It’s second semester time and you just might have a science fair project in your near future. In case you are searching around on the internet for project ideas, I thought it might be best to recommend this read first – so you turn a critical eye towards any too-good-to-be-true science fair project kits. It’s The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate My School.
E checked this book out years ago from the library, one book in a stack of others. The night we read it we were hooked, reading it several times over, and then again each night until the books had to be returned. We have since purchased the paperback version, and the other night E chose it from the shelves. Perhaps F has heard it before, but she didn’t remember it, and so we were excited to share.
This is one of those books where the story by Judy Sierra (brilliantly rhyming and slightly dark and extremely hilarious) pairs perfectly with the illustrations by Stephen Gammell. The main character is sitting in class, struggling with her lack of science fair inspiration, while all around her, brilliant classmates are churning out Nobel Prize worthy productions. In a moment of desperation she orders a kit off the internet, barely skimming over the fine print. The box arrives, and it (the contents inside) begins to grow, ingesting pets and then people in its path. Havoc ensues before the mess is finally contained, and then slowly, stickily cleaned up again. It’s one of the funniest books that we own.
I would put this book firmly in the category of ‘Kids Books that Parents Never Tire Of” – an important category indeed, especially since F came home from the library yesterday with an unedited pile of eleven Dora or Diego books. Fabulous.
This book is perfect for kids ages 4-12. Fantastic illustrations, not too terrifying (I mean, the swallowed are eventually set free), and just the right read before you dive into your own project this spring.
Find these titles at your favorite local independent bookstore. Happy reading!
