October 15, 2021
Middle schooler Rube Goldberg's obsession with building machines lands him in the midst of a best friend crisis, a school haunting, and a town mystery. Though Rube shares the name of the famous American inventor, in this fictional story he is a regular 21st-century sixth grader. When Beechwood Middle School's Principal Kim announces the Contraption Convention, Rube sees his shot at earning real recognition for his passion. His best friends, Boob and Pearl, get pushed to the side as Rube becomes focused both on his creation and his new friend, Zach. Ultimately, Rube has to come to terms with tensions arising from his affectionate but frequently absent father, his tattered friendships, and the lingering impact of the death of his mother. Snider accurately conveys feelings of change and growth at a time when tweens are truly still children. Though the story includes a spooky doll, ghost slime, and a neighborhood house that is rumored to be haunted, those elements feel like afterthoughts with weak connections to the central plotline and little thrill factor. Steckley's black-and-white illustrations evoke the cluttered, mad-scientist feel of Rube's workspace, even if some don't always match the text's descriptions. Illustrations cue Pearl as Black and most other main characters as White. Moving parts and missing pieces don't make for a successful machine. (Mystery. 8-12)
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December 1, 2021
Gr 4-6-In a new series based on a fictionalized version of the infamous inventor, Rube Goldberg loves to create contraptions. With his dad working out of town all the time, his mom deceased, and his grandmother dropping off the occasional casserole, Rube is able to spend his days and nights working on projects. After a summer of isolated machine building, Rube starts sixth grade at Beechwood Middle School. When the principal of Beechwood announces the school's Con-Con, or Contraption Convention, Rube withdraws even more from his old friends Boob (yes, Boob McNutt) and Pearl Williams. Rube's new and unlikely friend, Zach, drives a wedge further between Rube, Boob, and Pearl, as Rube elects to spend time working on inventions with Zach to prepare for Con-Con. Suspicions mount, strange things happen, and friends say all the wrong things as the competition draws nearer. With the exception of the curse of a haunted doll found in the woods, a few supernatural disturbances at the school, and an international criminal disguised as the new science teacher, Rube's induction into the middle school experience will be highly relatable to kids making this transition. Lively cartoon illustrations convey the spirit of the characters, while italicized passages convey Rube's thoughts. Rube and Boob are cued as white, and Pearl is Black. VERDICT With middle school humor and entertaining images, Rube learns to navigate strange and difficult situations in this first installment of the "Rube Goldberg" series.-Lindsay Persohn, Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee
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