This book is delightful, fun and totally uplifting for any inspiring young female character who has a "YOU CAN DO IT", "GO GIRL, GO!"
mindset. This book landed perfectly on my lap for my new Unit of Inquiry on simple machines. My class students who are curious and great tinkerers, love the way how Maxine is determined to make her “impossible” situation work with her pet goldfish. Maxine perseveres to make sure Milton, her goldfish, enters the school pet parade.
This book reminds me very much of ‘The Most Magnificent Thing’ by Ashley Spires. Both talked about elements of having growth mindset. I love the way how the author described her experiences of failures in the inventing process, but managed to achieve what she had planned. Great message for my class students who are planning a project on designing a machine. It is a perfect book to let my young readers know that persistence and perseverance are the keys to making a project successful.
This phrase "If I can dream it, I can make it!" gave me the idea to design “A Machine Making Template.” Many of my students who are not social butterflies or outgoing like Maxine could relate to her and I could see their detailed elaborated designs.
I enjoyed reading books on invention for kids, like Rosie Revere (an engineer), Ada Twist (a scientist); these books always promote taking action and making things work like Maxine in this story.
I could visualise my students creating and tinkering, constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing, transforming their designs. This book combined with Rube Goldberg-inspired projects will remind children that failure is not the end, but just the beginning.
I would recommend this book to anyone who are fans of stories featuring girls with initiative and resourcefulness!
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