The Gadget War

by Betsy Duffey

Book Overview

Kelly Sparks is the undisputed gadget champ at Danville School. Then Albert Einstein Jones, an alumnus of Young Inventor's Camp, joins her class. Kelly could give up the gadget crown gracefully -but she'd much rather let the spitballs and smelly goo fly!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140348719
• ISBN13: 9780140348712
• Release Date: May 1994
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 74 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.0" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable

Genre & Age Series book. 3rd grade chapter book. Summary Kelly Sparks makes points with her classmates because she is the gadget whiz. When a new boy comes to the school, he calls himself the "read" gadget whiz. The two begin a gadget war, each trying to out-do the other. When the pair get into trouble for hitting the principal with an orange, they discover the real reason for rules--not hurting others--and that the "mean" principal has a sense of humor and is a real person.

fun and interesting book for young readers or the people who read to them

This is our first book by this author, but it won't be the last! It tells the story of Kelly, a clever third grader who excels at designing and making gadgets for any purpose. She is regarded highly by her classmates and teacher until a new student joins the class -- a boy who not only designs gadgets himself, but almost instantly gets the class laughing AT Kelly. How their gadget war escalates, and how it's eventually resolved, is handled brilliantly by the author. Duffey not only shows creative problem solving, but she adds a little philosophy, too -- all still accessible to the early reader! With humor and thought, Kelly grows up a little and makes a new friend. This is fun for students and people who read to students, and the plot revolves around a female protagonist who can still appeal to boy readers. Highly worthwhile and extremely enjoyable, at 75 pages of large type, this is a great introduction to longer fiction for young readers.

Very Popular in the 3rd grade!

My 3rd-grade class all got to read this book because it's short and fun. It is on our Accelerated Reader list, and we all loved it!