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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
11-year-old Ellie has never quite felt like she fits in with her artist actor parents, but when a strange boy who happens to be her grandfather, who's discovered the fountain of youth, comes to live with them, Ellie discovers a fascinating world of science. Fun, with some substance.
Good choice for fans of Wendy Mass's Willow Falls books. When Grandpa Melvin discovers the elixir of youth and turns into his 13-year-old self, he comes to live with Ellie and joins her in middle school. Ellie, though very uninformed about science initially, soon comes to discover that she loves science and learns a lot from Melvin (who is posing as her cousin to avoid raising questions). This story circles around them and Ellie's mom, plus a new friend at school. Not a lot happens (they're basically trying to break into Melvin's old lab to get his research), but it's a fun story for kids who like mostly-realistic fiction with some mystery or magic thrown in.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is delightful! Themes include family relationships, the adjustments of growing up and down (tween to teen and senior to teen), the importance of finding things you're good at and have a passion for, and the interesting possibilities of science!
My daughter is in 6th grade, and this year she has to read a bunch of different genres. For her science fiction book, she picked this one.
We read it together and we loved everything about it. It was funny, educational, and had a really great lesson at the end.
My daughter was surprised to find out she loves science fiction, and this book is the reason for that!
We read it together and we loved everything about it. It was funny, educational, and had a really great lesson at the end.
My daughter was surprised to find out she loves science fiction, and this book is the reason for that!
A good book. Ellie is a likable character who loves science much to her mother's confusion and frustration. Her grandfather, Melvin, has discovered a scientific fountain of youth and made himself a teen again and now needs her help to gain access to his office. The crazy situation is funny and ends up being a good read for middle grade readers.
What a superbly done story! I loved it. It was creative, humorous, educational and inspiring. Young and old readers alike will definitely enjoy this book. There were wonderfully rich lessons throughout this work which would serve as great discussion starters.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Audience: Mid grade readers and up
Options: Read Aloud, Audio Fav, Book Club, School/Home Settings
An e-copy of this title was made available for review by the publisher in exchange for an honest critique.
Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Bookshelf Worthy: Yes
Audience: Mid grade readers and up
Options: Read Aloud, Audio Fav, Book Club, School/Home Settings
An e-copy of this title was made available for review by the publisher in exchange for an honest critique.
What a superbly done story! I loved it. It was creative, humorous, educational and inspiring. Young and old readers alike will definitely enjoy this book. There were wonderfully rich lessons throughout this work which would serve as great discussion starters.
Rating: 5/5 Recommend: Yes Bookshelf Worthy: Yes Audience: Mid grade readers and up Options: Read Aloud, Audio Fav, Book Club, School/Home Settings
Rating: 5/5 Recommend: Yes Bookshelf Worthy: Yes Audience: Mid grade readers and up Options: Read Aloud, Audio Fav, Book Club, School/Home Settings
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No