Mind Games

by Jeanne Marie Grunwell

Overview

Thus reads an article in the Waverly Times, which is Exhibit A in this fresh and inventive story about ESP, friendship, sisterhood, and the ties that bind. Told by the characters themselves, Mind Games crackles with personality and reveals how each student tries to prove that ESP exists and what he or she discovers along the way. Funny and engaging, the individual voices are right on target, revealing the complex relationships and characters of the members of the Mad Science Club. Here they grapple with life, death, love, and the lottery—all before they reach the eighth grade!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547349176
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/22/2006
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
Lexile:	760L (what's this?)
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jeanne Marie Grunwell has fond memories of her eighth-grade science fair project on ESP. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two black cats.

Table of Contents

Exhibit A	Waverly Times	7
	Experimenter Comments	8
	Introduction	9
Exhibit B	Paranormal Pursuits: Astrology	18
	Research	23
Exhibit C	Paranormal Pursuits: Telepathy	31
	Problem	36
Exhibit D	Paranormal Pursuits: Clairvoyance	41
	Hypothesis	46
Exhibit E	Paranormal Pursuits: Out-of-Body Experiences	52
	Experimentation: Part One	55
Exhibit F	Paranormal Pursuits: Dreams	99
	Experimentation: Part Two	101
Exhibit G	Paranormal Pursuits: Life After Death	114
	Conclusion
117
120
123
125
126
	Sources	127
	Acknowledgments	129
	Addenda to Contents
Exhibit H	Clearview Gazette	130
Exhibit I	Waverly Times	132
Exhibit J133

Editorial Reviews

An inventive format and a cast of memorable characters distinguish Grunwell's debut novel, set in the rife-with-drama milieu of a seventh-grade classroom. Faint echoes of John Hughes's classic teen film The Breakfast Club can be heard as a group of disparate students find themselves participating (most of them not by choice) in a supposedly elective science class, referred to as the Mad Science club. As they embark on a science fair project to prove if ESP exists, the various members-among them recent Russian immigrant Marina, deep-thinking-jock Brandon, and hardworking Claire and her brain-damaged twin Kathleen-discover plenty about how their own minds work and how they relate to other people. Grunwell's framework, of a project report with sections written by different students, gives each Mad Scientist a distinct voice, allowing readers the opportunity to deduce much more than what's on the page. Though it may take readers a few passages to see what the author is doing, they will quickly be caught up in the rhythms of the scientific method as Grunwell applies it here. The story flies by, leaving readers eager for more. Ages 10-14. (Apr.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 5-8-Six seventh graders find themselves working together on a science-fair project on ESP when they all sign up for an elective called "The Mad Science Club." This novel, written as short entries told in alternating voices, is a collaborative effort submitted to their teacher, complete with hypothesis, research, recorded experiments, and personal commentary. Through the students' narratives, readers learn about their families, problems, and relationships with one another. Club members include identical twins; Claire is in all honors classes, while Kathleen is in special ed. Claire explains, "The first thing I did in this world was to almost kill my sister-." Ji used to be Claire's best friend, but has moved on in middle school causing awkwardness and resentment between them. Marina is a Russian immigrant who has only been in the country one month. Brandon is dealing with his mother's death and firmly believes in ESP as his younger brother foresaw the accident that killed her. Ben, a "science geek," is wrestling with his own demons. His mother left the family, remarried, and now has a new baby. It is his idea to put the group's ESP skills to the test by purchasing a series of lottery tickets. Not only do they win $500, but they also capture first place in the county fair. The book, which includes charts, newspaper clippings, and test data, is a fast-paced and fascinating read. It's safe to predict that it'll be a winner, too.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

The six members of the Clearview Middle School Mad Science Club are inadvertently brought together during an after-school registration snafu. Claire Phelps, twin and mentally challenged sister, Kathleen, and friend Ji Eun Oh are all signed up by science teacher, Mr. Ennis, after being sent to the office for a classroom disruption. Brandon Kelly, still grieving his mother's accidental death, wants to be in basketball but is placed in Mad Science by the principal who is also his grandmother. Marina Krenina, newly arrived from Russia, with minimal English skills that prevent her from understanding the application, is assigned to the club after she copies the only interested and science-oriented participant in the group, Benjamin Lloyd. The club's charge is to prepare a science project for the school's fair in January. After much complaining and lack of interest, the group settles on the subject of ESP and whether it really exists. Newcomer Grunwell has created a short character-based plot using a variety of formats similar to the cleverly created scenarios by Kate Klise (Regarding the Fountain, 1998, etc.). Each student's unique personality and emotional situation are briefly explored through the contributing reports, data, and newspaper articles for the science project. Unlike the mystery, suspense, and humor that Klise provides, this story lacks a compelling theme to maintain an interest even as the last half neatly ties all the students and their thoughts together through their conclusive results for their winning project. A good source list of actual adult and children's publications related to the subject is included as part of the report's bibliography and will be appreciated by thosewho remain curious and attentive enough to read through the whole story. (Fiction. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews

An inventive format and a cast of memorable characters distinguish Grunwell’s debut novel…The story flies by, leaving the reader eager for more.” Publishers Weekly, Starred “The book…is a fast-paced and fascinating read. It’s safe to predict tat it’ll be a winner.” School Library Journal “Newcomer Grunwell has created a short character-based plot using a variety of formats similar to the cleverly created scenarios by Kate Klise.” Kirkus Reviews “A fine debut from Grunwell, this novel about newly opened minds may very well prove mind-opening.” Horn Book Guide —

From the Publisher