about the book
Ellie doesn’t like change. She misses fifth grade, her best friend, and her dearly departed gold fish.
So, when her mother brings home a strange boy who’s bossy and cranky, Ellie isn’t too pleased. She’s already had enough change while starting middle school. But, the boy looks a lot like her estranged grandfather, a scientist obsessed with immortality.
That’s because the thirteen-year-old-boy is her grandfather! He discovered how to reverse his age!
Taking advantage of the opportunity to get to know her grandfather, Ellie learns a lot about scientific discoveries and their consequences. What are the consequences of her grandfather’s reverse aging process?
about the author
Jennifer Holm was born in California and raised in Audubon, Pennsylvania. A neighbor recalls watching young Jennifer rake the yard with one hand while holding a book in the other, reading nonstop.
Being the daughter of a practical pediatrician father, Jennifer decided to pursue international studies at Dickenson College. She took a very practical job at an advertising agency as a broadcast producer and writer. And then her life changed when a relative sent her a copy of her Finnish-American grand-aunt’s diary. It inspired Jennifer to write Our Only May Amelia which won a Newbery Honor. Her practical dad called her to say, “I think you should take this writing more seriously!”
After writing the Babymouse series, the very first graphic novels for children, with her illustrator brother Matthew Holm, she went on to write a mystery series co-authored with her husband, several historical novels, and a book inspired by her Italian relatives, for which she won her second Newbery Honor.
Jennifer lives with her husband Jonathan Hamel, their children Will and Millie, and cat Princess Leia Organa in northern California. The best part of writing, Jennifer says, is that she can do it in her pajamas!
Sources:
Author biography: Amazon
Author biography: Wikipedia
Author interview: Miss Erin
Book trailer: The Fourteenth Goldfish
Also by Jennifer L. Holm:
The Babymouse series. Random House Books for Young Readers. 2005-2016.
Sunny Side Up. Graphix. 2015.
The Squish series. Random House Books for Young Readers. 2011-2015.
Comics Squad : Recess! (Comics Squad, Book 1). Random House Books for Young Readers. 2014.
The Trouble With May Amelia. Atheneum. 2011.
Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf. Ginee Seo Books. 2007.
Penny From Heaven. Random House Children’s. 2006.
Boston Jane : The Claim (Boston Jane Trilogy, Book 3). Harper Collins. 2004.
Boston Jane : Wilderness Days (Boston Jane Trilogy, Book 2). Harper Collins. 2002.
Boston Jane : An Adventure (Boston Jane Trilogy, Book 1). Harper Collins. 2001.
Our Only May Amelia. Harper Collins. 1999.
read more!
The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler
Auggie is excited to be starting the school year in a new school, in a better part of town. But her new classmates make her question the way her family lives for the first time. Then the city’s House Beautification Committee deems many of the houses in her neighborhood, including her own, are in violation of their standards. Determined to make her home more beautiful, Auggie and her grandpa make improvements using found and discarded materials.
Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea by Anna Humphrey
Ruby has taken second place at her school science fair for the last two years, and she’s determined to win this year. When Ruby finally thinks of an idea that is sure to win, she ignores everything else in her life, even her best friend! How can something simple turn into something so complicated?
The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
May Amelia’s father thinks that girls are useless—and she’s determined to show him he’s wrong. When a gentleman is interested in buying their land and making the family rich, Pappa asks May Amelia to translate. But when the deal turns out to be a scam, Pappa places all the blame on May Amelia! How can she make things right?