Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Yes, I was supposed to post yesterday, but I was poopered by the time I could have–and it works out, because I finished reading Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea to my 11-year-old tonight, and now I can review that and take it back to the library tomorrow. Wahoo! We actually had the book in our house because my oldest picked it out for herself at the library…several years ago. I kept thinking that it was so short I’d go ahead and read it first and get it to her any day now, any week now, any month now, ANY YEAR NOW–you get the picture.

I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

At any rate, it was pretty short for her younger sister at this point, but it was just her thing–a school story defined by an emotional, relationship-driven component–and short makes for an easier read-aloud during the school year, anyway. Ruby Goldberg is determined to win gold at the science fair this year as well as cheer up her grandfather, whose beloved dog just died. Can she build the perfect Rube Goldberg machine while learning how to balance what’s most important in her life? Her growth is satisfying, and although the story arc is compressed into less than 130 pages of actual text, it worked for me. Middle elementary schoolers–especially those interested in gadgets of all types–should enjoy this one.