From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5 - Hobby Day provides the perfect opportunity for Franny to share her passion for science with her classmates, but they only seem interested in mundane pastimes such as Irish step-dancing, accordion playing, stamp collecting, and baking cookies. She decides to capture their imaginations with an unfinished two-headed robot. Though the students are initially unimpressed, Franny concocts an invisibility formula and uses the power of suggestion to coax three of the children to work on it. Frantically correcting their misguided efforts, she convinces the clueless amateurs that they are indeed mad scientists. The plan backfires when the trio secretly returns to school to finish the job. By morning, their creation has wrecked the building. Misspelled graffiti and giant spit wads lead the horrified heroine to the library where she struggles to stop the reckless robot. Ironically, her friends save the day with their boring hobbies. As a final touch, Franny transforms the flattened robot into a pastry oven and bakes pretty cookies. Every page of the 19 short chapters features cartoons rendered in pen, ink, and watercolor. The pigtailed protagonist looks suitably "mad" with her demonic grin and narrowed eyes. Children will particularly enjoy the image of the cafeteria ladies secretly sculpting a life-size model from lunch meat. Beginning readers and fans of the popular cartoon Dexter's Laboratory will enjoy this offering. - Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
National Enquirer Smart, confident, and totally PUNK!
Review
National Enquirer Smart, confident, and totally PUNK!
Book Description
Two heads...Are dumber than one.
Franny K. Stein Mad Scientist: The Invisible Fran(FKS Series #3) ANNOTATION
When Franny Stein, self-styled mad scientist, creates a robot to show her school friends the joys of science, she ends up learning something from them instead.
FROM THE CRITICS
National Enquirer
Smart, confident, and totally PUNK!
Children's Literature - Kathie M. Josephs
Frannie believes in mad scientists and convinces several of her friends that they now not only understand mad scientists but also know everything there is to know about mad science. A robot is built and the text continues, "The thing is different, Franny thought. This robot is pure stupidness. It has two whole heads full of stupid. Pure stupidness does things for no good reason. What would a pure-stupid creature do in a school? Frannie thought." That thought begins Frannie's next adventure. This book has wit, sarcasm, humor, dreams, and a different, but satisfactory outlook on life. The chapters average about 4 pages each, but each page has large illustrations. Young readers will be able to identify with Frannie and even though the protagonist is a girl, I believe that both boys and girls will enjoy the story. This also would be a great book to read aloud. A fantastic book for a young reader who wants to start reading chapter books. 2004, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Ages 7 to 10.
Art & Photography
Book Info
