Ellie loves to solve problems by building solutions. For instance, when the neighborhood boys won’t let Ellie and her friend Kit join in their soccer game, she designs and builds a water balloon launcher and soaks them! When she hears that Kit’s mom is going to get Kit a dog for her birthday she decides to build her a dog house for her birthday present. It’s going to be her biggest project yet and will require help from a lot of other kids. Can she keep this project a secret from her very best friend until Kit’s birthday party?

This book incorporated a STEM aspect into it without hitting the reader over the head with it or getting too technical for the intended age group – two through fourth grade. Ellie loves projects but she’s a well-rounded kid with tons of personality. She likes tea parties too. I liked that before she started a project, she sketched it out and that the sketch was included in the book. That’s really helpful for readers like me that have trouble picturing those types of things in their heads. I’ve never seen a home-made French braider before! There is also a handy dandy illustrated glossary of tools at the end. I think this book will appeal to girls and boys alike, no matter how handy they themselves actually are. It’s a great story that shows that girls can be into more than just dolls and tea parties. Highly recommended. ( )

I was not a fan of much of the grammar and wording in this book, but it was nice to see a character modeled after a young aspiring engineer, but somehow Ellie did not feel completely realistic. But perhaps it was meant to be a bit fantastical. Perhaps in the manner of Roald Dahl? Further evidence of this in the part where Ellie's mother says:
'If anyone gets electrocuted, come find me, OK?'

eeeeeeee

A little odd, a little creepy, but without addressing it in the story itself. Kind of a question mark.

*eARC Netgalley*
( )

The story begins with Ellie Bell in her workshop, getting ready to engineer a creation that will pay back the neighborhood boys for keeping her and her best friend Kit out of their soccer game. Ellie's creation works and the boys are soon soaking wet! But she's always planning the next project - and that next project is going to be an amazing doghouse for Kit, after she and Kit overhear Kit's mom saying (they think) that she's finally getting her longed-for dog.

If only Ellie Bell could engineer her relationships as easily as she engineers things with wood and screws! She soon discovers that she needs more help with her doghouse, but she can't ask Kit, her usual companion in engineering. She finds herself teamed up with Toby, the ringleader of the boys, and the crafty girls' group. But none of these groups get along and Kit is starting to wonder what Ellie's up to. Can she make an awesome doghouse, some new friends, and figure out how to keep everyone happy?

Most of Tuesday Mourning's illustrations are sketches from Ellie's notebook, mechanical drawings, and illustrations of her interesting creations. Ellie is shown as white on the cover and the race of the other characters is not shown. At the back of the book are brief descriptions of the different tools Ellie uses and how readers can use their own tools.

Ellie's story is a little didactic; it's hammered (heh) home rather heavily that she likes both building things and cute dresses; her best friend Kit enjoys being in pageants and playing with fashion, but also likes building things with Ellie. For this age group, though, they need things spelled out explicitly. There's a lot of different interests shown and Ellie appears as the glue that sticks together all the different groups; the boys who like to build things and play soccer, but also feel bad that they aren't invited to the fancy tea party, the girls who like to decorate things and are crafty, but think that building things might be fun too. Ellie reflects on how mad she was when the boys wouldn't let her play soccer because she's a girl and realizes that they feel left out too when they aren't invited to the tea party. This is an over-simplification of a complicated issue, but it's presented in a way that makes sense to kids.

Verdict: A fun STEM-themed book that reminds girls they can like what they like - be it engineering, crafts, fashion, or all three. While it has a rather pat ending, kids will delight in the coming together of all the loose threads, the creation of new friendships, and the surprise happy ending.

ISBN: 9781681195193; Published January 16, 2018 by Bloomsbury; ARC provided by publisher; Purchased for the library

Ellie is a smart, young girl who likes "boy stuff" and "girl stuff". She likes to build and create things, play soccer, get dirty, wear pretty skirts (with her tool belt, of course), and have tea parties with her best friend, Kit. Ellie has a notebook where she keeps track of all her projects including the water balloon launcher (which was a hit) and the French Braider (which was not a hit). Ellie likes to draw out her ideas first in her notepad and use materials found in her workshop or parents' garage (of course, always getting permission first). Her workshop is part of her swingset and holds all her favorite tools.

Ellie and Kit are excited about Kit's upcoming birthday tea party when they overhear (thanks to one of Ellie's contraptions) about Kit's present. That gives Ellie the perfect gift idea. But, she isn't sure she can pull it off by herself and keep it a secret from Kit at the same time. She enlists some help from some friends but the secrets get to be too much and instead of having fun, everyone gets mad. The day of the party arrives and Ellie decides to ask for everyone's forgiveness and to pitch in to finish the project.

I absolutely love this creative and fun story of Ellie and her friends. She is a bright girl with lots of ideas and will be inspiring to girls to create their own ideas. She teaches that it is ok to be friends with boys and girls and like all kinds of things. There are drawing in the book of Ellie's ideas and both in the beginning stages and finished. Ellie has some misses and that is important for kids to realize it is okay to make mistakes and keep trying.

This chapter book is the perfect level for middle-grade readers. There are lots of little problems to solve and silly things that happen to keep kids interested. There are also friendship dilemmas that offer lessons for kids when dealing with their own issues. I think Pearce has created a wonderful concept for a series and it is one I could see girls and boys enjoying! ( )