Book: The Fourteenth Goldfish
Author: Jennifer Holm
Grades: 4-6
Rating: 4/5 stars
Ellie, an eleven year old adjusting to life in middle school, gets the surprise of her life when her grandfather shows up on her doorstep transformed into a teenager. Her newly-young Grandpa Melvin is a famous scientist who has discovered how to reverse the aging process. He comes to live with his family, renewing tensions between him and Ellie’s mother who has disappointed him due to her love of theatre. Ellie and Melvin grow closer as they are forced to attend school together, and the plot moves quickly into a scheme to win back Melvin’s formula from a lab that has taken credit for it. Ellie’s developing relationship with her grandfather allows her to realize her natural curiosity and love of science, while Melvin learns through his family that science is not all there is to life. The book weaves in information about real-life figures from STEM fields, such as Marie Curie and Robert Oppenheimer, serving as a good introduction for students. For a book dealing with such weighty topics as life, death, and growing old, it is quite amusing and will entertain younger students, though those in upper elementary grades are more likely to appreciate the book’s humor. Jennifer Holm, author of the Baby Mouse series of graphic novels, lends warmth and wit to this story of a young girl discovering her passion for science.
Author: Jennifer Holm
Grades: 4-6
Rating: 4/5 stars
Ellie, an eleven year old adjusting to life in middle school, gets the surprise of her life when her grandfather shows up on her doorstep transformed into a teenager. Her newly-young Grandpa Melvin is a famous scientist who has discovered how to reverse the aging process. He comes to live with his family, renewing tensions between him and Ellie’s mother who has disappointed him due to her love of theatre. Ellie and Melvin grow closer as they are forced to attend school together, and the plot moves quickly into a scheme to win back Melvin’s formula from a lab that has taken credit for it. Ellie’s developing relationship with her grandfather allows her to realize her natural curiosity and love of science, while Melvin learns through his family that science is not all there is to life. The book weaves in information about real-life figures from STEM fields, such as Marie Curie and Robert Oppenheimer, serving as a good introduction for students. For a book dealing with such weighty topics as life, death, and growing old, it is quite amusing and will entertain younger students, though those in upper elementary grades are more likely to appreciate the book’s humor. Jennifer Holm, author of the Baby Mouse series of graphic novels, lends warmth and wit to this story of a young girl discovering her passion for science.