The Fourteenth Goldfish Jennifer Holm Random House Children's book review

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The Fourteenth Goldfish
Jennifer Holm

Believe in the possible . . . with this brilliantly quirky, thought-provoking novel from New York Times bestseller, three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm

Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.

Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far?

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?

With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JENNIFER L. HOLM's father was a pediatrician and she grew up listening to him talk about the wonder of antibiotics and how science could change the world. Today Jennifer is the NY Times bestselling author of three Newbery Honor Books, as well as the co-creator of the Babymouse series (a 2013 Eisner Award Winner) and Squish series, which she collaborates on with her brother Matthew Holm


REVIEW:


This book is so funny with so much to offer along the line of sneaking some educational science between the lines to the unsuspecting children. I was so impressed by the author's ability to work education and humor together so seamlessly. Science wasn't my friend in school, but many girls did go that route and good for them. I like that the man character is in fact a girl as well. Girls need more books that encourage them to follow their brains and accomplish their own goals in the educational fields offered.

There are so many things that could be said about this awesome book that I was given by the publisher before release that I can't do it justice in just a few paragraphs.

The author is just brilliant. I can not praise this book enough.

JENNIFER L. HOLM has worked a miracle of science / art in combining so much humor from Grandpa Melvin (now in his teen body), the every day interactions between family, whether science should always be used just because it can be, the benefits and losses of growing old / dying vs. eternal life, slowing down to smell the roses, growing up and change.... all worked together so beautifully that you don't even realize you learned a valuable life lesson while laughing your tail off.

5* BEST READ ALL SUMMER



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