The Impossible Shrinking Machine: And Other Cases

Gr 3–6—The first two books in this series initiate a reboot of the Einstein Anderson character who first appeared 30 years ago. He's still 12 years old, but now he sends texts and has a laptop. He lives for science, and he is able to spot a physics (or biology or chemistry) blunder from a mile away. Most of the mysteries are generated by Einstein's conniving friend, Stanley, who is constantly trying to come up with inventions that will make him a millionaire. But his inventions are scams, and it's up to Einstein to unveil the truth. Each book contains five cases, and each case concludes with an open-ended question that gives readers a chance to solve the mystery on their own. If it proves a bit too tricky, a quick turn of the page reveals the answer. There's also a simple experiment to go along with each case. Periodic full-page black-and-white line drawings depict the activities of Einstein and his cohorts, including his friend Paloma Fuentes, who is also a science whiz. While the illustrations add some visual spice, it's unfortunate that they reinforce the stereotype that kids who like science are glasses-wearing dweebs. Science-writing powerhouse Simon hasn't lost his knack for making science palatable for all kinds of readers. Watch out, Encyclopedia Brown, Einstein Anderson is back in town.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY