Jennifer L. Holm: The fourteenth goldfish (Hardcover, 2014, Random House)
Hardcover, 195 pages
English language
Published Oct. 9, 2014 by Random House.
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, he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this gawky teenager really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? (Book flap)
This sweet book about a pre-teen and her grandfather is funny, warm and quirky. Loved it, a Wonder type of book about immortality and growing up.
I have the impression I missed out by only listening to the audio of this children's book, but it was fun nonetheless. It is a nice little piece of speculative fiction about a grandpa scientist who has discovered the secret to reversing age. However, it stays securely grounded in children's-book territory rather then delving in to any of the interesting ideas it brushes up against; you definitely pick up on the mother's strained relationship with her scientist father, and you are faced forefront with the science vs humanities question. That was great. You also cooly see the amiably-divorced relationship of Ellie's parents and her Mom's boyfriend, and have a few hints of normal middle-school drama. Overall it is a positive piece advocating both the excitement of science and the crucial importance of humanity (from "humanities" like the stage theater of Ellie's parents to humanity like the importance of family). I …
I have the impression I missed out by only listening to the audio of this children's book, but it was fun nonetheless. It is a nice little piece of speculative fiction about a grandpa scientist who has discovered the secret to reversing age. However, it stays securely grounded in children's-book territory rather then delving in to any of the interesting ideas it brushes up against; you definitely pick up on the mother's strained relationship with her scientist father, and you are faced forefront with the science vs humanities question. That was great. You also cooly see the amiably-divorced relationship of Ellie's parents and her Mom's boyfriend, and have a few hints of normal middle-school drama. Overall it is a positive piece advocating both the excitement of science and the crucial importance of humanity (from "humanities" like the stage theater of Ellie's parents to humanity like the importance of family). I won't hesitate to share this book with our daughter when she's, say, 8-11 years old and has the appropriate attention span for a story with a little more character-relations than magic or intrigue.
