The Fouteenth Goldfish - Jennifer L. Holm #2

          One of the books I have chosen this summer for summer reading is the New York Times Bestseller The Fouteenth Goldfish by author Jennifer L. Holm. The story takes place in modern day California where 11 year old Ellie lives with her drama teacher Mom and has just entered middle school. THe new year starts out difficult for Ellie, her fommer best friend Brianna has ditched her for volley ball, and even her babysitter quit for a job at the mall. One night, when everything seems normal, a boy shows up at her house, he is is arounder her age and immeadiatly starts acting synical and asking odd question about school and other things about the famillys stabillity. After waching a few secounds of him argueing with his mom, Ellie realises he reminds her of someone else, her scientist grandpa, Melvin Sagarsky. Melvin then explains that after years of reaserch on essentintally the fountain of youth, a man in austrailia had found an odd jellfish that resembled one called T.nutricula that has regenitive powers and can revert its age, but this one was larger. after hearing of Melvins work on reversing senescence (Or ageing) he shipped the mutant to melvins lab where Melvinused it to revert his age. However Melvin was kicked out of his lab before he could explain who he was to the guard. Melvin has no choise but to go to school untill everything is sorted out. While going to schol with your grandpa can be odd at first, Ellie quickly gets used to it and it everything becomes normal, not to mention that melvin has been teaching her of famous scientists that have lived before her and Ellie herself starts to pick up a nack for science. her one friend brianna is gone but in her place, Ellie befriends two new people, her lab assistant, a girl named Momo and a goth kid named Raj. Eventually Melvin starts planning ways they can sneak into his lab and get the T.melvinus (as he named the jellyfish). Melvin decides to tell Raj about who he is in hopes that Raj could help. After Manny failed attemps, the 3 finnally manage to sneak into the labratory and steal the specimen. Finnally, back at home, Melvin is working with the specimen, getting it prepare to show off, while Ellie starts thinking of other scientists who have changed the world and she thinks about Oppenhimer (The leading developer of the atomic bomb). Ellie realizes that while his invention won a battle, it started a war. The atomic bomb would be continuessly used for a lot later, takeing more and more lives and causing more and more damage. Ellie realises that the T.melvinus could have a simmilar fate. She thinks about the old walking with the young, no one dieing, all the confusion and chaos the could unravel, she runs to tell Melvin about the consequenses of what he is doing are. after initially disagreeing, Melvin finnally decides, for the fate of hummanity, do throw away the specimen. The story end with Melvin going to travel to country (something he has always wanted to do) and Ellie becomeeing best friends with Raj and Momo and other happly ever after things.

         A few connections I have to this book are 1: The main quote in the book says "Believe in the possible" and first of all some many things like that are told to people their entire lives that if you put your mind to itanything is possible, and I agree with that. Throughout my life, when ever i have cared for something and work hard to get it, I have successeded. 2: Like Ellie, I also descoverd my love for science and tech soon after being expossed to it (like kinder garden) and I also admire Famous scientists like Newton and Salk 3:It uses real history so i guess i can connect it to science and history class.

         I really would recomend this book to many differtent people! 1: If you are looking for a good laugh, characters like Melvin can often be hilarious, after all he is a synical scientis grandpa trappend in a teenage body with a splash of teenage attributes. 2: If you want to find something that will grab you, I could hardly put the book down. 3: if you are looking for great characters, there is a wide range, from a nice goth that is obssesd with acniant egypt, to drama parents. 4; if you want to learn about the people and events that shaped today,this is a fun way to learn or remember.