Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
Cassidy Silver is not having a good year. Her engineer father is in the Middle East, her artist mother is too busy to listen to the painful details of her daughter's grade seven life, her genius younger brother is being bullied, and her best friend Chiaki has abandoned her to hang out with the meanest girls in school. Then Cassidy meets Victoria, who is telekinetic—she can move objects with her mind. Cassidy, desperate to not be the only ordinary person in her family, thinks learning telekinesis could be the answer to all her problems. But is Victoria telling the truth? And is telekinesis really the solution?
Editorials
The Vancouver Sun
"Compelling."Resource Links
"This book had me hooked."CM Magazine
"[It] will appeal to adolescent girls, especially for those on the margins and who need more space. Recommended."Children's Literature
AGERANGE: Ages 9 to 13.Cassidy has never been one of the popular girls, but her 7th grade year gets even worse when her one friend dumps her to join the popular crowd. When Victoria shows up at school and seems to be able to make people "do" things through telekinesis, Cassidy is determined to become Victoria's friend. Cassidy is sure that if she can learn from Victoria how to use her mental abilities on others, then she will be able to keep the school bullies away from herself and her brother, Ben. What Cassidy begins to realize instead is she can rely on the powers of friendship and self-esteem to keep bullies at bay, regardless of whether they are family members or schoolmates. Using her friendship with Victoria as a springboard for resisting the mean girls at school, Cassidy begins to draw other students to her who have also previously been on the fringe of acceptance. Through their involvement with each other, these students begin to resist the bullies, and as Cassidy comes to understand what she and her friends have accomplished in their class, she begins to help Ben deal with his own problems at school. This is a good, solid book for middle school students and teachers interested in discussing the menace of bullying at school and how students can respond in a proactive manner. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-7
Cassidy Silver thinks that surviving seventh grade may require special powers. Her best friend has abandoned her for the popular girls, whose mean-spirited teasing is relentless. Her teacher Mr. McMaran is not only boring, but he's also disgruntled. And her little brother, who is also teased at school, needs Cassidy to look out for him. But the 12-year-old doesn't have special powers, and she feels that she can't bother her mom with problems. Her dad is on an extended engineering job in the Middle East, and her mother is keeping so busy volunteering and painting that she doesn't seem to have time for anything else. Then a new girl, Victoria, appears on the scene, and she claims to be telekinetic. Does she really have a special power? Can Cassidy learn telekinesis too? The answers may surprise readers. The compassionate protagonist approaches her troubles with patience and good humor, and she is a good friend to Victoria, who is facing her own family difficulties (including an older half brother who steals). The theme here is how to deal with bullying-by peers, teachers, and family members. Realistic fiction with a twist, Impossible Things should appeal to thoughtful readers, who may gain insight into standing up to their own bullies-no supernatural powers required.-Laurie Slagenwhite, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI