

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