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May 21, 2015mmcbeth29 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
SUMMARY: A young girl sets out to prove 11 experiments that unfortunately fail and some that have some pretty bad consequences. One such experiment is "Do dogs like to be covered in glitter?" ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created with a mix of pen and ink and digital work. There are real items inserted among the drawings giving them a more 3D look. The pictures are quite nice, full of interesting details for older readers and fun. THE GOOD: This book starts out really well with a funny experiment of whether a person can live off snow and ketchup. It doesn't take long before the girl has both a sick stomach and brain freeze. Several more enjoyable experiments follow. THE NOT AS GOOD: The experiments then become not so funny. She throws Bologna that hits a teacher, she steals her mother's perfume, she offends her mother's guests (making them leave the house), She breaks a basket full of dishes, and then she floods the house after trying to flush a bottle down the toilet. This girl looks to be about 8 or 9 years old. Old enough to know better. When my children were between the ages of 4-6, they engaged in this kind of scientific "inquiry" that lead to consequences. But by the time they were in first grade, they knew not to put dishes in washing machine. This author started out well, but couldn't seem to help herself from throwing in what I would consider to be simply bad behavior. Where are the consequences for what the girl does? Whether it is in the name of science or not, the child should not have free reign to do whatever she pleases without facing the consequences of her actions (I would consider this part of the scientific method as well since scientists face consequences for their mistakes). AGE RECOMMENDATION: Best age group for this story would be 2nd and 3rd grade