Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo

Jon Scieszka's Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo is a funny science adventure for 8 year olds in which a plastic bag wrecks a robot and a kid genius decides to fix the planet.

What happens

It's the fifth Frank Einstein book. Frank, his pal Watson and their two robots are out in the Midville Forest Preserve. Klank, the big cheerful one, spreads his arms, takes a huge breath of fresh forest air and sucks up a stray plastic bag. It melts into his gears. He topples into a tree, and the tree lands on him.

Frank rebuilds him on Grampa Al's farm out of whatever's in the barn. Klank ends up with a pitchfork hand and tractor-tread feet, and his new brain doesn't know about doors (he bounces off the barn door every time someone mentions food).

Meanwhile someone is chopping down trees in the preserve, digging for coal and drilling for oil. A boss with a bullhorn keeps shouting "Faster, faster, faster!" Who's behind it? Watson is SURE it's their old rivals, T. Edison and Mr Chimp, and goes to hammer on their door with a baseball bat.

The science is everywhere, and it's all done for laughs. Frank and Watson ride a mechanical megalodon down through the layers of the Earth in virtual reality. The digging crew have to sit through a truly terrible training film starring a rapping lump of coal. And Frank's planet-saving inventions keep going wrong in the best possible way, with some very silly names. Who knew cow burps were such a problem? One machine collects them (and the cow poo too).

Klink, the small grumpy robot, gets most of the best lines. There's a lovely bit in the thunderstorm where Klank asks Klink if he's ever afraid and ends up hugging a teddy bear.

One thing to mention. Frank is very clear that the planet is in trouble. He talks about melting ice caps and cities disappearing, and his parents phone from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. A child who already worries about climate change might need a chat about it. Most will just enjoy Frank refusing to give up.

What to read next

If they've jumped in here, Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor goes back to the start. It's Frank's garage lab, a lightning storm and the night he tries to bring his first robot to life.