Science No Fair!

Project Droid #1

by Nancy E. Krulik, Amanda Burwasser, Mike Moran (illustrator)

It’s a pretty normal day for Logan Applebaum—until his inventor mother announces that she’s built him a new robot cousin. And Java may be really smart, but he’s also going to be a major handful. No one can know about his secret. This is going to be a long school year.

With the third grade science fair coming up, though, Logan thinks maybe a super computer cousin could come in handy and he’ll finally have a shot at beating the nosey Silverspoon twins who win at everything.

But when Sherry and Jerry steal Java as their partner, and then start suspecting something is up with the new kid, can Logan think fast before this crazy experiment becomes an epic disaster?

In Science No Fair! internationally bestselling author, Nancy Krulik and her incredibly talented daughter, Amanda Burwasser, team up to introduce a new comedic pair that combines the literalness of Amelia Bedelia with a wacky modern edge, making for hours of laughter.

Genres: Science Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, School, Robots

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2016

About the author

Nancy Krulik is the author of more than 100 books for children and young adults, including three New York Times bestsellers. She is best known, however, for being the author and creator of the Katie Kazoo Switcheroo book series, which has brought her to the attention of second, third, and fourth graders nationwide.

Nancy has also written extensively for teens and is well known as a biographer of Hollywood's hottest young stars. Her knowledge of the details of celebrities lives has made her a desired guest on several entertainment shows on the E! network as well as on Extra and Access Hollywood. She can be seen there talking about the secret lives of such celebs as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Hilary Duff, and Frankie Muniz. Nancy has also been a guest on radio broadcasts nationwide discussing the superstars she has researched over the years.

As the author of several teen and preteen advice books, including Grosset and Dunlap's Prom!: The Complete Guide to a Truly Spectacular Night, Nancy has been interviewed by several prominent magazines including Cosmo Girl, Teen, Teen People, Seventeen, and Teen Celebrity. She has also been the celebrity guest for three Teen People chat presentations. Nancy has recently begun to delve into the teen novel market, writing four romances for young adults, all of which will be published between 2004 and 2005.

Nancy currently lives in Manhattan with her husband, composer Daniel Burwasser, their two children, Amanda and Ian, and a crazed cockerspaniel named Pepper .

Reviews

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the very first in Sky Pony Press's debut chapter book series. The book comes from an internationally bestselling children's book queen Nancy Krulik, her daughter Amanda Burwasser, and veteran illustrator Mike Moran. Together they are a powerhouse to create the best of the best in kid's books. The "Project Droid" series is highly recommended for reluctant readers and enthusiastic ones. It smacks of hauntings from Amelia Bedelia with its fun word play and literal translations making kids giggle and enjoy.

Logan Applebaum gets the surprise of his life when his inventor mom calls him from his normal every-day breakfast and introduces him to his new cousin Java (which stands for... Jacob Alexander Victor Applebaum)... a robotic cousin which she built in her garage just for Logan.

Java is programmed and is smart and ready to take on that cousin roll and mom even has him enrolled in school. Logan is not wholly convinced that this is a good idea but determined mom has already made arrangements for his new cousin's debut into his life. Mom tells him that no one can find out that Java is a robot as it will be an ongoing experiment she is working on and must remain a secret.

Logan weighs his options and finally decides it might be nice to have a smart cousin around as his third grade science fair is coming up and he could use some help with his project and win the award for best entry. After all those nosey conspiring Silverspoon twins win every year so it would be very nice to beat them for sure.

But the twins, Sherry and Jerry manage to steal Java away and have him as their partner. That's when everything starts to take a turn for the worst. The twins start to suspect something is different and weird with this new kid and unfortunately they find out it is true... the hard way! Will Logan succeed and foil those dastardly twins? What do you think? A fun, kid-friendly read that I am sure will be hit for every kid that reads it.

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted a robot brother? In this chapter book, it actually happens! A boy named Logan gets a brother and he’s a robot! It’s actually a cousin but it seems like a brother to me. His name is Java. Logan’s mom is an inventor. She makes cool things. When Logan was in first grade, his mom made him a dancing teddy bear. The only problem is that most of her inventions don’t work as they should. The teddy bear ended up picking Logan’s teacher’s nose during show and tell. It makes Logan nervous about this new robot cousin/brother.

Java the robot takes everything literally. Logan said he didn’t want to go to school because he caught a bug and Java thought he really caught an insect. That’s silly. Logan has to make excuses for Java’s weird behavior.

At school, Logan has a problem. The Science fair is coming up and the Silver Spoon twins always win! Logan is desperate to win. How will he do it? Can he win? Can he keep Java’s robot secret?

I give this book 5 stars because I could relate to this book. I’m about the same age as Logan, I have a brother and his name even starts with a J, just like Java. My brother and I are best friends but we don’t always get along. My brother loves robots, but he’s not actually one. This book reminded me how much I love my brother. It was a funny story that I would enjoy reading again.
Review by Cameron H., Age 7

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book because I do not like bees stinging me on my butt. I also did not like this book because I don't really like robots that don't know are friends and who are not. I also did not like this book because I did not like the part when somebody got stung on the butt by a bee (at the science fair when a beehive that somebody was doing for the science fair burst open).

[Evan Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a funny book because it was about a robot and science. I really like science. My favorite part was when Java wasn't screaming about being stung by the bees. He couldn't feel the stings because he is a robot!

[Bernadette · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be weird but maybe it is trying to appeal to a modern audience. It is about an inventor mom who doesn't want to give her son a brother, but instead makes him a bizarre robot cousin, who is programmed to act like a kid.

[Rena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My younger kids really liked this book. It was a fun story.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really like this book because I kind of think it was for kids. I was mostly about the difficulties of having a robot cousin.

[Jenny Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok. I liked the story line and the issues. I was rushing to get it over though. Maybe just not an interest for me.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this out loud to my brother and we both liked it!

[Buny Yeo]

This book was a fuck!

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was funny when Java was spinning around and saying crazy things. I liked how it tells you how to make a potato clock in the back of the book.

[Library Lady Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good addition to the beginning chapter book selection.

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent series for early readers. Kept mom engaged too.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Amelia Bedelia-like misinterpretations, but Java’s antics seemed a little too obvious to keep his secret hidden. I think the second book in the series is actually stronger than this.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

An All Around "School-Daze" Winner for Older Chapter Book Readers

It seems to me that there are about a zillion ways for a middle grade robot-out-of-water book to falter, and I was delighted to find that this book avoids every major pitfall and delivers a fast paced, congenial and entertaining story.

Third grader Logan's inventor Mom builds a robot, Java, that looks and acts like a third grader. She assigns Logan the job of keeping an eye on this new "cousin" when they both go to school. Java has been programmed to look and act like a third grader, but he has zero social skills and no idea how to behave or fit in at school. Complications and a fair amount of slapstick action ensue. It all comes to a manic head at the school's science fair, which is an especially well crafted set piece.

But here's the thing. Logan is a funny, deadpan, resourceful, and pretty normal and appealing kid. Since he's not the "funny" character he gets to narrate the action without being manic or cute or exaggerated. This makes him the calm and appealing center of the storm. The robot cousin is modeled on Amelia Bedelia, and a lot of the humor comes from him taking phrases, ("getting cold feet", "butterflies in my stomach"), literally. For some reason Amelia Bedelia has never appealed to me, (maybe because she comes across as stupid instead of untutored), but here the robot cousin's mistakes are gently funny. Interestingly, his mistakes also teach important elements of writing, including metaphor, simile, exaggeration for effect, and so on, which is a plus I never expected or thought about until I read this.

Anyway, everyone else falls nicely into place. Logan's buddy is a funny sidekick in his own right. Logan's Mom gets a few good lines and feels like just the right kind of Mom/mad scientist. The evil twins Sherry and Jerry are just the right level of evil. Logan has a bit of a sneaker to a girl who takes a fancy to Java. The third grade vibe feels pretty authentic, in a silly story sort of way. There is no angst or heaviness that suddenly appears; this book is intended to be a lark and that's what it is. There's even some science in there somewhere.

So, while this book doesn't break any new ground it struck me as just an all around top drawer school-daze comedy for the slightly older chapter book set, and that's a nice find.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/31/2016 ** One of those gems discovered while picking up books from the "best of..." lists at the library. I'm glad my local public librarian is reading some different lists than I am.

Picture Amelia Bedelia meets a robot. Logan's mother (not father) is an inventor; she makes an android and asks Logan to take it to school so it can continue to learn. There's no way Logan can keep the robot a secret. "I've got cold feet;" No problem, here's a blanket. "I've got butterflies in my stomach;" Okay, I'll turn you upside down to shake them out.

Oh, and can Logan finally beat the evil Silverspoon twins at the science fair?

[Gretyl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small Wonder for the 2017. Simple vocabulary, large font and a smattering of illustrations make this chapter book very accessible for early readers

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious with tons of heart. Can't wait to give a copy to every kid I know.

[Emily Haage · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
2nd & 3rd Grade Book Club pick
Humor similar to My Weird School series

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hockessin Library 7 & 8 year old Book Group - January 2025

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read. Java the droid provides humor similar to Amelia Bedelia, taking everything literally to comic effect.