The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School (Paula Wiseman Books) [Hardcover]

Judy Sierra (Author), Stephen Gammell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Paula Wiseman Books

Students, heed this little rhyme:

When it's science project time,

Do not make goop,

or glop,

or grime,

And never mess with

mutant slime.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–A nameless girl needs an idea for her science project. Her solution is to go on the Internet, where she comes across Professor Swami's Super Slime–a mutant yeast with just a piece of dragon DNA. Of course, she orders it and doesn't follow the directions on the box: do not open until the science fair, then feed the slime sugar until it expands to 1000 times its size and watch it explode into a harmless cloud of gas. The child finds herself with a large, green, slimy glob that begins to grow and swallow those who are rude to it: her cat, which hisses; her dad, who complains of a smell; her third-grade teacher–Eeew! What is that big, digusting creature?–and so on. Finally the child remembers the sugar and, once kids have pelted the goo with sweets and sprayed it with soda, it explodes. My project didn't win first prize, and that was fair...I guess..../Miss Fidget kept me after school to clean up all the mess. The watercolor, colored pencil, and pastel illustrations are typical Gammell–the girl bears a striking resemblance to the boy in Liz Rosenberg's Monster Mama (Philomel, 1993; o.p.), round glasses and all; she's just perfect for this slightly wild story. This book could be used as a jumping-off point for science projects–a little levity always helps during the science-experiment season.–Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. The title and the cover, showing a blackboard coated in drippy, Technicolor goo, give away the ending of this boisterous story, but that won't deter kids from reveling in the silly, gory details, which begin when a third-grader can't think of a science-fair project. While her classmates put the finishing touches on wildly ambitious experiments (a moonworthy rocket ship, a cure for a disease), the girl frets. Finally she comes across an Internet solution: "Professor Swami's Super Slime." She places her order, but when the stuff arrives, she accidentally releases it. Taking on a menacing life of its own, it devours everything in its path. Sierra's rhyming couplets create humor from the horror, spurring on the slapstick with references to "moldy underwear" and other dependable crowd-pleasers. The laughs and suspense are wonderfully magnified by Gammell's skew-angled, paint-splotched illustrations, which explode with fantasy and the familiar, messy details of a child's world. An energetic, darkly comic spin on the common story of a science project gone wrong. Pair this with Michelle Knudsen's A Moldy Mystery (2006). Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (August 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416911758
• ISBN-13: 978-1416911753
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 11.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #645,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in a very creative, book-loving family. My father was a photographer, and my mother was a librarian. They read to me constantly, especially poetry. When I was seven, they built me a puppet theater and I gave my first performance, "The Three Wishes." In college I studied literature, and afterwards I became a children's librarian. A few years later, I set out on my own as a puppeteer, quickly joining forces with another puppet artist, who became my husband. We studied traditional puppetry in Indonesia, and traveled all over the U.S. as teachers and artists-in-residence. About twenty years ago, I combined what I had learned as an avid reader and writer, as a librarian and children's entertainer, and began writing books for children. All of my books are meant to be read aloud and dramatized. To learn more about how each of my books came to be, please visit my web site: http://www.judysierra.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Hilarious, December 21, 2006

By 

The Daily Headache - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

I just heard this book read on NPR and can't believe how funny it is. It's the kind of book that adults will enjoy reading to kids over and over and over.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious tale., December 9, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

Judy Sierra's THE SECRET SCIENCE PROJECT THAT ALMOST ATE THE SCHOOL enjoys lively drawings by Stephen Gammell as it tells of mutant slime which nearly proves the downfall of a young scientist. A strange box of Super Slime for the science fair consumes cats, ants, and grows way too big: disaster is in the making in this hilarious tale.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Delight, January 21, 2007

By 

Barbara Fein "Book worm" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School (Paula Wiseman Books) (Hardcover)

It's one of the best childrens books in ages. I read it to my adult children (out of town) and friends. We all bought the book. It is one I don't mind being asked to read over and over.