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Oct 03, 2014
Wendy
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
2014-award-possibilities
Charming--probably my favorite Jennifer Holm so far. It's a nice mix of funny and thought-provoking. The separate relationships the grandfather has with the mother, the granddaughter, and the granddaughter's friend are all genuine and unique and amusing. The attempts to sum it all up at the end felt a little superfluous, and the didactic author's note and list of further sources--sigh. I think I'm going to have to give up hoping this stuff will ever go away; I suppose it's all Common Core influe
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The story was an interesting concept, a scientific experiment with unusual consequences, but I felt as though something was missing. I loved Ellie. She's a great character, very likable and a bit more grounded than all the adults around her. However, I found the lack of disbelief Ellie and her mother display upon discovering that Ellie's elderly grandfather is now a teenage boy to be a big stumbling block. I also felt the flow of the story was a bit choppy. Yet my elementary book sense is naggin
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When her grandfather achieves a scientific breakthrough that discovers the cure for aging - and then tries it on himself - Ellie finds herself hanging out with his pimply teenage version. Uncomfortable in a new school year where her best friend has moved on, Ellie suddenly has company with plenty of money - even though he technically can't drive. Up until now, Ellie hasn't been much interested in science, and has always thought her grandfather was a bit of a bore. But getting to know him as some
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Jul 23, 2014
Kris Springer
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2015-newbery-reads
So funny--Jennifer Holm is fantastic at creating just the right mix of funny & meaningful. Great characters, especially Melvin, and lots of charm. Great for girls & boys. I couldn't stop reading this book.
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If you are looking for a book to read before middle school; look no further.
If you are looking for a perfect quick read aloud with your 10 yo; look no further.
If you are looking for something whimsical and serious at the same time; look no further.
This book has it all; scientific discoveries, discovering your passion, losing friends, finding friends, and learning how to live.
How Holm is able to deliver it all with the tone and voice so pitch perfect is a mystery; 4.5 stars.
an arc was given in ...more
If you are looking for a perfect quick read aloud with your 10 yo; look no further.
If you are looking for something whimsical and serious at the same time; look no further.
This book has it all; scientific discoveries, discovering your passion, losing friends, finding friends, and learning how to live.
How Holm is able to deliver it all with the tone and voice so pitch perfect is a mystery; 4.5 stars.
an arc was given in ...more
Enjoyed this quick story, unlike other Jennifer Holm books I've read. Ellie's grandfather, Melvin, who is a scientist with 2 Ph.Ds, shows up at her home after successfully testing a formula which reverses the aging process on himself: he is now a middle schooler lime herself. After adjusting to this odd situation, Ellie gets to know him in a very different way, and learns a lot about science and scientists in the process.
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Loved how this book points young readers toward loving science. It's a great book to prompt elementary kids to start thinking about the ethics of scientific discovery.
We listened to this as an audio book on a road trip. Some parts seemed to drag a little and this wasn't as beloved as our previous audio books (Origami Yoda), but my eleven-year-old liked it pretty well. ...more
We listened to this as an audio book on a road trip. Some parts seemed to drag a little and this wasn't as beloved as our previous audio books (Origami Yoda), but my eleven-year-old liked it pretty well. ...more
Quirky book about a 12 year old girl who learns to love science and great scientists through her unusual grandfather and his science-fiction experiments. Fast read, with many funny, laugh-out-loud parts that my kids loved.
3.5 stars
Aug 16, 2014
Rita
marked it as to-read
Sep 12, 2014
Shauna
marked it as to-read
Oct 15, 2014
Maggi Rohde
marked it as to-read
