A review by erine
Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo, by Greg Leitich Smith
3.0
This story appealed to me. Three kids in a science magnet school are stuck in an odd love/friend triangle while trying to compete in a science fair. There are struggles with culture, with grades and parental expectations, with unreasonable teachers and jerks. I liked how the bits of story came together, how the ending was reached just as it should be, but still had some twist, and the characters were kids I related to.
I think that readers who enjoy realistic fiction might like this, readers who are themselves feeling the pressure of expectation and the temptation to cheat. The love triangle is told more from a boy's perspective (two-thirds boy, one-third girl), so it's not the typical girl languishing for boy story. I think this would be a good all-around read for middle school students.
Academic dishonesty. Animal rights and protest.
I think that readers who enjoy realistic fiction might like this, readers who are themselves feeling the pressure of expectation and the temptation to cheat. The love triangle is told more from a boy's perspective (two-thirds boy, one-third girl), so it's not the typical girl languishing for boy story. I think this would be a good all-around read for middle school students.
Academic dishonesty. Animal rights and protest.