Phineas L. MacGuire . . . Erupts!: The First Experiment (From the Highly Scientific Notebooks of Phineas L. MacGuire)

My granddaughter said the book was funny and we loved doing the experiments included at the end of the book. Great for promoting interest in STEM.

This is a good book. It is a short and easy to read with fairly large print. However, it contains one of my biggest pet peeves, grammatical errors. I hate grammatical errors even if the author is trying to make it sound like a kid is speaking. There are numerous I and me errors as well as a smattering of other errors like real versus really. I read this aloud to my 7-year-old. Grammar is so much easier to master if you know what is correct simply because it sounds "right" so I do not want my girls to hear it incorrectly. I tried to correct as I read. I found that super irritating.I also thought the plot was a bit disjointed and lacking. It started out fine and we were definitely drawn into the conflict between Mac and the new kid. Then as soon as Mac and Ben become friends, the book just sort of looses steam and meanders into boring and pointless. It felt like random scenes were just thrown in that did not advance the overall plot. For example, one day in class the students heard a knocking noise in the art closet and when Mrs. Tuttle opened the door they found that all the art supplies were missing. Turns out the custodian moved all supplies because he found paint spilled in the closet. Mac and Aretha solve the mystery of the spilled paint when they discover paper gnawed on by mice. That's it. Next scene Ben and Mac are putting the finishing touches on their science fair project. The plot never links back to the art supply closet. Several other times in this book the Chekhov's gun principle is not followed and we are introduced to irrelevant scenes such as the art supply closet episode. Overall, we found the book a bit lacking.

The story is very appealing for young boys who may not like reading. My son, who has dyslexia, was found reading the book. It is a daunting task to get him to read. The print is large, and the book is light enough to be brought to school. The cover illustration too perks up the kids's interest. The inclusion of science experiments is another factor for sustained reading interest for the book. Altogether a good read.

I have a 4th grade boy who would rather do almost anything than read. He read this book in less than a week. I read it before him, just so I could quiz him. The book was funny, cute, and heart-warming. The author really understood how kids see friendships. I like books that have a moral, and if this book has one, it is about the importance of giving someone a second chance and to use a cliche "not judging a book by it's cover."

What a fun read, sure to please even those who are reluctant readers. It has everything a young person could want -- exploding volcanoes, a haunted closet and boogers! Another plus -- it is a very fast read. I laughed out loud as I read the antics of Mac and his friends. I can't wait to read it to my fourth graders. I know they will enjoy it as much as I did. I'm ordering the next two books in the series.

With a writing style similar to Beverly Cleary, Frances O'Roark Dowell captures the elementary school spirit with Phineas L. MacGuire's realistic personality. This is a sweet book about friendship, both humorous and sincere. Phineas is an interesting protagonist, a scientist with believable kid commentary "erupting" from his strong sense of self. This is the kind of story kids should read, to find themselves in the pages and to laugh at the common concerns associated with growing up.

I'm so happy to find a book where the parents are neither perfect nor stupid! The kids are smart or have other equally weighted strengths and talents and they speak pretty much as real kids do. The story doesn't always go where you think it will, which is refreshing, and the pace is perfect.

The Phineas L MacGuire book series is so much fun! Got them for my elementary reader and enjoyed them myself!! Strong, smart, diverse characters.

Another reading challenge book for BC