The Fran that time forgot

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Holy Humiliations! When the heroine first introduced in Lunch Walks Among Us wins the Science Fair Award, the principal proudly announces the girl's full name: Franny Kissypie Stein in Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist: The Fran that Time Forgot by Jim Benton. As the girl tries to travel back in time to change her middle name, fallout ensues. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-Franny K. Stein likes to project a menacing image, so she is mortified when her classmates learn that her middle name is Kissypie. Embarrassed by all the teasing, she invents a time-warp device to travel back and change her birth certificate to read Kaboom. While she is in the past, she tells her infant self, "There is nothing worse than being laughed at." Unfortunately, Baby Franny takes the lesson too much to heart. When she decides to take a peek at her future self before returning to her own time, she discovers that Teen Franny is out of control. Determined that no one will ever laugh at her again, the adolescent super villain is out to conquer the world. Can Franny save civilization from herself? The short, deadpan text is just spooky enough for transition readers and the black-and-white cartoon illustrations add to the mock-gothic atmosphere. There is even a subtle message about courage and self-confidence. A great choice for younger readers who demand "a scary one."-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Horn Book Review

When everyone at school learns Franny's middle name (Kissypie), she becomes a laughingstock. Franny goes back in time to change her name, but her visit has disastrous consequences, proven when she time travels to the future and meets her evil teen-self. While the cartoon illustrations compete for space with the fast-paced text, both are rich in humor and personality. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Chapter 3: Franny Takes the Cake The announcement of the yearly Science Fair at school always filled Franny with mixed emotions. On the one hand, Franny loved creating new inventions and sharing them with others. On the other hand, Franny already had a long list of projects in her lab that she was anxious to complete. And on the other hand, it was always an extra challenge to create a project that the kids at school would appreciate. Wait a second, that was three hands. Well, this is Franny we're talking about. Franny explained it to her mom. "I want to do a good Science Fair project, but I really don't like to take time away from the other lab projects." Her mom smiled. "You can't have it both ways, Franny. You know what they say: You can't have your cake and eat it too." A wide grin came across Fanny's face. "You can't have your cake and eat it too? We'll see about that." Franny walked quickly to her lab, with the blueprint of her next creation beginning to form inside her head as she went. Copyright (c) 2005 by Jim Benton Excerpted from The Fran That Time Forgot by Jim Benton All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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