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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
A cute book with lots of quick facts about science. It may help young readers get involved in discovering things around them and thinking about science.
I'm not usually a big sci-fi fan I found this book surprisingly enjoyable. It has a good lesson in family dynamics, shifting friendships, making choices for the good of all and a lot of humor.
Our family read this as our bedtime chapter book. What a fabulous weaving of theatre and science, of maturity and youth, and humor and sadness. Several passages brought me to tears...need I say more than slippers. The kids (9, 7, and 2) were engaged and found it humorous and their science interest was piqued. (I mean, the two year old...she was along for the ride.) Lovely.
Read my review: https://eward511books.wordpress.com/2015/10/25/because-why-not-an-angsty-teenage-grandpa/
I decided to read this book because it was one of the candidates for this year's Global Read Aloud. I had my fourth grade class in mind while reading, and I think it would be a good fit for that age audience.
Ellie lives with her mom and sees her dad on occasion. One day, Ellie's mom comes home late with a teenage boy who is revealed to actually be Ellie's grandfather, Melvin. Melvin has discovered a way to reverse the aging process, but it's Ellie who gets him to consider the moral implications of such an invention.
While this book definitely had some strengths, it fell a little flat for me. The author hooked me at the beginning, but I didn't feel a real emotional connection to any of the characters. I read further hoping to see more relationships develop, but they didn't meet my expectations. I liked hearing the main character's thoughts, and I think my students will be able to relate to what this young lady is thinking and feeling. Even the climax of the story passed by in just a few pages. The end had a good message, and one I think my students could have a good discussion about. The events in the story moved pretty quickly, and I felt like I missed the opportunity to throughly get to know the characters. Specifically, I would have liked to have more focus and emphasis on Ellie and her grandfather.
With this book, the author has given me opportunities to make connections between literature, math, science, and ethics. There are many ways to use this book in other subjects, and I look forward to encouraging my students to think and learn more about scientists and the moral and ethical repercussions of inventions and discoveries. I think I'll go ahead and use the book this year for our Global Read Aloud, then it'll go on the shelf for students to browse.
Ellie lives with her mom and sees her dad on occasion. One day, Ellie's mom comes home late with a teenage boy who is revealed to actually be Ellie's grandfather, Melvin. Melvin has discovered a way to reverse the aging process, but it's Ellie who gets him to consider the moral implications of such an invention.
While this book definitely had some strengths, it fell a little flat for me. The author hooked me at the beginning, but I didn't feel a real emotional connection to any of the characters. I read further hoping to see more relationships develop, but they didn't meet my expectations. I liked hearing the main character's thoughts, and I think my students will be able to relate to what this young lady is thinking and feeling. Even the climax of the story passed by in just a few pages. The end had a good message, and one I think my students could have a good discussion about. The events in the story moved pretty quickly, and I felt like I missed the opportunity to throughly get to know the characters. Specifically, I would have liked to have more focus and emphasis on Ellie and her grandfather.
With this book, the author has given me opportunities to make connections between literature, math, science, and ethics. There are many ways to use this book in other subjects, and I look forward to encouraging my students to think and learn more about scientists and the moral and ethical repercussions of inventions and discoveries. I think I'll go ahead and use the book this year for our Global Read Aloud, then it'll go on the shelf for students to browse.
What a wonderful book. Family, friends old and new, a girl who likes science in middle school. I liked everything about this story.
My kids lost interest, but I eventually finished this charming little book on my own. I enjoyed it! Nice message about essential transitions of life -- growing up and growing old -- but also about science and discovery and the ethical questions that scientists often grapple with: Am I truly solving a problem with this discovery, or would I be creating a bigger one?
This is a good fit for my middle school library. While it is on the easy side, most of the students in my school are not great readers. It is fun and imaginative. It illustrates how different life is now to when the main character's grandfather grew up and that people have different tastes and strengths. It was a fun book.
When Ellie's babysitter quits, there's no way she could see what's coming next. Her grandfather, a quirky scientist who never stops criticizing her drama-teacher mom, has discovered a serum to reverse the aging process. Suddenly, this curmudgeonly man in a teenager's body is moving into her home, is enrolled in Ellie's school and tasked with taking care of her after-hours. Ellie loves learning about science from her youthful grandfather, but eventually realizes that many scientific achievements come at great cost, including the one he has inflicted upon himself. This is a funny and fast-moving read, one that uses absurdity to bring out the truest parts of life.