An Open Letter
Dear Atheneum*,
The Girl With the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts is out of print. Truth be told, it’s been out of print for years. At this moment in time the sole remaining circulating copy in the NYPL system has six holds on it. There would be far more holds if you reprinted this book. Say, with a cool cover (hopefully not too different from the original that sits on my bookshelf at home, but certainly not like this lame other cover). Heck, make it a tie-in with Savvy. "If you liked Savvy you’ll love The Girl With the Silver Eyes". Catchy, eh? Once that Savvy movie comes out, kids’ll be going gaga for anything associated with it anyway. Heck, you could make a girls-with-superpowers imprint, if you had half a mind to.
In conclusion, this makes sense. Please do this thing. It will make you lots of money. It will make me very happy.
Cheers,
Fuse #8
*I am addressing this letter to Atheneum because my much loved copy of the book was a Scholastic Book Club purchase. It is an Apple Paperback and on the inside of the book, located on the publication page, lies the following note: "This edition is published by Scholastic Inc…. by arrangement with Atheneum Publishers." As such . . .
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About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
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Oh, that was one of my favorites! I loved it so much the heroine of the quite terrible first novel I wrote at age 12 also had silver eyes, heh.
I am glad folks still seek it out. I am grateful I still have my own treasured copy (which is the Apple Paperback version pictured).
Yes! Here’s my school librarian’s P.S.:
We have a set of this book in our school’s book room; it’s one of the 4th graders’ favorite novel units. But they’re old and there’s only so much you can do with paperback bindings. We need more, too, please!
I was curious how I missed this book entirely but looked up the pub date and see I was busy with babies and then went into broad policy work….I have to get my hands on a copy now!
Ahhhh I loved this book when I was a kid! And I agree with you about the cover. You could also recommend it to X-Men fans.
Seconded!
I haven’t thought about The Girl with the Silver Eyes in years – but it was *great.*
How many times did I read this book? So often that I own a copy and defend it from my husband every time he has a book-purging rampage. Also, how much of my young life was spent testing myself for psychic powers?
Please include the Stanley family series by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Headless Cupid, etc.) in the kids-with-superpowers imprint.
Oh yes, that one definitely needs to come back. I loved that book and I think my sister has the copy we had as children.
Oooh, I loved this book!! I used to spend hours staring intently at napkins or envelopes, willing them to move. Yes, bring it back, please!
gosh i had not thought about that books in years. I did not know it was out of print. http://www.faeriality.blogspot.com
Shelli 🙂
Hear, hear. We are fortunate enough to have a 1980 hardback at my library, but I’d love a new edition with a cool new cover!
Total agreement. I’ve been taping our last copies together here for years now. I was probably about 11 or 12 when I first read that book, and it BLEW MY MIND. It seems to still have the same effect on kids.
That book was my obsession! I was addicted to anything about kids/teens with paranormal powers. I must have read it about 20 times, sometimes reading it multiple times in a row. I remember wishing that a sequel had been written, and considered writing my own. I didn’t know what fanfiction was at that point. But I still love the book and have two copies of it in my closet, one with each of the different covers. Unfortunately, I don’t have my original copy, which had the older cover. My current copy with that cover is pretty beat up.
Someone should re-print it!
But everything Willo Davis Roberts wrote was great, I think. Years ago, we served together on several Mystery Writers of America committees to choose the best juvenile mystery to be awarded the Edgar. Willo was wonderful – and she is certainly missed. I always enjoyed our telephone visits. Thanks for making me remember this, Elizabeth.
Gosh. We have it in my library (same copy) but I’ve never read it. *scribbling madly*
Ah, that cover makes me nostalgic for the Ye Olde Days when EVERY book had a realistically painted, stiffly posed kid on it with type at the top. I remember how blown away I was by Virginia Euwer Wolff’s MAKE LEMONADE, one of the first to break so thoroughly with that design template.
This was an absolute all time favorite of my childhood! I’m devastated to learn that it’s no longer in print, but glad to see that others, like me, still remember it!