A young scientist lives up to his nickname in this clever, accessible book.
A spunky young scientist with an affinity for corny jokes, experiments and the natural world investigates summer vacation and all the mysteries it brings.
Adam Anderson, a middle schooler, is a scientific sleuth whose love for and skill in the subject have earned him the nickname Einstein. The name fits so well that even his veterinarian father, Matt, and journalist mother, Emily, use it—and in Simon’s (Our Solar System, 2014, etc.) engaging book, it’s easy to see why. Einstein educates readers and his little brother, Dennis, about the science behind everyday occurrences. When Dennis laments the sounds his chair produces as he pushes it back, his brother corrects him: “The chair’s not noisy….The sound is from the friction of the chair legs against the floor,” he says, and he then explains the concept of friction, which leads readers into the first mystery facing Einstein and his best friend and partner in science, Paloma Fuentes. Scheming classmate Stanley, who fancies himself the next wunderkind inventor, creates frictionless Rollerblades to “go farther and faster than anyone ever has.” Einstein and Paloma investigate and quickly repudiate this claim, saving others from wasting money on the noninvention. Other mysteries and riddles include a machine that shrinks objects to miniscule dimensions, a classmate’s howling dog whose affliction suspiciously appears when Stanley is nearby; a store that sells a bat’s egg, and a universal solvent. Clues and cases fill Einstein’s summer and capture the reader’s interest. Simon presents Einstein’s adventures and explorations in an accessible format: Each tale is a self-contained chapter that includes a scientific mystery, questions about its resolution, the subsequent explanation and a related experiment for readers to complete at home. The author thoughtfully formats questions and solutions on separate pages to allow space for readers to hypothesize before confirming the answer. The science is challenging, but Simon’s explanations keep the topics light and fun yet educational. Illustrator O’Malley’s scattered black-and-white sketches work in concert with Simon’s robust descriptions to help visualize the action. Hopefully, this little Einstein isn’t done yet.
A young scientist lives up to his nickname in this clever, accessible book.Pub Date: March 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-1936503056
Page Count: 102
Publisher: StarWalk Kids Media
Review Posted Online: May 9, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A moderately entertaining reflection on the nature of karma, especially for those willing to accept its mystical premise and...
A love story that tackles homophobia and violence and spans several lifetimes.
The book is divided into four major sections, each titled as a numbered life, so readers know to expect several deaths and reincarnations. After a brief foreword in which Ordell mentions his own experiences with psychic abilities and past lives, the novel opens in 1969 during the Stonewall riots, considered by many to be the watershed event of the American gay rights movement. Amid all the chaos, Dustin and Jaime are victimized by Leon, the homophobic villain who occupies a position of authority and wields his lethal billy club throughout the text. It turns out that this is not the first time these beings have crossed paths, nor will it be the last. (Conveniently, the first letter of reborn characters’ names often remains the same.) “Life Two” is perhaps the most affecting section, as it focuses on the social anxiety, sexual confusion and intense bullying associated with adolescence and high school. However, readers may tire of wading through descriptions of colorful auras, connective cords and energy bursts as otherworldly spirits battle each other or attempt to influence earthly events. At times, the author relies too heavily upon dialogue instead of exposition, which can lead to inauthentic moments as characters exchange information that’s simply for the benefit of readers. Nevertheless, Ordell’s intricate plotting pays off in “Life Four.” In mid-21st century, progressives and conservatives struggle for control as New York City rebuilds after a devastating hurricane. Will the fated couple and their loved ones finally break the cycle of violence and revenge? Perhaps a clairvoyant character aptly named Crystal holds the key. Now 97 years old, she has survived the entire novel and published her own book, titled The Ghosts of Stonewall, about two lovers who died during the Stonewall riots six decades earlier.
A moderately entertaining reflection on the nature of karma, especially for those willing to accept its mystical premise and supernatural elements.Pub Date: May 25, 2012
ISBN: 978-1475066852
Page Count: 454
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 23, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Fans of the Western genre are sure to find much to love, but the appealing story and characters could also appease all types...
Hidden treasure, a young girl on the run and revenge-minded scoundrels with itchy trigger fingers populate Robert’s (Treasure at El Dorado, 2011) second Western novel.
While evading a band of Apaches in the Sonoran Desert, Bo Logan stumbles upon a hidden valley with a cabin and a productive gold mine. He also discovers letters; unsure of what’s happened to the miner, Bo takes it upon himself to locate the man’s daughter, Bonnie. The girl, meanwhile, manages to escape the atrocious confines of a workhouse and begins a demanding journey to find her father, Tom. A deadly encounter in a saloon has the villainous John Skinner and his men on Bo’s trail, too. Roberts’ book has all the indications of a Western—strength is measured by how quickly a man can draw his gun—but it’s the dramatic resolve that truly drives the story. Bo in particular is literally surrounded by narrative stimuli: Bonnie somewhere ahead of him; Mary, a cafe owner in Tucson who catches Bo’s eye and heart; and the men behind him who would very much prefer him dead. The storyline benefits from its colorful cast of characters, including an undercover U.S. Marshal and a dirty sheriff. A variety of motives propel them: Bo and Bonnie searching separately for Bonnie’s father, an Apache man looking for his wife’s killer, and a greedy professor from Bonnie’s old school with a one-track mind for profits. Bonnie’s trek makes up the majority of the novel’s more profound passages in a plot thread that is also frequently woeful; fortunately, Roberts eases the tension with welcome bits of comic relief, e.g., Bonnie, posing as a boy, standing in the wrong line for the restroom. Notably, Roberts allows the narrative twist to slowly build and naturally reveal itself, without nudging or eye-winking.
Fans of the Western genre are sure to find much to love, but the appealing story and characters could also appease all types of readers.Pub Date: March 29, 2012
ISBN: 978-0615580852
Page Count: 302
Publisher: DOGRIDGE
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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