The Fran That Time Forgot (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist) [Hardcover]

Jim Benton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist (Book 4)

It's time...for a change!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 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
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From the Publisher

Franny K. Stein is not your average girl - she's a mad scientist. She prefers poison ivy to daisies, and when Franny jumps rope, she uses her pet snake. The kids in Franny's class think she's weird, wacky, and just plain creepy. Let your readers decide for themselves when they read these fabulously funny stories.

Spotlight is a division of ABDO Publishing Group. Grades 2-5. Each Spotlight edition is printed on high-quality paper. We use the original publisher's files to adjust the book's layout so no artwork or text is near the gutter for our reinforced library bindings specifically printed for the library market. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; First Edition edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689862946
• ISBN-13: 978-0689862946
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Franny K. Rocks!, August 5, 2005

By 

N. Bilmes "bookaholic" (Vernon, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fran That Time Forgot (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist) (Hardcover)

I'm a 2nd grade teacher who firmly believes that as long as a child is reading a book, then that book is a good book! I don't care if it's Captain Underpants, The Day My Butt Went Psycho, or Charlotte's Web. The only way children are going to become good readers is by practicing reading. The best way to make a child a happy reader is to give that child a book he or she is happy to read.

My son is going into second grade and is a relucant reader. He knows how to read, is good at it, but just doesn't want to do it. Jim Benton's Franny K. series is helping to change that. We just finished reading this entry, and my son was more than eager to help out with the reading so we could find out what happened next. The words might be a little difficult for most beginning readers, but the pictures are great, the chapters are short, and lots of funny things happen.

I'll be using the Franny K. series in my classroom this year, and firmly believe it'll help lots of reluctant readers become better readers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A 4 star review!, November 18, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Fran That Time Forgot (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist) (Hardcover)

I read Franny K. Stein - The Fran That Time Forgot by Jim Benton. It was a wonderful story. The main character was Franny and the setting was in her house where she made crazy inventions. Franny is a mad scientist who is just a kid. The invention that she made was a wristband that could make you go back in time.

The problem was that Franny's inventions were good, but her parents did not like them. They were terrified of them. The other problem was when Franny had gone back in time to her childhood, she told the little Franny to change her name to something different, but instead she switched her doll into a four-eyed elephant. Sadly, when she went back in time to her teenage years she had a different looking house and when she saw the Franny that time forgot she was stunned. She had invented a machine to clone the elephants to overrun the planet!

My favorite part was when Franny voice activated a cheese launcher to shoot a big cheese ball into her hand and then she stuffed it into the elephant's nose. I liked it because Franny is a mad scientist and she comes up with new inventions. Other people would like this if they were into funny and humorous books.

I have read another book by the same author, but this one was more interesting.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Chapter Book for Hungry Young readers, September 6, 2005

By 

Wisconsin Dad (Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fran That Time Forgot (Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist) (Paperback)

This is the first young chapter reader series I purchased for my 6 year old, and she loves it. The story is about Franny, a girl that is learning to adapt to other kids and their lifestyles. She is very awkward in the process, of course, as she is a mad scientist.

Franny loves science, and underlying this story is the theme that it's ok for a girl to be a geek. Don't be worried about the "mad scientist" bit. Franny isn't evil. She is a dabbler, liking bats and boogers, bugs and inventions.

The Franny series has captured my daughter's imagination. It is creative, unique, and something my daughter reads almost every night on her own. Franny has fueled my daughter's fire for reading.

There are no real scary aspects to the story. The monsters are silly, like huge lunch meat sandwiches, or fifty foot cupids.

If you are looking for a fascinating chapter book that captures your child's imagination, try Franny K Stein. My daughter wants more books! I have bought her the entire series, and she can't put them down. Her reading ability is growing in leaps and bounds!