All the Answers

by Kate Messner

Hardcover, 2015

Status

Available

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Bloomsbury USA Childrens (2015), 256 pages

Description

Twelve-year-old Ava finds an old pencil in her family's junk drawer and discovers, during a math test, that it will answer factual questions, so she and her best friend Sophie have a great time--and Ava grows in self-confidence--until the pencil reveals a truth about her family that Ava would rather not know.

User reviews

LibraryThing member detailmuse

{The school librarian thought} “What if” was the greatest phrase in the English language. Ava couldn’t have disagreed more. In fact, those were just about the worst two words in the universe. They led the charge for every one of Ava’s worries.

Twelve-year-old Ava Anderson is anxious: about

how well she’ll do on tests and new activities, about her family’s health, about her mom’s and grandfather’s strained relationship. When she pulls an old pencil from the family stash and discovers it’ll answer whatever question she writes, she thinks that knowing everything -- having no uncertainty -- will solve her worries. But will it?

A ship in a harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.

This is a sweet novel for older-elementary and younger-middle grade readers, with no “preachy” tone (despite addressing some moral quandaries) and almost no “teachy” aspect (I readily forgive the passages that steer readers toward poetry and more books). It also had a twist I didn’t see coming -- see? there’s fun to be had in uncertainty!

Show Less

3 more

LibraryThing member bnbookgirl

Really enjoyed this story. A magic pencil gives give two middle school all the answers they are seeking. Some things are better off not knowing. The girls use the pencil to tell fortunes, find out about boys, help family members, and help some residents in an old folks home. The part about the old

folks home really made my heart smile. This would be a good book for a discussions on watching what you wish for.

Show Less

LibraryThing member ewyatt

Cute story about an anxious girl, Ava, who finds a pencil which when asked a fact-based question, gives an answer. The pencil reveals family secrets, crushes, math formulas. But Ava feels like she gets a little obsessed. Over the course of the story, Ava finds some bravery and gives her family some

insights.

Show Less

LibraryThing member amandabock

This was an enjoyable, although flawed, quick read. The main character is engaging and anyone who knows anxiety will relate to her. I didn't like the explanation of the magic pencil- I would have preferred it to simply be magical without an explanation. The story is a bit too message-driven, and

the metaphor of letting go is too literal. Nonetheless, I can definitely think of readers who will enjoy (and even love) it. The lack of complexity makes me think it's for younger readers (old 3rd to young 5th grades) than the ages of the characters (7th grade) would indicate.

Show Less

Fewer