The Bronze Pen

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Twelve-year-old Audrey Abbott dreams of becoming a writer, but with her father's failing health and the family's shaky finances, it seems there is no room for what her overworked mother would surely call a childish fantasy. So Audrey keeps her writing a secret. That is, until she meets a mysterious old woman who seems able to read her mind. Audrey is surprised at how readily she reveals her secret to the woman.

One day the old woman gives Audrey a peculiar bronze pen and tells her to "use it wisely and to good purpose." It turns out to be just perfect for writing her stories with. But as Audrey writes, odd things start happening. Did Beowulf, her dog, just speak to her? And what is that bumping under her bed at night? It seems that whatever she writes with the pen comes true. However, things don't always happen in the way that she wants or expects. In fact, it's quite difficult to predict what writing with the pen will do. Could the pen be more of a curse than a gift? Or will Audrey be able to rewrite the future in the way that she wishes---and save her father's life?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Writing, Juvenile, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2008

About the author

Zilpha Keatley Snyder was an American author of books for children and young adults. Three of Snyder's works were named Newbery Honor books: The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. She was most famous for writing adventure stories and fantasies.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when authors write about writers. Stephen King does it so well. This story is about Audrey, an aspiring writer and she has known she wants to write since she was a little kid. She is 14 now. I also am a huge fan of Zilpha. I grew up reading her stuff and it was always some of my favorite stories I read in my early reading days.

Audrey follows a white duck up into a cave where she meets a strange woman who gives her a pen. She doesn't know what to make of it, but she realizes that the Bronze Pen makes weird things happen. There real set-up of the story is that Audrey's dad has heart trouble and very sick and her mom has a horrible work environment. Life is stressful.

She has to figure out this pen. As readers we wonder, did the pen really do much or was it just real life happening. The story works with wish fulfillment. That's a powerful troupe for young readers and older alike.

This was not my favorite Zilpha story, but I had fun reading this one. It entertained me. As someone who has read a lot of stuff out there, it's predictable and that's okay. I think there could have been more magic in the story and more awe, but it works.

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The duck had been real, she was sure of that. There was no way she could have imagined that solid, sturdy whiteness and the confidence of that black-eyed stare. It was possible to imagine that someone could be tempted into danger by the slit yellow eyes of the cat. But to sense such evil purpose in the shiny black eyes of a duck? That seemed, somehow, impossible." (PG. 22)

I was so excited to read this YA book on a magical pen and its possibilities. I have read one other Snyder book that as equally okay and I wanted to keep going especially since it's a 1970s mindset.

While it started off good and it was short to read I didn't click with it. I wanted more magic. Audrey finally realizes the magic of the pen and makes three stories out of it and that's all. It could have been a typical little greedy 12 year-old mentality where she wishes unwisely and things go bad but it was just lukewarm wishing. I kept feeling something was missing.

And finally what became of the old lady in the cave? She just vanishes into thin air after the pen meeting, was she watching Audrey through witchcraft?

Wasn't a bad read but I think more magic was needed....

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This happens to me with almost every book by Snyder: I became increasingly resentful and even angry at the posturing of the story being a magical or fantasy tale, where the author really just wanted to use the magical element to deal with real life crisis such as a sick father (like this one) to write something "wisely and to good purpose." (p. 200 -- the last paragraph of the story.) Grrr... The pacing is sluggish and the glints of magical happenings are so far apart and so few and there is so much repetition of how Audrey feels and what kind of bind she's in (we kind of got it by page 20 -- so get on with the STORY!). And what's up with the old lady in the cave... she just disappeared, huh? No final farewells or parting words? Oh, wait, I guess she must be the author in disguise -- and not all that subtly so. I know I felt like this, kind of cheated and disappointed with Witches of Worms, too.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that has all the right parts but is still missing just that little extra piece. Audrey has always dreamed of being a writer so much that when she finds a mysterious women in a cave she is given a magical bronze pen. The central theme for me is the old women's words to "use the pen wisely and for good purpose." Here is where my extra pieces comes in, there is so much adventure and fantasy or thrill or mystery that Audrey could have written about which would have made the story just that much better. I also felt the old women should have been revisited some how at the end of the story. We are left not knowing who she was and whether Audrey really fulfilled her wishes.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bronze Pen has a solid literary foundation hearkening back to the era in which the story is set, the third quarter of the 1900s. It's good to see Zilpha Keatley Snyder still going strong at this late stage in her career, writing new novels at an age when most authors are at least semiretired. Some interesting thoughts are sprinkled throughout the story, which allows The Bronze Bow to be appreciated by readers of any age. Ultimately, I think I would rate this book one and a half stars.

[Emma H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nostalgic read

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book "The Bronze Pen" is about a girl, Andrey, who gets a bronze pen from a mysterious woman in a cave. The woman told Audrey to use the pen wisely and for good purpose, but Audrey didn't know what that meant. So she started using the bronze pen to write stories and soon enough, some parts of the story came true!

The reason I picked this book up is because the summary was talking about a magical bronze pen. I then thought that this book is something that I would enjoy reading. Also, the cover of this book was intresting, it was a picture of this girl writing on a piece of paper while three characters popped up behind her. The text on the cover said "What if you can change the future?" The first page already got straight to the point, the author was already at the part where Audrey has already visited the cave once. The author didn't fatigue the reader with long, unimportant information.

The reason that I finished this book is because I wanted to know what Audrey was going to do with the bronze pen. I also wanted to know if she found the secret of the bronze pen since it doesn't grant wishes for everybody who writes with it. The story was also intresting and mysterious because at one point, the animals could communicate with each other. I wanted to know if that will change how they act to each other somehow.

I would recommand this book to Emily T. because I think she will love the parts about the animals communicating with each other. This is because Emily is a person who loves animals. I think she will also find some parts about the bronze pen intresting.

[Mamatufy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice story but the author hurried the ending unfortunately. Twelve-year-old Audrey Abbott dreams of becoming a writer, but with her father's failing health and the family's shaky finances, it seems there is no room for what her overworked mother would surely call a childish fantasy. So Audrey keeps her writing a secret. That is, until she meets a mysterious old woman who seems able to read her mind & make her share her innermost private thoughts. Audrey is surprised & vows to be stronger next time. But then, the old woman gives Audrey a peculiar bronze pen and tells her to "use it wisely and to good purpose." It turns out to be just perfect for writing her stories with. But as Audrey writes, odd things start happening. It seems that whatever she writes with the pen comes true. However, things don't always happen in the way that she wants or expects. In fact, it's quite difficult to predict what writing with the pen will do. Could the pen be more of a curse than a gift? Or will Audrey be able to rewrite the future in the way that she wishes---and save her father's life? Great for my littlies.

[Pandora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could be I was just not in the right mood for reading this one. It seemed though the story was a little forced. That the narrator's voice was just a bit too pushy and talking down to the children who would be reading this book. Some though may like the magical elements of the pen. It did seem though it took an awful long time for Audrey to figure out how to best use the pen.

[Joslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book i love the concept of having a magic pen but it doesnt work when you want it it only works when you well kinda need it ? if that makes sense i love the story line the beginging imedietly captured my interest with a strage old lady in a cave and following a white duck its a great book that i re-read all the time

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book, "The Bronze Pen", but all the bad reviews should have given it away. The story dragged out and the main character, Audrey, wrote horribly even though the point of the story was her being a good writer. The beginning was also confusing and didn't mention it very well in the story. "The Egypt Game" another book by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, was better than this one.

[Leyla]

This is one of my favorite books. It is about a girl who loves writing stories. One day she finds a bronze pen. She uses the pen to write a story about a girl who can talk to animals. The next day she can talk to her dog.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoughtful child who enjoys books would like this story. A touch of magic weaves through the tale, centering on the bronze pen. Family. Friendship. Pets.

[Aleeza Batara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that the book will be that interesting, but for me, it wasn't that much interesting... Well, I might find a new good book by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, and not boring ones though.

[Cathlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and creative story, but the ending fell a little flat for me. It was just too much of a happy ending and all a little too convenient.

[Rubie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Snyder definitely wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. It probably seemed worse to me because I read extremely excellent books before, and after this book. Audrey has always dreamed of becoming a writer, although she has kept it a secret. It makes sense to do this with her father’s bad, and increasingly worse health, and her family’s bad financial situation. One day Audrey walks up the hill, and she meets an old woman in the cave, where she was forbidden to go. The old woman gives her a mysterious bronze pen, and says to “‘Use it wisely and to good purpose’” (Snyder 43). This is an important line throughout the book. After this mysterious instance in the cave, strange things start to happen. Her dog starts to speak. She sees a creature under her bed. Whatever she writes seems to happen. It doesn’t always happen exactly the same though. Would these things keep happening? Was this a gift, or was it a curse?

I started this book at the beach last summer. I only got to read about four chapters, and I wasn’t really that interested. I had also read a really good book before that. I stopped reading it for awhile, but I always read books until the end, in case it gets better, and it did. I felt the beginning was really slow. It didn’t pull me in, although it did make me remember the summers when we played on the hill on the side of our house. I started to want to read this book when the magic of the bronze pen started to happen, and the action of the story actually started. When the magic part of the story happened, it felt like I almost wanted to have the pen, and be Audrey, but this reminded me of a theme I hear a lot: Be careful what you wish for.

Although this book didn’t start out that great, it got a little better towards the end, even though it didn’t really get better by that much. I think I compared this book too much to the books I read before and after it. I read a series before this book, and think I expected that to continue, and I was disappointed that that series came to an end. I would still suggest this book to other readers who like fantasy or science fiction books though. If I look at the book overall, I still liked it.

[Charlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Audrey is a quiet, lonely writer. She comes home from school early everyday to take care of her ailing father. To support the family, her mother works in an office where she is often criticized by her manager. One day, Audrey follows a white duck into a cave where she finds what appears to be an old woman. The lady gives her a bronze pen and instructs her to use it wisely. Audrey finds that when she writes stories with her pen, the plot comes true. Now Audrey must learn how to use the pen wisely.

I was somewhat put-off by Audrey's referral to her parents by their names. I also felt that there were some loose ends in the book, i.e. the repeated reference to the white duck and her grandmother's beloved white duck. Was there a tie? Who was the person in the cave? What were voices arguing about when Audrey first approached the cave? Did I just miss things that were there?

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to get into this book because it sounded like an interesting concept: a girl with a magical pen that could write things into reality. For me the book was just missing that special something. The character development was a little lacking so that may have been it. This is of course a short story for young readers but given more details and information about the characters this could have been a better book if is were longer. Also no real conclusion with what happened to the eccentric old lady who gave Audrey this mystical writing implement in the first place. Basically the story needed more "meat."

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This may be my favourite of Snyder's books that I have read thus far. I love the idea of the pen being offered by a creature that may have had ties to her grandmother and that perhaps the mysterious woman that Audrey meets in the cave is indeed some incarnation of that grandmother. I love a happy ending with just that perfect touch of mysterious magic to bring the pass the happiness and this book delivers.(And when a book's front cover has an asterisk followed by the words "Loathed by Lemony Snicket" and the asterisk is attached to the glowing review penned by Mr. Snicket on the back cover, you know you are in for a treat.)

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this book was wonderful and I found myself comparing it at times to Edward Eager Edward Eager or E Nesbit. It is more realistic than either, but it has much in common with the main character's experimentation with a magical object. I was prepared to give it an enthusiastic 5 stars and then it ended so abruptly that I was taken aback. It's as if the author just got tired of writing so she wrapped everything up in a few pages. It's a shame, but the rest of the book is well worth the read.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a very clever premise. An aspiring young (age 12) author is given a pen under mysterious circumstances and that pen has mysterious powers. I liked Audrey and her friend Lizzie. What confused me is why it was necessary to set this book in 1972. I realize it made the plot a little more exciting that her father needed heart bypass surgery in a time before that was done on a regular basis but most readers wouldn't know this fact. It would have been more interesting, in my opinion, had it been set in current day and had to deal with the pull of electronics.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

In my opinion, this was a terrible book. The concept was so appealing and interesting but everything about the execution of that concept failed terribly. The story was slow and lacked the type of depth and development that makes it "believable" and engages the reader with the characters and story. The characters were very flat and stereotypical. The plot just never moves and then on the last page, what little "tension" there was in the story all comes to a very abrupt end. What a waste of a genius idea!

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book from Scholastic, thinking my daugher would like it. I decided to read it first, at the halfway point I know she would find it exceedingly boring. At the halfway point, Audrey hadn’t yet figured out anything about the pen. And when she finally figured it out, the book just ended. And I thought her friend Lizzie was obnoxious. I don’t know when this book was written, but it was set in the early 1970s. In any case, I don’t consider this book a timeless treasure, and I will be donating it to the library.

[Brooke796 ☼ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is really poorly written. There are plot holes, the pacing is slow, the magical element unexplained. We are told that Audrey is 12 but she sounds much younger, yet she has already read Jane Eyre and Great Expectations, I don't think so. I'm also not sure why the author chose the '70s as a setting. She certainly didn't make that believable. I don't know anyone who took algebra as a 7th grader, or addressed their parents by their first names in their minds, nor were there usually women bosses at banks. Sloppy.

[Ellicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder is an amazing book! Audrey is a girl who follows a white goose. She is lead into a cave where she meets an old woman. The old woman knows she is a writer and loves to write, so she gives her a bronze pen. When Audrey starts to write a story, it comes true. Did her dog Beowulf start talking to her? Now, when her dad gets ill, she has to discover if the bronze pen is a gift or a curse.

[Shar Patigas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Snyder book because I found it a little bit boring at first. I also couldn’t see the real connection until the very end. But it’s good that way, though. At least it got me reading until the end.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Audrey's dad got better, by having a way to have an operation in a far away place. My least favorite part was when Audrey threw away the bronze pen without completely figuring out how it worked.

[Gracelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think its a great book!! It's full of mystery and personally, my kind of books are sci-fi and realistic fiction, and I like this kind of book, I would recommend it to you if you want to. I love when the dragon is under her bed, I love dragons.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. Reminds me of my favorite book.

[Briana · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐Rating ⭐
Five stars. Whimsical and unique. This kept me turning pages to the end!

👍🏻Turn Ons
I loved that Aubrey wants to be an author and has a vivid imagination. I’m kind of torn on if the things in this book actually happened or were part of her imagination. I also enjoyed that this was set in the 70s and her parents felt like real people. Her mom’s job is stressful, her dad’s health is not good. It’s a relatable book for middle graders. I originally picked this book up because of the “Loathed by Lemony Snicket” review on the bottom of the book and was intrigued. My first book by Mrs. Snyder and now I’m hooked and planning to read more! I wish I had discovered her when I was a middle grader.

👎🏻 Turn Offs
I loved Lizzie and was hoping there would be more to her friendship. She kind of hinted that she knew more about things than she did, but it never really evolved in the story. I was hoping she had also had an encounter with the old woman.

👵🏻 Safe to talk about with Grandma?
Definitely. This is a great middle grade book with some adult issues, but no cursing or violence.

⏱ Sixty second summery ⚠MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!⚠
Aubrey is a writer but hides her stories from her family. She’s known for making things up and is worried they won’t approve. Her mom works full time to support their family because her dad has a bad heart. He is weak and needs to rest a lot. One day, Aubrey follows a duck to a cave and meets an old woman. The woman gives her a bronze pen with the instruction to use it for a good purpose. She forgets about the pen until one night when she can’t find a pencil to continue her current story. She uses the pen instead and loves how it flows. In the story, the animals can talk to the girl and later that night, Aubrey’s pets are able to talk to her! She tries using the pen in other situations and is learning how wants versus needs are working. She ends up writing some wishes that seem to come true in a dire fashion, but don’t worry. This book has a happy ending!

Title & Author: The Bronze Pen by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Format: Hardback
Read: 1/24/22-1/25/22
Rating: Five stars