Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke
Fantasy, Young-Adult, Fiction, Middle-Grade, Adventure, Magic
From internationally acclaimed storyteller Cornelia Funke, this bestselling, magical epic is now out in paperback! One cruel night, Meggie’s father reads aloud from a book called “Inkheart”, and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. This is Inkheart, a timeless tale about books, about imagination, about life. Dare to read it aloud.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 9+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that, while this is fantasy, the villains are really quite wicked, and Meggie is often in mortal danger. There’s an edge to the villainy here that some kids find enthralling, others disturbing. Book-loving kids and their parents will enjoy the literary references and celebration of books in the lives of the heroes.
Educational Value: 4/5
Each chapter begins with a quote from another children’s book, both foreshadowing the chapter and giving pleasure to bibliophiles. And the whole thing is a paean to books, authors, reading, and especially reading aloud.
Positive Messages: 4/5
Tweens get messages about family loyalty, loving books, and fighting for good.
Positive Role Models: 4/5
Brave bibliophile Meggie is a stalwart heroine.
Violence & Scariness: 3/5
Not much actually described, but much threatened, hinted at, and assumed. Guns and knives are prominent. Several kidnappings.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: n/a
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Language: 2/5
Infrequent use of “damn” and “hell.”
Products & Purchases: n/a
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: n/a
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