Professional book reviewers watch out: hot on our heels is Sophie Epstein, not quite 8^th grader and savvy proprietor of Mrs. Magoo Reads, a blog on
which Ms Epstein offers her opinions on books and the occasional movie with appeal for young adults.

In addition to her reviews, she posts interviews she’s conducted with authors and invites (and receives) comments from her readers. She’s even got a contest going.

Her reviews run to crisp plot summaries followed by a brief statement of her opinion about the book – just right for her target audience. Though one Jane Austen title appears on the site (Emma), most of the selections are pretty standard young adult titles, few enticing “tween” readers to push beyond what’s being marketed directly to them.

Since most of the kids drawn to a site like this are likely to be pretty good readers, and since Sophie most obviously is, it would be lovely if she began to up the ante a bit - not much of a stretch, since this is already a sophisticated site with a strong entrepreneurial scent and a terrific voice.

Not only does Mrs Magoo invite authors and publishers to use the site to “bump” their books, she’s even got a shop, complete with Mrs Magoo Reads t-shirts on offer. Sophie Epstein is sure to go far in this world. Invite your 9-14 year old kids to join her.