Rating: 
Summary: Nice concept, but too short
Review: "Mind's Eye" has a nice concept going, but the book is too short to sufficiently grasp the reader. The small, widely spaced pages are written in a screenplay format, so there are very few words and the main characters' lives are summed up in half of an already short page. Reading the book in forty-five minutes only gave me a small glimpse of what was going on; had the book been longer and not been a screenplay, I might have gotten to know Courtney and Elva better.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for an armchair traveller
Review: Courtney, age 16 and paralyzed from a riding accident, is dragged into a fantasy game by Elva, her nearly blind elderly roommate at a convalescent home. Elva believes that Courtney's life is far from over and encourages her to cultivate her mind, now that her body has failed her. The two embark on an imaginary tour of Italy in the early 1900's with Elva's now deceased husband joining them. The former teacher gladly takes on a role as mentor. Courtney plays along reluctantly at first. Her bitterness leads her to imagine the beauty and symmetry of Italy falling into ruins in various scenarios. Ultimately, she learns a great deal.
As does the reader. Fleischman uses Elva to quote classic poetry, plays and novels. The entire story is told through dialogue. The format is an excellent device for Fleischman's keen ear for speech as well as his exquisite sensory detail for 1910 Italy. The language of the book is lovely, from Elva's rapturous description of the architecture of the Parthenon to Courtney's learned Italian phrases.
The characters felt a bit flat though. Courtney is a typical teen, stereotyped as pretty popular & tv-lovin' with superficial friends and interests. Elva was frustrating with her allusions and desire to better Courtney's mind.
The design aspect of the book is particularly noteworthy. A map of Italy is superimposed on the first page of each new chapter. It enlarges as the play progresses, acting as a metaphor for Courtney's mental growth and increasing focus on Italy. An appendix of quotes (with source notes!) would have made a nice addition.
This will be an excellent book for students studying Italy or the Renaissance, with curriculum connections in a variety of subjects. Perhaps a reading aloud or performance would bring the characters to life.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful detail, frustrating & unsympathetic characters
Review: Courtney, age 16 and paralyzed from a riding accident, isdragged into a fantasy game by Elva, her nearly blind elderly roommateat a convalescent home. Elva believes that Courtney's life is far from over and encourages her to cultivate her mind, now that her body has failed her. The two embark on an imaginary tour of Italy in the early 1900's with Elva's now deceased husband joining them. The former teacher gladly takes on a role as mentor. Courtney plays along reluctantly at first. Her bitterness leads her to imagine the beauty and symmetry of Italy falling into ruins in various scenarios. Ultimately, she learns a great deal. As does the reader. Fleischman uses Elva to quote classic poetry, plays and novels. The entire story is told through dialogue. The format is an excellent device for Fleischman's keen ear for speech as well as his exquisite sensory detail for 1910 Italy. The language of the book is lovely, from Elva's rapturous description of the architecture of the Parthenon to Courtney's learned Italian phrases. The characters felt a bit flat though. Courtney is a typical teen, stereotyped as pretty popular & tv-lovin' with superficial friends and interests. Elva was frustrating with her allusions and desire to better Courtney's mind. The design aspect of the book is particularly noteworthy. A map of Italy is superimposed on the first page of each new chapter. It enlarges as the play progresses, acting as a metaphor for Courtney's mental growth and increasing focus on Italy. An appendix of quotes (with source notes!) would have made a nice addition. This will be an excellent book for students studying Italy or the Renaissance, with curriculum connections in a variety of subjects. Perhaps a reading aloud or performance would bring the characters to life.
Rating: 
Summary: Mind's Eye is a slow read
Review: I am a Fleischman fan, but this book was a very slow read for me. Not only did it leave large gaps of time that were never filled in, but often, it did not make much sense. I found little character development and almost no cues as to the setting of the book (other than the basic nursing home scenario). Had there been a little more background given for the characters involved, it would have been easier to sympathize with them.
Rating:
Summary: Meaningful and memorable
Review: I found reading this play to be a very moving experience. Not surprisingly, Courtney's life is completely altered when she becomes paralyzed. She loses so much, and I think that Fleischman accurately portrays the way a teen would handle these losses. He also shows how a terrible accident can force a person to look deeper within and rely on her inner strength. I felt a sense of hope for Courtney by the end of the play.
Rating: 
Summary: A creative exploration into coping and happiness
Review: I have just finished "Mind's Eye" and am 'casting' the roles for my grade 9 class. I have prereading questions at the ready, and can't wait for my readers to present this fascinating drama to the class. I wish I had a couple of beds for the main characters to read from, but since this book deals with the ultra-power of the imagination, what the heck... Am going to search for a Baedeker 'Italy' (as old as I can find) just for authenticity. Many possibilities for discussion. Am sure the students writing will come easily. Truly thought provoking. Beautiful without being overly sentimental. Elva, I miss you.
Rating:
Summary: Not Fleischman's greatest work
Review: I haven't read all of Paul Fleischman's books, so I can't say exactly where it fits in the ranking of his books, but this was not his best. I can say that with confidence since I read "Whirligig" just about three weeks ago, and it was much better than this one. I was a little confused if Courtney was going crazy or what was going on in that girl's head. Did this boyfriend from Italy really exist? The book is just slow and the most character developkment would be from Courtney being tired and not willing do things to crazy and hallucinating. I would not recommend this book unless you just really love to read. If that is the case, I am sure you will get something out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Mind's Eye lacks depth
Review: I love Paul Fleischman's books usually, but I found this one to be a little strange. The characters lack development and depth. The story is told in script form, like a play, which is something that I found hard to follow. I would have liked to have known a bit more about the characters themselves (background and personalities).Of course, this is not the worst book I've ever read, but because it is lacking in many areas, I can't score it higher than one star.
Rating:
Summary: Paul Fleischman succeeds again
Review: In Paul Fleischman's Mind's Eye, Courtney is a sixteen-year-old girl whose father left her and her mother when she was two. Countney did not get along with her stepfather so when her mother died, it made the situation worse. Courtney had a horse accident which has made her paralyzed. Her stepfather put her in a nursing home. She meets Elva who is eighty-eight years old and almost blind. Courtney and Elva take an imaginary trip to Italy using a 1910 travel guide. Even though the trip is only in the mind's eye, Courtney's need for love makes the journey real. Mind's Eye is a contemporary fiction book written in script.
Rating:
Summary: Voyage of the mind
Review: Paul Fleishman's books are always original. I was intrigued by the play-like dialogue format he used in this one.
Sixteen year old Courtney's spinal chord is severed. As her mother is no longer living, her stepfather places her in a nursing home. It is the middle of winter in North Dakota and the snow is falling outside her window. Courtney is the youngest person in the home and her roommate is 88 year old Elva, a former English teacher. Elva's mind is sharp. She is pleased to have Courtney as a roommate. She exhorts Courtney to expand her mind and convinces her to to read aloud from a 1910 edition of Baedeker's Italy so the two of them can take a virtual trip through time and space and tour Italy. They plan their routes and Courtney describes what they are "seeing." Courtney is understandably depressed and attempts to sabotage their "trip" but soon finds her own refuge in this voyage of the mind.
Fleishman has crafted a poignant and thoughtful story about survival of the spirit.
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