Frankie Sparks, Third Grade Inventor:
In the first book, Frankie is super excited when her teacher announces the class will be getting a class pet. Her aunt is a rodentologist, so when the teacher gives them parameters about how large and expensive the pet can be, Frankie thinks she has the perfect idea. She has two problems: her idea doesn't meet one of the pet parameters, unless she can use engineering to solve the problem. Worse, her best friend Maya doesn't seem very enthusiastic about Frankie's idea.
This is the first book in this series.
Frankie is often impatient and shown to be disappointed when she can't charge ahead with her ideas, whether it's a class discussion or a whole-class project. The adults in her life are almost all extremely (perhaps unrealistically) patient and helpful, and none of them give her answers, but support her to solve problems and try different strategies - both for the engineering design process and friendship.
At about 125 pages, which include well-spaced text and occasional illustrations, this is an accessible book for third graders and it deals with increasing independence and the pursuit of ideas, which is developmentally right on track for many students this age. At the end, the book has a "Your Turn to Be the Inventor" section.
Book 2: The Talent Show Trick
Book 3: The Big Sled Challenge
Book 4: Lucky Charm
" 'I took all these notes and I'm ready to make my argument, but Ms. Cupid says I have to wait. I have to wait for everyone else to do research and make their own arguments. It's not fair.'
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