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phantomsparrow's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookwyrm76's review against another edition
2.0
Four fifth-grade students--a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker -- is how the annotation for the book starts and it's one of the problems I have with this book. The four kids who are the main characters of this book are all stereotypes and nothing but stereotypes. Add to that loose ends all over the place at the end of the book and a concept that kids might love, but isn't at all realistic. I'm all for fantasy, but this book didn't fit that either. The idea was interesting and I'm sure that it will be a fast, popular read with kids, but so are Animorphs and Babysitter's Club books.
katdfleming's review against another edition
3.0
Very fun story! I loved how it was told through the lens of each of the characters. It really let their personalities shine through. (Neat setting too! It made me want to live there.)
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Multi-narrator school story that had my son and I discussing the ethics.
4.5 stars.
My 8 year old's first real experience of more than one narrator in a book. And we listened to this, though in some ways it was easier this way, with different actors portraying characters and easily separating them.
It's a great story, with SO much for discussion. At a school near the Grand Canyon, a genius-level student invents a machine that can do his homework, and shares this with the other three kids he sits with.
The brainy kid is very different to the girl trailing him for grades, the boy with an army dad who hates homework and the girl desperate for a belly button ring. But the stereotypes are soon revealed to the reader/listener as anything but, they each have their own story and life, we get to know them all, as well as their young and inexperienced teacher.
The entire story takes place in the form of police reports, each character dictating their story of the homework machine to an officer, again a great technique for young readers, as it puts the whole story in the past with both the former actions/speech shown but also the character's current thoughts.
We both loved listening to this, and ended up talking quite a lot about the ethics and use of a homework machine. Sam, son of an army dad, also plays a lot of chess throughout, which we liked hearing about as my son too enjoys playing chess.
The range of voices gives an accurate representation of the pre-teen characters, and each sounds very different to the others. It didn't take us long to know who was talking and who they each were.
I believe there are other stories in this series, but I quite liked the way this ended. Using an audio version to access the story did work well for this format, and saved me trying to make the voice of each character sound different if reading aloud.
One for ages 7-12.
4.5 stars.
My 8 year old's first real experience of more than one narrator in a book. And we listened to this, though in some ways it was easier this way, with different actors portraying characters and easily separating them.
It's a great story, with SO much for discussion. At a school near the Grand Canyon, a genius-level student invents a machine that can do his homework, and shares this with the other three kids he sits with.
The brainy kid is very different to the girl trailing him for grades, the boy with an army dad who hates homework and the girl desperate for a belly button ring. But the stereotypes are soon revealed to the reader/listener as anything but, they each have their own story and life, we get to know them all, as well as their young and inexperienced teacher.
The entire story takes place in the form of police reports, each character dictating their story of the homework machine to an officer, again a great technique for young readers, as it puts the whole story in the past with both the former actions/speech shown but also the character's current thoughts.
We both loved listening to this, and ended up talking quite a lot about the ethics and use of a homework machine. Sam, son of an army dad, also plays a lot of chess throughout, which we liked hearing about as my son too enjoys playing chess.
The range of voices gives an accurate representation of the pre-teen characters, and each sounds very different to the others. It didn't take us long to know who was talking and who they each were.
I believe there are other stories in this series, but I quite liked the way this ended. Using an audio version to access the story did work well for this format, and saved me trying to make the voice of each character sound different if reading aloud.
One for ages 7-12.
protoman21's review
4.0
An entertaining book...nice to see the story fold out from the different perspectives. Nothing ground breaking here, but kids will eat it up.
vibingjaren's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I found it a little weird about how much romance was in this book. These are 5th graders, I don’t think they should be dating. Especially since they paired it up as nerd x nerd and less smart kid x less smart kid. like people who are of two different intelligence can’t date. Other than that it was a nice and short read. The characterization was pretty good. I just feel like it could go without the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and War
stephxsu's review
3.0
I thought this was book was just okay, in that it dragged on for me by the middle and all the way through to the end. But we had some pretty good discussions on this book for my EL410 class. Of course the kids were all wondering about how, exactly, Brenton created such a machine, but there was also lots of discussion about the 4 students' similarities, differences, and growth over the course of the book, and there was even some discussion about chess vs. war! So this was one of those cases where I didn't really enjoy it because I wasn't the target audience, but the target audience did like it, and even clamored to read the sequel.
sallyavena's review against another edition
3.0
A good book about 4 kids becoming friends and how they help each other. I didn't like that it was continually jumping from person to person. For me it made it hard to follow the story and feel connected to any of the characters.
tiffanywang29's review against another edition
5.0
It was actually really good. I like how it told the story from everyone's point of view.
kmcneil's review against another edition
4.0
Reading level: 4.8
Interest level: 4 - 6
Themes to be aware of: Divorce, death of a parent, "going out" (i.e. dating) in fifth grade, cheating, honesty, friendship
From School Library Journal:
Gr 4-6-Fifth-grader Brenton is a computer genius, but the other three members of his work group think he's a nerd. So, when he tells them that he has invented a machine that does homework, they taunt him until he agrees to demonstrate. The machine actually works, and Kelsey, Sam, and Judy convince him to let them use it. At first, they are delighted with their freedom, but things quickly get out of hand. Their teacher is suspicious of the suddenly errorless work, and other friends resent the time that they spend together. The dynamics within the group are stressful as well. Judy, a talented student, feels guilty about cheating, but is pressured to excel. Kelsey is concerned that her friends will shun her for associating with "nerds," but her improved grades earn privileges at home. Wisecracking Sam makes fun of Brenton but needs his help in playing chess by mail with his dad, who is serving in Iraq. The children gradually begin to bond, especially after Sam's father is killed in combat. Eventually, their secret causes conflict with the law. The story is told entirely through short excerpts from police interviews. This device shows the developing relationships through the kids' own observations. There are touches of humor in the way the four classmates talk about themselves and one another. Ominous hints about the legal trouble maintain tension throughout the story, but its exact nature isn't revealed until near the end. A dramatic and thought-provoking story with a strong message about honesty and friendship.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Interest level: 4 - 6
Themes to be aware of: Divorce, death of a parent, "going out" (i.e. dating) in fifth grade, cheating, honesty, friendship
From School Library Journal:
Gr 4-6-Fifth-grader Brenton is a computer genius, but the other three members of his work group think he's a nerd. So, when he tells them that he has invented a machine that does homework, they taunt him until he agrees to demonstrate. The machine actually works, and Kelsey, Sam, and Judy convince him to let them use it. At first, they are delighted with their freedom, but things quickly get out of hand. Their teacher is suspicious of the suddenly errorless work, and other friends resent the time that they spend together. The dynamics within the group are stressful as well. Judy, a talented student, feels guilty about cheating, but is pressured to excel. Kelsey is concerned that her friends will shun her for associating with "nerds," but her improved grades earn privileges at home. Wisecracking Sam makes fun of Brenton but needs his help in playing chess by mail with his dad, who is serving in Iraq. The children gradually begin to bond, especially after Sam's father is killed in combat. Eventually, their secret causes conflict with the law. The story is told entirely through short excerpts from police interviews. This device shows the developing relationships through the kids' own observations. There are touches of humor in the way the four classmates talk about themselves and one another. Ominous hints about the legal trouble maintain tension throughout the story, but its exact nature isn't revealed until near the end. A dramatic and thought-provoking story with a strong message about honesty and friendship.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.