Fun follow up. I enjoyed returning to these characters and was glad the grandfather could return to a more mature version of himself.

Ellie is in seventh grade and is making her way through Middle School, she has a new best friend, Raj, who she shares BBQ potato chips with at lunch. She misses the type of friendship she had with Brianna in grade school, but seems to have found her niche. But then Melvin returns. Melvin is her grandfather, a scientist with two PhDs, but after an experiment caused him to reverse in age, he is now a fifteen year old and is back in Middle School pretending to be Ellie’s cousin. What will happen when Ellie and Melvin team up for the science fair?

Ellie and Melvin are back in this followup to The Fourteenth Goldfish. Melvin has been on the road for the past year and tired of it. He is also tired of "the puberty". So he and Ellie team up for the science fair. They have an axolotl that seems to have extra appendages so they feed bits of it to fruit flies to see what happens. Of course Melvin also experiments on himself.

Ellie is also dealing with the fact that her mom has remarried and her budding feelings for her best friend Raj. Should they become more than friends? When her cat Jonas gets sick, she and Melvin try to revive him with the axolotl to no avail. But is the axolotl having an affect on Melvin?

It was wonderful to revisit these characters. Melvin was just as awesome as the first time around and I truly enjoyed his budding romance with the school librarian and his angst about the puberty. I thought Ellie's situations were extremely realistic with maybe having feelings for a boy friend and resuming her friendship with an old friend. Things change in middle school. The part that really got me was the death of Jonas since I just recently went through the very same thing with my cat. That part seemed extremely realistic to me.

Ellie and Melvin are back! And once again, Ellie is going to school with her own grandfather, Melvin, who looks like a middle school student but iacts like a much older man. It can be very embarrassing ... but there are some advantages, as well. For instance, doing a science fair project with a man who has two PhDs can be very educational. But stay away from the double date scene.

A fun, fast-paced story.

Cute book. Loved the characters and how they addressed so many topics from pet loss, to divorce, to friendship, to every day life. My students will love this sequel.

E ARC from Netgalley.com



Ellie's grandfather Melvin, who turned himself into a teenager in The Fourteenth Goldfish, has gotten tired of traveling and has returned home. He's antsy, not being able to drive, and not having fun with "the Puberty" since he is always tired, hungry, and can't tell everyone he has TWO PhDs. To make him happy, Ellie convinces him to join her in a science fair project, which gets him into the new science labs. Experimenting on fruit flies with a specimen of an axolotl that seems to have grown two more legs. Will feeding bits of the animal to the fruit flies cause them to regenerate? In the meantime, Ellie has to deal with her mother, who is a drama teacher busy with plays, and her stepfather, who designs video games, and also visit with her father. Her best friend, Raj, (who knows the truth about Melvin) starts to look more attractive to Ellie, and the two go on a movie date, which doesn't go well, and Ellie has to realize that they are really better off as friends. Her former best friend, Brianna, is friendlier to her than she has been, which is a nice surprise. Sadly, not all changes are good ones, and when Ellie's cat Jonas is hit by a car, she and her grandfather are not able to save him. Even though the science fair doesn't go very well, the experiment with the axolotl has some unexpected consequences.

Strengths: The characters are delightful and wonderfully nuanced. Ellie has a lot to deal with, but does really well... most of the time. She becomes sidelined by the sort of things that can happen to many middle school students-- friend trouble, boy trouble, and the death of a pet. These are all real concerns that can be devastating to young readers and should be treated as serious. I liked that the mother was around and concerned but also had her own life. Melvin... Melvin is great. His budding romance with the local librarian made me cry! The science fair is a nice touch, and it's great to see an author want to write a STEM book because it speaks to her.
Weaknesses: The death of Jonas was handled well EXCEPT it was a bit odd that we don't know quite what happened. Was he hit by a car. I realize that this was so that they could inject him with the axolotl and have some hope, but it somehow bothered me.

What I really think: I really enjoyed both of these books, but after reading this one, it occurred to me that one of my reluctant readers had the first one checked out for a REALLY long time, and I have to admit that they are a tiny bit slow. I'm definitely purchasing, but not handing to any super reluctant readers. I know that Holm is better known for Babymouse and Sunny Side Up, but I always love her middle grade fiction. Boston Jane! Great stuff.

Not as good as The Fourteenth Goldfish, I still enjoyed it though., many students love the first book so I will buy it for the library.

I loved this story about Ellie and her ups and downs in middle school. Ellie is interested in all things science and pairs up with her scientist Grandpa (who is now in the body of a fourteen year-old as the result of a science experiment from the last book <I>The Fourteenth Goldfish</i> and has aged backwards) for the science fair. She also has a crush on her best friend Raj and must deal with the death of her beloved cat Raj.
With short chapters that make this accessible for all readers, what's not to love?
This book was provided to me for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sequel to the 14th Goldfish. Grandpa Melvin is back! She has to deal with his craziness as he tries to keep himself occupied in middle school-- as a man with two PhDs. It was a humorous book with Melvin (known as her cousin) and her friends all trying to navigate through the maze of school and projects.

In the sequel to the Fourteenth Goldfish, Ellie and her grandfather Melvin are teaming up for the county science fair. Some things remain the same, like grandpa eating everything in the house and some things are changing, like Ellie friendship with Raj. Holm hits a home run with this sequel that is filled with friendship, heart and laughs.

Melvin is back! If you read 14th Goldfish, you'll know his back story but even if you didn't, this book will work as a stand alone. I'm a huge Jenni Holm fan and this book did not disappoint. Great discussions could ensue with STEM/STEAM fans, too!

Jennifer Holm has a hit in her sequel to The Fourteenth Goldfish. The Third Mushroom is a smart and funny continuation of Ellie’s, and her grandfather Melvin’s, mixups and mishaps as they pilot their way through puberty, middle school, science fairs and friendship.

This had everything that I loved about The Fourteenth Goldfish. Ellie, Raj, Melvin, and Brianna all play a big part in this one.

Melvin is back from his travels, and moves back in with Ellie and her mom. Things have changed; Ben moved in, Ellie got a cat, and Raj and Ellie are best friends. Having Melvin back is awesome for Ellie. She really missed having him around. When Mr. Ham announces a science fair, Ellie wants to sign up and work with Melvin on science again.

This book was less about science and more about life while still introducing the reader to more scientists. I loved the list of scientists at the end. That was really cool.

I can't wait to share this with my book clubs that have read The Fourteenth Goldfish. Every year that we read it they ask if there is a sequel, and now I can finally say yes!!

Interest Level: 3-6

Imagine that your grandfather is in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy and goes to the same middle school as you do. How would you react? Well, Ellie actually loves spending time with her grandfather. And them being in the same school is a bonus when they get to work together on the county science fair project. In The Fourteenth Goldfish Ellie's grandfather, Melvin, discovered how to reverse time and become a teenager again. In The Third Mushroom, they stumble upon a way to grow missing body parts. Will this win them the science fair? Will Melvin stay in a teenage body forever? And what about middle school life? Can Ellie navigate friends, boyfriends, and a grandfather all at the same time? Read this fun and enjoyable book from Jennifer L. Holm!

Ellie is such a likable character, and Melvin is a hoot! I was curious about their science experience with the axolotl and was a little worried about the outcome-what did Melvin do?! The author does such a wonderful job of creating empathy for Ellie and sharing the difficulties of being a seventh grader that readers will enjoy this book from the first page until the end.

I really, really enjoyed this book! Student who have read the 14th Goldfish (which was a Global Read Aloud a few years back) are sure to enjoy this sequel! I love that all of the characters are back and found the book just delightful! At the end, Jenny Holm a a blurb on each of the scientists listed. I thought that was really awesome! This book would be good for above grade three, as there is slight romance in it.

This book was just as fantastic as the Fourteenth Goldfish. I read it aloud to my eight-year-old, who had not read Goldfish, and my twelve-year-old who had. They both enjoyed it a lot, so you can definitely come to it as a stand-alone. It's got a wonderful blend of family and friendship issues, together with the humor of the fantastical element, and the interest for kids who love science. And I love the way it resolved!

I was so excited to learn that there was a sequel and this one did not disappoint! Ellie and her grandfather Melvin are back in a new adventure as the team up to conduct an experiment together. Middle grade readers are going to be lined up for this one.

If you loved The Fourteenth Goldfish, you'll love The Third Mushroom. This book follows the story of Ellie, a science loving eleven, her theatre director Mom and her thirteen year old grandfather Melvin. Melvin is as irascible as ever but "grows up". Even if you thought their story was finished at the end of The Fourteenth Goldfish, you'll enjoy how all the story's threads are tied up in The Third Mushroom.

Having loved The Fourteenth Goldfish, I was excited to find out there was a sequel. I forgot how much I loved Melvin and Ellie! This is a fantastic book of friendship and discovery with truly lovable characters. So much to feel good about in this book. Students will love this! Sure to be a big hit in my elementary library.