The possessive nature of friendship is a frequent theme in kid's books. We have the largely lonely kid with one good friend. That friendship is threatened by the appearance of another kid, one with different interests. This puts the protagonist on the office, plotting to get her friend back but eventually accepting the new presence. In this book we have the addition of STEM exploration, an element that is a natural and vital part of the plot. It is simple ad easy to follow. A solid choice for a beginning chapter book reader.

Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship was the perfect blench of science and friendship. Parker loves science and so does her friend Cassie, but what happens when the Science Triathlon comes around and Cassie invites someone else to join their team? Parker knows science and is confident that she can discover all the answers using the scientific method. She learns how to make and manage friendships, do a team best in the science triathlon and even give a few new people a chance.
I know a lot of young readers who will love this book and series.

Chapter book about a science-loving girl learning to make new friends while competing in a Science Triathlon. A good readalike for kids who've enjoyed "The Questioneers" books or the "Ada Lace" books.

I received an electronic ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group through NetGalley.
Parker Bell loves science and wants to be an award winning scientist like Jane Goodall and Mae Jemison. Her goal is to win the Science Triathlon with her best friend. However, her friend adds another person to the team and that changes the dynamics.
Parker doesn't want to lose her friend and doesn't understand that people can have more than one friend.
Platt brings out the joys and the difficulty of elementary level friendships as kids learn to cope with their own feelings and how to handle everyone else's feelings too. Her main character struggles to figure out relationships and turns them into a scientific experiment - terrific coping skill as she discovers that other people have many sides and interests.
An easier read for middle elementary level.

Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship is a fun book for all readers. Parker is a science nerd whose heroes are two famous female scientists - Jane Goodall and Mae Jemison. This fun obsession resonates throughout the story as Parker tries to become like her heroes. The STEM theme flows through the story so that as kids are reading the adventure they also gain a bit of science knowledge. Parker enters a school science contest in which she must work with a team - her BFF and a boy she can't quite figure out. With three challenges to complete the threesome must learn to work together and share ideas. So many sub-themes in this story - friendships and relationships, kindness and cooperation along with the desire to try take on challenges and try hard things. Easy to read format makes this a great independent read but would be a great book to share with a classroom of students to spark engaging discussions and maybe even a few experiments along the way.

Parker Bell is super excited. Today is going to be the biggest science announcement at school ever. She loves everything about science and cannot wait to grow up to be a famous scientist like one of her science heroes. Jane Goodall, famous for her work with gorillas and Mae Jamison, the amazing astronaut are her two favorites. She has pictures of them in her bedroom, which doubles as her Mad Science Lab. She loves making things like the automatic feeder for her guinea pig, Algebra. But sometimes gets in trouble with her experiments. One time she took the toaster apart to see how it worked and couldn’t put it back together.

Soon the best day ever turned sour from the start. Why is Theo sitting in her seat on the bus instead of her best friend Cassie? She hasn’t liked Theo since he messed up an experiment in class with her and she got the lowest points ever. The science announcement doesn’t happen until the very end of the school day. And then, they announce that three kids have to be on a team for the Science Triathlon instead of two. Why can’t it be just her and Cassie, they would crush it. But now what will happen now that Cassie adds Theo to the team without even asking her?

The three children will have to get along to win this competition, but Theo will hardly speak to Parker. Strangely, he talks to Cassie all the time. Is Parker going to lose her best friend? She is determined to not only win the Triathlon, but also run a side experiment to see if she can become a better friend with Theo in the process.

This chapter book has great ideas and lessons for grade school kids. It encourages science, friendship and learning. The examples of great scientists such as Goodall and Jamison will spark further interest and discussions with your child. There are nods to sharing, not always coming in first as well as recycling. Youngsters will also enjoy the guinea pig and chicken facts. The overall information at just the right level for a chapter book is perfect.

I hope Ms. Platt plans to bring back Parker and her friends. A new series starring these characters would delight me as well as countless kids and the adults that care about them.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman.

Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship by Cynthia Platt is a wonderful story of determination, resilience, friendship, teamwork and competition. The science connections are great and add to the adventure of the story. Parker is a wonderful role model who has great science idols. She navigates the journey involved in the science triathlon while feeling the competiveness of sharing her BFF with another classmate. You will laugh and share the nervousness as they prepare for their science competitions. This is fantastic read for the budding scientist that may be lurking in our classrooms or our own families. A must-add title for school or home libraries!

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.