The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world.For over a year, sound recordist Tom Lawrence has been capturing the sounds of Pollardstown Fen in Ireland. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white Nina appears to be Southeast Asian and Mr. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby.
Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.
The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.įriends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. The information is scattered-much like the scout bees-and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home.
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