Jan's Big Bang [Paperback]

Monica Hughes (Author), Carlos Freire (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Formac First Novels

Jan and her best friend Sarah have visions of their home-made volcano erupting wildly in class, lava running down its sides as their classmates stare in awe.

They want to be the only Grade Three kids at the Science Fair, and their teacher Mrs. Nelson says they can go. But in her next breath she says, "just don't try the baking-soda-and-vinegar-volcano." They're devastated, but decide to look for another project anyway. Finding a safe Science Fair exhibit proves harder than they thought, but with the help of a box full of garbage and thousands of worms, they find an explosive solution.

Jan's Big Bang is a story about two extremely resourceful girls and the rewards they gain for persevering.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...such books teach young readers new words and they give young readers practice in developing automatic recognition of sight words, needed to help them attain fluency.
Jan and Sarah overcome each obstacle in a way that young readers will find satisfying and have just enough adventures to keep readers turning the pages. Carlos Freire's illustrations support the text with interesting details. (Canadian Childrens Literature )

"Jan is a lively character and her antics are funny." (Denise Parrott Canadian Materials )

"This book made me feel inspired to try science experiments... I recommend this book...because of the easy reading and the fun story." (Leah Weelaufer (aged 10) Whig-Standard )

"This enjoyable novel's centreal themes--protecting the environment and the importance of perseverance--are well developed. The book is also quite humourous. The fact that the two budding scientists are girls is another plus, given that the disciplines of math and science are sometimes still considered to be male preserve. Recommended." (Dorothy Golke Canadian Book Review Annual )

"It is very difficult in this genre to find good books, with good writing and believable characters. Hughes has succeeded admirably... join Jan and Sarah on their adventures. You'll get a big "bang" out of it." (Lethbridge Herald )

"...the novels in this series provide good transition material for children who are moving from picture books to novels. Children who read these novels all by themselves will, like the narrators, feel justifiably proud of themselves." (Barbara Novak London Free Press )

About the Author

CARLOS FREIRE lives in Toronto. He is an illustrator who apprenticed with a leading muralist in his native Chile. He has illustrated numerous books that have been published throughout the world.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Formac (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887803849
• ISBN-13: 978-0887803840
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,889,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( H ) > Hughes, Monica

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny! Highly recommended!, November 19, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Jan's Big Bang (Paperback)

This is a story about grade three kids, Jan and her friend Sara. They are doing their science project for school. Anyway, you should read this because it's so good.