Jennifer L Holm
The Fourteenth Goldfish
Stealth Science
Why this book counts
- Life Science
- Human Body & Health
- Story / Adventure
Ellie's scientist grandfather returns as a teenager after testing an extraordinary treatment for aging, turning family life into a comic scientific dilemma. The plot makes readers weigh evidence, unintended biological consequences, scientific ambition, and whether a discovery should be used.
The science inside
- Medicine & Health
- Scientific Discovery & Careers
Your child will meet:
- An extraordinary biological claim requires controlled evidence, replication, and scrutiny beyond one dramatic result.
- An intervention in a living system can have effects beyond the outcome its inventor intended.
- Responsible science considers who might benefit, who might be harmed, and whether a result should be applied.
- Learning how earlier scientists questioned accepted ideas can help new investigators frame their own questions.
Use it this way
Parent effort: Quick discussion
Believe in the possible . . . with this New York Times bestseller by three-time Newbery Honor winner Jennifer L. Holm. A perfect read about a child's relationship with her grandfather! Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer. Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far? Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this gawky teenager really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility. Look for EXCLUSIVE NEW MATERIAL in the paperback--including Ellie's gallery of scientists and other STEM-appropriate features. And don't miss the much-anticipated sequel, The Third Mushroom! "Warm, witty, and wise." -- The New York Times * "Written in a clean, crisp style, with lively dialogue and wit, this highly accessible novel will find a ready audience." -- Booklist, Starred * "Top-notch middle-grade fiction." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred * "Ellie's memorable journey into the world of science will inspire readers to explore the world around them and celebrate the possible." -- Shelf Awareness, Starred "Awesomely strange and startlingly true-to-life. It makes you wonder what's possible." --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Reach Me 25 STATE AWARD LISTS including the Sunshine State!
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