Wednesday, October 18, 2017

#RBRT Read and Review: Garbage Collectors: Stories for Young Engineers by Mike Grabois


·         Title: Garbage Collectors: Stories for Young Engineers
·         Author: Mike Grabois
·         Published: 2017
Garbage Collectors: Stories for Young Engineers is a middle grades book about kids who use their own ingenuity to solve their problems and improve the world around them.
Image via Amazon.

When I first saw the description for Garbage Collectors, I wanted to get a copy as soon as possible! Garbage Collectors is a collection of short stories about heroes and heroines who do not have anything extraordinary or magical happen to them, but they positively change the world around them by using their intellect.  As the author points out, the process of solving problems is not just a mental exercise.  It involves all of them. While solving problems, the characters experience “anger, happiness, sadness, ecstasy, amazement and more.” 
The collection features six short stories that feature Jack and his cousins Alex and Ria.  The trio face realistic problems that they attempt to solve such as pollution, the impact of natural disasters, and even a creating a new science attraction for an amusement park. Throughout all the stories, the characters are positive role models who seek feedback on their ideas and willingly incorporate and build off of the input of their peers and mentors. Some of the characters struggle with the courage to voice their ideas for solutions. And the intelligent Jack sometimes thinks his friends are just using him for their own benefit. But ultimately teamwork wins out. They rely on one another for emotional and intellectual support to successfully impact their world.  
I heartily recommend Garbage Collectors to any middle grades student for two reasons.  First, when I was a student, I didn’t have the faintest idea what an engineer did. Garbage Collectors provides clear examples of how science class can translate into action in the real word outside the classroom.  Second, even if the reader has little interest in engineering, the team dynamics in each story are surprisingly realistic and reflect issues that all types of professional and academic teams can relate to. 
My one disappointment is that some character and setting descriptions Garbage Collectors tell rather than show. Sometimes characters and settings are explained in general terms, or the details can get confusing. Some of the stories are stronger than others when it comes to character and setting descriptions, but overall a worthwhile read I highly recommend to middle grade students and teachers.
Star Rating: 4/5 Stars

Garbage Collectors: Stories for Young Engineers is available to buy as a paperback from Amazon UK or Amazon.com.
Star Rating: 4/5 Stars
Garbage Collectors: Stories for Young Engineers is available to buy as a paperback from Amazon UK or Amazon.com.
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Thanks for reading! This is another #RBRT review.  Thanks to Mike Grabois for sending me a free paperback copy to read. If you enjoyed this review, please share or follow for more book reviews.

-Brittany

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much Brittany, this isn't a genre I delve into but it is important for those at this learning age.

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