Jeanne Wald

added Eudora Space Kid: The Great Engine Room Takeover to the bookshelf over 3 years ago

over 3 years ago

Eudora Space Kid: The Great Engine Room Takeover

David Horn

The first in a new series of hilariously funny, early reader sci-fi chapter books perfect for elemen...

started following about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

“Ada Lace, on the Case” by Emily Calandrelli is among the best chapter books I’ve read! It’s an exciting mystery adventure full of modern technology (wireless camera, tablet, drone, robot) and great scientific concepts, such as Occam’s razor and Turing Test, which are introduced in a fun and engaging way. I really love the main character Ada. This 8-year-old girl has an analytical mind, loves field guides and always refers to scientific evidence. She considers that making cool gadgets (e.g. gecko gloves) and upgrading the old ones (e.g. walkie-talkie) is the best possible pastime. The story starts with Ada being stuck at home because of a broken leg. The fact that she’s just moved to the new neighborhood doesn’t help. However, her quiet and uneventful life turns upside down when she meets Nina, a quirky, superstitious girl with all sorts of wild theories. And when a neighbor’s dog suddenly disappears, Nina is the only person who can help Ada solve the mystery and find the dognapper. As a result, the seeming opposites get closer and develop a true friendship. I also liked the wealth of supporting characters – from Ada’s energetic little brother Elliott to lovely Ms. Reed – each adding a unique touch to the story. This chapter book has a lot to be loved for: interesting characters, engaging plot, nice black & white illustrations and modern technology. It’ll surely be an instant hit for any STEM-loving kid!

Ada Lace, on the Case (An Ada Lace Adventure Book 1)

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

I absolutely loved “Dragons and Marshmallows”, which is the first book in the “Zoey and Sassafras” series by Asia Citro. The story wonderfully combines science and magic, introducing the scientific method in such a natural way that kids will learn it without noticing that they are being taught. The scientific facts covered in the book include eating preferences of reptiles, the difference between a carnivore, an herbivore and an omnivore, and a cold-blooded and a warm-blooded animal. In addition, there’s a glossary at the end of the book, explaining the new terms. The main character Zoey is a kind, smart and curious budding scientist. She has her own science journal and special Thinking Goggles, which help her come up with brilliant ideas. Together with her adorable pet cat, Sassafras, Zoey explores the woods around her house, having a lot of fun. The only thing that Zoey loves more than science is magic. So when she learns that her mom, who is a scientist too, has been treating sick magical animals in their barn for years, Zoey gets super excited and offers her help. While her mom is out for a week, Zoey and Sassafras find a sick baby dragon at their barn’s door. Trying to learn what’s wrong with the magic creature and how to help, Zoey uses the scientific method (question, hypothesis, experiments, conclusion), her past experience and her mom’s old science journals. I admired how Zoey keeps trying even when things get really hard. The support and trust that Zoey’s parents grant her only reinforces Zoey’s ability to handle a difficult mission. The exciting mix of science and magic, adorable characters, cute black & white illustrations and relatively short chapters make this book a perfect fit for any young reader!

Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey and Sassafras Book 1)

started following about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

I really liked “Summer Set in Motion”, which is the first book in the “Halley Harper, Science Girl Extraordinaire” chapter book series by Tracy Borgmeyer. The main character Halley is a 9-year-old girl, named after Halley’s Comet. She loves ballet and poetry, however her favorite thing in the whole world is science. She does a lot of science experiments at home, but, unfortunately, they often end up pretty messy. This doesn’t please Halley’s mom, and when the last experiment with Oobleck leads to a total disaster in the kitchen, Halley is on the verge of being banned from doing science at home. Halley feels desperate, but luckily her mom agrees to send her to a summer science camp with her best friend Gracelyn. At first, the science camp doesn’t seem welcoming to Halley and Gracelyn, being the only girl campers there. But soon they start having fun with the team challenges, where they need to use science to win, and even make friends with a boy camper. And when strange accidents start to happen, Halley has to use her courage and scientific skills to try to prevent the camp from being closed forever. I loved that, although Halley’s dad calls her Miss Disaster, he actually supports Halley’s interest in science. He even built her a treelab playhouse, where she can safely do her science experiments, and gave her his old science books.  The story seamlessly integrates explanations of Newton’s Laws of Motion, Non-Newtonian fluids, Newton’s Cradle, as well as quotes by famous scientists. In addition, kids will love the detailed instructions for Oobleck and the Balloon Rocket Race, provided at the end of the book. This engaging story with great characters, messy science experiments and fun adventures will be a perfect fit for STEM-loving kids. This is a longer book (around 30-35k words), with a few black & white illustrations, and is best suited for 9-12-year-old kids who are confident readers.

Halley Harper; Science Girl Extraordinaire: Summer Set in Motion

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

“Marty McGuire” by Kate Messner was a truly enjoyable read! Being the first book in the chapter book series of the same name, the story includes facts about wildlife, especially raccoons and frogs, shows the work of a wildlife rehabilitator and expresses admiration for Jane Goodall, the famous expert on chimpanzees. The story also features such important topics as sharing friends, being patient and trying new things. The main character Marty is not a regular third-grade girl. While the other girls play dress-up, Marty would rather catch frogs in a pond with boys. She is brave, loves wildlife, and has a lot of energy. Together with her best friend Annie, Marty catches crayfish, climbs trees and pretends to be Jane Goodall saving chimpanzees in Tanzania. That is, until Annie starts a dancing class and seems less interested in playing with Marty. As if things couldn’t get worse and despite her dislike for frilly dresses, glitter and dancing, Marty is forced to be the princess in the upcoming class play The Frog Prince. Through this experience, Marty will discover a new talent and learn important lessons about improvisation, friendship and acting responsibly.  The story, told from Marty’s point of view, is engaging and funny, and the black & white illustrations are adorable. I’m sure that kids who love wildlife and theater will be especially delighted with this book!

Marty McGuire

recommended a book about 4 years ago

about 4 years ago

I didn’t expect “Lunch Walks Among Us” to be such a fun story! Being the first book in the “Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist” chapter book series by Jim Benton, it manages to combine a really quirky main character and the scientific method. It also raises such important topics for kids as being yourself and accepting other people’s differences. Franny is an original main character, who loves the gooey part of science and all things that are dark, and creepy, and spooky. Her room is filled with steaming test tubes, strange bubbling beakers and a bunch of crackling electrical gizmos that Franny had made by herself. In addition, she has a giant tarantula, a snake, a flying piranha and several bats as her pets. When Franny has to change schools, her new classmates are afraid of her weird style and behavior. This makes Franny sad, as she really wants them to be her friends. Luckily, Franny’s new teacher likes her and gives her a good advice: think of making friends as an experiment! Excited about the experiment, Franny makes her observations of the other kids (dolls they play with, lunch they eat, etc.) and analyses the data collected. Based on her conclusions, Franny creates a potion to transforms herself into a nice-looking girl, modifies her head-biting doll into a glittery beauty and gets a squashy white bread sandwich for lunch, just like all the other kids. Her transformation has an immediate effect, and the kids seem to like her now. But when a Pumpkin-Crab Monster comes out of a school trash can and kidnaps the teacher, Franny has to choose between saving the day using her mad scientist skills and keeping her friends. This short and fun story with whimsical black & white illustrations by the author is a great find for kids who have a taste for the gooey part of science, monsters and unusual pets.

Lunch Walks Among Us (1) (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist)

imported 47 books to their Library over 4 years ago

over 4 years ago

Lunch Walks Among Us (1) (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist)

About me

I'm a children’s book author and blogger, passionate about stories that feature smart and adventurous girls, STEM subjects and elements of science-fiction (intelligent robots, space, time travel, and the like).

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Middle Grade

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📚55 books read per year

Children's Book Author and Blogger

Jeanne Wald

Jeanne Wald

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