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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
An unexpected and amusing children's read that I received as a birthday present. Definitely written to convey moral messages about cheating and friendship. Given its 1958 publishing date it had a realistic female character interested in science (although confined to the trope of choosing between two males) and a realistic portrayal of a computer and its limitations.
This book came out in 1958 but I still fondly remember my introduction to computers through it's pages when I was in first grade back in 1963 and I dreamed of actually owning my own computer. It wasn't to happen for 17 more years before I was the proud owner of an Atari 400. But I think the day that I brought that home I was still thinking about the fun Danny, Joe and Irene had with Miniac.
The Danny Dunn series was a "mutual childhood" discovery: Robin and I both enjoyed them independently.
Chosen for Bedtime Reading, 7/27/2021 - spoilers below this point
8/6/2021 - Our Story So Far:
While working way too hard on a way to avoid homework, Danny mistakes a girl for an alien. Well, he's a nerd in middle school; he doesn't talk to many. They soon become friends, because Danny & Joe are slightly less horribly sexist than everyone else. When Professor Bullfinch leaves his "miniature" computer in Danny's care, it doesn't take him long to hatch another scheme: let the computer do their homework!
8/13/2021 - Our Story So Far:
Minny's on the fritz and the Professor's back home with the blustery dude he needs to sell the whole project to! What to do?
Chosen for Bedtime Reading, 7/27/2021 - spoilers below this point
8/6/2021 - Our Story So Far:
While working way too hard on a way to avoid homework, Danny mistakes a girl for an alien. Well, he's a nerd in middle school; he doesn't talk to many. They soon become friends, because Danny & Joe are slightly less horribly sexist than everyone else. When Professor Bullfinch leaves his "miniature" computer in Danny's care, it doesn't take him long to hatch another scheme: let the computer do their homework!
8/13/2021 - Our Story So Far:
Minny's on the fritz and the Professor's back home with the blustery dude he needs to sell the whole project to! What to do?
I read this book in 4th grade so my memory is a little hazy.
All I remember is loving everything about this book and having it completely encapsulate my imagination. I can recommend it to other 4th graders like me.
All I remember is loving everything about this book and having it completely encapsulate my imagination. I can recommend it to other 4th graders like me.
This came into my sphere of reading when I was about 10-12 years old, and I remember really enjoying it. The thought of using a computer to help with my homework was really attractive, even though I recognized even then that progrmming it would take far more work than just doing the homework myself. Still, it was an enticing thought, and appealed to my (very) juvenile imagination.
Picked this up because Williams' Petronella was pretty darn nifty, and, um. This was surreal in all sorts of ways, but had some of the same elements that made Petronella nifty. Not something I'd read for pleasure, but as a curious once-through, a good distraction.
This came into my sphere of reading when I was about 10-12 years old, and I remember really enjoying it. The thought of using a computer to help with my homework was really attractive, even though I recognized even then that progrmming it would take far more work than just doing the homework myself. Still, it was an enticing thought, and appealed to my (very) juvenile imagination.
I loved Danny Dunn books when I was young. I just read this one to my three youngest and it was a hit! They kept begging for one more chapter every time I read. I'm not sure how much of the science they got, but they sure loved it when Irene pushed Snitcher in the mud puddle! :-)