The
Chapter Books
Frankie Sparks, Third-Grade Inventor
Ivy and Bean meets Alien in my Pocket in this start to a brand-new chapter book series about Frankie Sparks, a third-grader who uses her love for science and math to help her solve problems she comes across in her daily life.
Written by Megan Frazer Blakemore
Illustrated by Nadja Sarrel
Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet
The best thing EVER is happening in Frankie Sparks’s third grade class: They are getting a class pet! Their teacher, Miss Cupid, tells them they will vote on their pet, but it has to meet some “parameters.” Their pet must:
1. Fit in aquarium.
2. Cost less than $50.
3. Be easily portable.
4. Be able to be left alone for the weekend.
Frankie thinks that a rat—just like the rats in her beloved Aunt Gina’s lab—would be the perfect fit. But her best friend, Maya, doesn’t think a rat would be great at all. They are kind of gross and not as cool as a hermit crab, which is Maya’s top choice. Using her special workshop, can Frankie find a way to convince her teacher and her best friend that Team Rat is the way to go?
Reviews:
"As a chapter-book protagonist, Frankie is pleasingly well-developed, with a full range of emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. ... A pleasantly complex early school story." - Kirkus
"Perfect as a tie-in to STEAM curricula and for readers who enjoy Betty Birney’s Humphrey series and Cleary’s Ramona. Highly recommended." - School Library Journal
Honors:
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Cybils Winner, Early Chapter Books, 2019
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Bank Street College of Education, Best Children's Books of the Year
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Texas Bluebonnet List 2020-2021
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Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award List 2020-2021
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Oxford (Maine) Elementary School All School Read
Read all the Frankie Sparks books!
Frankie Sparks & The Talent Show Trick
It’s time for the annual school talent show, and Frankie is excited to audition with her magic act! She wants to be just like her idol, Adelaide Herrmann, Queen of Magic. But on the day of the audition, Frankie’s best friend and Magician’s Assistant, Maya, gets a big, scary case of stage fright! How can Maya be Frankie’s helper on stage if she can’t bring herself to speak in front of their audience? It’s up to Frankie Sparks to invent just the perfect thing to help her best friend cope with the spotlight!
Honors:
Bank Street College of Education, Best Children's Books of the Year
Frankie Sparks & The Big Sled Challenge
Frankie Sparks can’t wait to enter the town-wide sled design contest. With the help of a team, she must design and build a sled using only cardboard and duct tape. And there are PRIZES!
Frankie Sparks & The Lucky Charm
Frankie Sparks can’t believe her best friend, Maya, actually believes in leprechauns. So, she sets out to prove that they don't exist. It's one of her toughest challenges yet! How do you prove that something doesn't exist?
