Petra’s Power to See: A Media Literacy Adventure by Educate & Empower Kids
Short Summary
Petra’s Power to See: A Media Literacy Adventure by Educate & Empower Kids is a picture-based storybook for tweens that teaches children how to see behind media messages instead of passively absorbing them. Through a simple, relatable story, the book introduces media literacy concepts like advertising, social media, image manipulation, fake news, and pornography in a calm, age-appropriate way.
Age Group
Suitable for children aged 9 to 13 years.
Topics Discussed
Media Literacy | Social Media Safety
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Buy a Copy
Buy a copy of Petra’s Power to See: A Media Literacy Adventure by Educate & Empower Kids from Amazon.
What this book is about
- Petra’s Power to See follows Petra and her dad on a train ride, where they casually talk about the messages hidden inside media.
- The story models what everyday, low-pressure conversations between a parent and child can look like.
- Petra learns that media isn’t neutral – it’s designed to sell ideas, products, and lifestyles.
- The book walks kids through deconstructing a poster, asking questions like: Who made this? What are they trying to sell? Who benefits?
- It introduces concepts like “cool,” popularity, and fun – and how media shapes our ideas about them.
- There is strong, age-appropriate content on perfectionism and photoshopping, helping kids understand that many images are manipulated.
- Social media is explored in a realistic way, encouraging kids to remember that what people post online is only a tiny slice of real life.
- The book touches on fake news and why not everything online should be taken at face value.
- Pornography is mentioned briefly and simply, framed as something kids may come across and should talk about with a trusted adult.
- Later sections include video games, household media guidelines, a glossary, and discussion questions to keep conversations going.
- The tone is calm, curious, and non-alarmist – perfect for families who want to talk with their kids, not at them.
- This is one of the few children’s books that brings media literacy, online safety, and sex-ed-adjacent topics together in one place.
I hope you find this book review helpful!
Happy talking!
❤️ Cath