Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can't wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit's birthday nears, Ellie doesn't know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit's mom talking about her present--the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don't get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet, all while keeping a secret from Kit?
Illustrated with Ellie's sketches and plans, and including backmatter with a fun how-to guide to tools, this is a STEM- and friendship-powered story full of fun!
My Review:
This book is fun and a fast read for a young reader, maybe 3rd to 5th grade. The main character has an awesome tool belt and tree house and tackles projects with enthusiasm. I love Ellie's personality and the idea behind the book... that we can all be ourselves and do things that we like to do, outside of "typical" for our gender or age. The drawings though-out the story keep it moving along quickly and are just right.
This is a STEM book... STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is important because it pervades every part of our lives. ... By exposing students to STEM and giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field. Google Feb 2, 2016These skills ought to be a part of our regular life and here's a book where they are! Young Ellie is smart and has tools... and uses 'em. Isn't that what we want our kiddos to be and have and do?! Practical, fun engineering... bring it on!!
About the Author:Jackson Pearce lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of a series of teen retold fairy-tales, including Sisters Red, Sweetly, Fathomless, and Cold Spell, as well as two stand-alones, As You Wish and Purity. As J. Nelle Patrick, she is the author of Tsarina. In addition to The Doublecross and The Inside Job, her middle grade novels include Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures, co-written with Maggie Stiefvater. Visit her at www.jacksonpearce.com and @JacksonPearce (Twitter and Instagram).
