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Brain Man and Double Trouble Ditto Box by Betty Jo Schuler (Mid-Grade Readers)
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Featured Author: Molly http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin, http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead 20+ years classroom teacher Another Fun Read
Recommended
4. 5 stars
Red haired, green eyed inventor Randy O'Rourke is back. This time his invention is a ditto box that can copy anything. When Randy's best friend Jake Silverman get the secret signal by telephone he rushes over to see the new invention. And the boys begin to copy, homework, Jake's baseball mitt and even his dog Asthma. But almost as soon as they copy the friends realize something is wrong, the machine copies backwards unless you are very careful when you put the thing inside, not only that, Asthma's clone Sneeze loves Jake, not Randy. When Mom tells Randy he must baby-sit his little sister Randy decides to copy Suzy. Now there are two whiny three year old little sisters for him to contend with. And his trouble has only begun. Now the box has gone crazy and makes 48 copies of everything before one by one the copies begin to disappear.
Former elementary school teacher turned writer Schuler gets right inside the thinking of ten to twelve year olds as she writes her engaging series featuring Randy O'Rourke. As with the first in the series, Double Trouble Ditto Box also is made up of fast paced eleven chapters sure to captivate kids of the target age. Boys and girls alike will find much to enjoy in the story of a clever boy and his determination to beat the odds and find the easy way to take care of homework, baby sitting and other responsibilities facing him.
One important lesson taught in Double Trouble Ditto Box 'Imitation rarely comes up to the standard of the original'. Schuler presents another well developed work in Double Trouble Ditto Box, reader interest is piqued right from the opening lines when we find Randy putting the finishing touches on his latest invention. Reader interest is held fast as we read the various problems and 'solutions' Randy encounters before he finally comes to understand that sometimes there are no easy ways out and we must simply do what is expected.
Vocabulary used in Double Trouble Ditto Box centers on the target audienceof middle grade readers. The narrative will appeal to 8-9 year olds having strong reading skills, and will be enjoyed by the 10-14 age group as well. Double Trouble Ditto Box is sure to prove an asset to the home and school library where it will be used for pleasure reading as well as fill a need for use in a classroom unit about responsibility and thinking ahead.
Enjoyed the read, Happy to recommend.
Featured Author: Angie Dobson for In The Library Reviews (http://www.inthelibraryreview.com/SchulerBettyJo.html) Randy O'Rourke has made some great inventions in his young life, but this one has to be the best ever. After seeing a baseball mitt his friend Jake had, he decides to make a copy machine. He doesn't want flat objects, but things he can use. After setting his mind to the task, he creates the perfect solution, a ditto box. Calling his best friend, Jake, over to test it out, he decides to first duplicate his math homework. When that works, he makes copies of everything he could want a double of: homework, dogs, toys and even his little sister, Suzy!
Even the best inventions have their downfalls. Suddenly, Suzy and her new twin are not getting along, his new dog likes his best friend better, and his mom is not happy with the additional chores that go along with a bigger family. Just forty-eight hours later, Randy finds the biggest flaw in his invention. Everything he has "dittoed" disappears after two days! Randy wonders how to explain to Suzy that her new toys and twin must go away, and how can he explain homework disappearing after its been turned in to the teacher.
Double Trouble Ditto Box is another great creation by Betty Jo Schuler. Her imaginative stories for the middle grade students are full of lessons learned through Randy and Jake's escapes into the science fiction world. As they boys learn they must do their own homework or be accused of cheating, each child will remember the lessons learned.
Ms Schuler is the author of 11 E-books, many for middle grade children. They are full of life lessons and humor. Randy O'Rourke has to be one of her best creations, as he brings the science fiction world alive for kids who love to read at a young age. For readers who enjoy reading about the world of inventing with Randy, check out her other children's novel, Brainman
DOUBLE TROUBLE DITTO BOX by Betty Jo Schuler is a charming story. This book is about a young boy named Randy O-Rourke, and his sister? ¦I should say, sisters. Randy cleverly invents a machine that he named "Ditto Box". This machine copies and makes a duplicate of anything Randy and his friend, Jake, put into the box. Once, Randy wished that he had a baseball glove just like his friend Jake's, so he put the glove into the machine and out came an identical glove. Pleased by what Randy had invented he tries out the copying machine on doubling pizza, doubling games, doubling school work, and even doubling Jake's dog, Asthma. But when Randy decides to copy his little sister so she'd have someone to play with, he learns what trouble the "Ditto Box" can actually be.
Twozy, is his sister Suzy's twin sister, who acts, whines, laughs, and plays just like Suzy herself. Angry that Randy doubled whiney Suzy, and told him that from now, he will be babysitting two whiney girls instead of just one. Now Randy wants to know if he can somehow get rid of pain #2. But how?
I highly recommend DOUBLE TROUBLE DITTO BOX by Betty Jo Schuler. My ten-year-old son, Nicholas, loved reading this book. While reading, I'd overhear him giggling.
Featured Author: Christina Lewis, freelance writer and owner/editor of http://www.kidsbookshelf.com - a children's literature website, and http:/ Randy O'Rourke liked to invent things, and his latest invention was really cool, a Ditto Box. The Ditto Box would make a copy of anything that was put in it. Randy and his friend Jacob soon have a blast copying things - like their homework, Jacob's dog, and candy bars. They even make a copy of Randy's three-year-old sister because she wanted a playmate. But when things start to get out of hand Randy begins to think it's not such a great invention after all. And what will they do when one by one the copies begin to disappear? Randy soon learns one very important lesson - that "imitations are never as good as the real thing."
"Double Trouble Ditto Box" is a fun and exciting story that all kids will enjoy.
Featured Author: Angie Dobson for In The Library Reviews (http://www.inthelibraryreview.com/SchulerBettyJo.html) Randy O'Rourke invents gadgets to make his life easier. His goals include building the perfect robot to do his chores and homework. After a whole summer of tinkering, he finally comes up with an invention that he can program to his every wish. In searching for a name, Randy and his friend Jake Silverman, come up with Brain as the robot quickly does homework without errors. Brain does the dishes, baby-sits Suzy, Randy's little sister, pours juice, ties shoes, and does all of his chores until Randy's parents fear his brain will turn to mush!
What Randy's family and Jake don't know is that due to some glitches, Brain seems to have feelings that Randy does not know how to control. Jealous of Jake, Brain takes his baseball bat, and learns to play with Randy. Other glitches cause Brain to make messes in the household, as well as build a wall so Suzy is trapped in her own blocks. Randy always manages to fix the problem until one day, Brains sees a girl Robot at a local futuristic amusement park, Future World, and finally runs away to live with her. Randy has to learn to live without his best friend, and realizes that Brain has to go in order to be happy.
This is a great science fiction novel for kids! This novel, written for kids 9 to 12 will hold the reader's attention making them want a robot for their very own! In reading about the escapades Randy, Jake and Brain manage to get involved in, the reader will learn life lessons about cheating and letting schoolwork slide. As Randy learns that letting Brain do his homework causes him to fail tests, children will pick up on the reasons why homework is important. In my view, anything that makes kids want to do homework should be promoted to all.
Betty Jo Schuler has published eleven e-books, including another story about Randy O'Rourke and his inventions, Double Trouble Ditto Box. I look forward to reading her next story in the Randy O'Rourke series, available now. Ms. Schuler's children's and middle grade reader novels are sure to delight kids of all ages.
Featured Author: Molly http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin, http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead 20+ years classroom teacher Fun Read
Recommended
4.5 stars
Red haired Randy O'Rourke is a pretty normal kid: he doesn't much care for chores or homework. He does enjoy hanging out with his best friend Jake and he enjoys tinkering with things. Randy has already invented an injector to fill hot dogs with mustard, a page turner for turning pages of books, and a self cleaning fish bowl. So, what does Randy do? Why he builds himself a robot, of course. He builds himself a robot to do his chores and homework. And this is not just any old robot but a robot with blue glass eyes, a heart carefully painted on his chest and himself polished until he sparkles.
This is Brain a robot whose blue eyes glisten when he feels hurt, red heart glows when he is praised and communicates by 'mind talk' with Randy. Not only that, Brain blinks when he is touched. Before long Randy is getting excellent marks on his homework and all his chores are done to perfection. On the other hand Randy is failing tests in his classroom and Mom and Dad are concern because Randy has too much free time to spend with Jake or injust sitting around and doing nothing. Mom is worried that Randy isn't kind enough to the robot, and Dad is concerned that Randy's muscles will turn to mush.
Brain has been programmed to do many things when glitch after glitch begins to appear. It doesn't take long before Brain is out of control and Randy must face some facts about both his robot and himself as well.
In Brainman Writer Schuler has crafted an inviting tale sure to appeal to the funny bone of kids in the 10-14 year old set. Boys and girls alike can identify with Randy and his dislike for having to face his home and school responsibilities. Few kids relish either chores or homework. Schuler quickly sets the scene with Randy, Brain and Jake, Jacob Silverman, introduced from the outset. Randy's parents and little sister Suzy appear within the first ten pages. Brain's possibilities those programmed and those appearing on their own as well as his increasing glitches appear immediately.
Schuler draws the reader into the tale set down in Brainman with Randy's description of Future World, an amusement park where he got his idea for having a robot of his own. Reader interest is maintained as Brain begins to show a personality of his own and Randy is forced to deal with realities of what he has created.
Vocabulary used on the pages of Brainman is well within the scope of most middle grade youngsters. The PDF, format is easily used. Brainman should fit well into the free time reading program for the classroom, home schoolers and kids' own pleasure reading as well as having value for a unit on responsibility and thinking ahead. Intuitive thinking and anticipating outcome are attributes often underdeveloped or completely lacking in most youngsters. Brainman may prove a valuable tool as parents and teachers guide youngsters toward critical thinking for anticipating outcome to action.
Enjoyed the Read, Happy to recommend.
Featured Author: Jennifer LB Leese for ASTORYWEAVER'S Book Reviews (http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff/aswbr.html) 4 1/2 stars
Immediately Betty Jo Schuler sets the scene, and establishes the main character--all within the first few paragraphs.
In this well-written story, Ms. Schuler teaches the reader about the right and wrongs of young adulthood, and the responsibilities that go along with it. Through the eyes of her life-like main character, Randy O'Rourke and his best friend, Brain.
Randy likes to build robots. Brain is his newest creation, and Randy hopes that Brain can be just as good, if not better than the robots at Future World, an amusement park where robots do all the work. Brain finishes Randy's schoolwork, he does Randy's chores; all that he was programmed to do, plus more. Brain begins to show some serious glitches in his programming as time goes on. His hilarious escapades will keep you smiling as you read chapter after chapter. Brain is out of control!
Featured Author: Christine Spindler for Ebooks for Kids (http://www.dreamwater.com/spindler) Randy O'Rourke is like most boys: he doesn't want to do his homework and his chores, he'd rather play baseball all day. So he builds a robot who'll do it all for him and calls him Brain. But he hasn't reckoned with Brain's rebelliousness. Not even emergency "brain surgery" (I love that pun) can stop Brain from developing glitch after catastrophic glitch and finally falling in love with a female robot at Future World.
What is more, Randy has trouble at school. His homework is always a perfect A, but his tests suck because he can't send Brain to school in his place. With some reluctance he understands that it's about time for him to take responsibility for his life again.
No other writer knows how to dive headlong into a story the way Betty Jo Schuler does. Within just a couple of paragraphs she establishes the setting, the main character and the fun she's about to dish out generously. She gets better and wittier with every book.
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Margot Finke
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