Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head - Hardcover

Nancy Viau

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810972999 ISBN 13: 9780810972995

Publisher: Amulet Books, 2008

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Samantha Hansen is a mad scientist. But not the crazy kind—she doesn’t blow stuff up or mix potions or dissect bugs. She just loves science—especially rocks—and figuring out how the world around her works. But there are some things there just isn’t a scientific answer for. Like, why can’t her bossy big sister keep her hands off Sam’s rock collection? And why can’t Sam control her temper? There are some bigger questions, too, like why did her father have to die? And why won’t her mom talk about him anymore?

 

When Sam’s mom announces a family trip to the Grand Canyon, it’s a dream come true. But it’s also a challenge: If Sam can’t learn to calm down and ignore her irritating sister, she’s going to miss her chance to see one of the world’s biggest rocks and maybe find the answers to some of her questions.

Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head is a hilarious and touching debut that introduces an exuberant new character who studies the world around her as she discovers what is in her own heart.

 

F&P level: S

About this title

About the Author

Nancy Viau has written stories for numerous children’s magazines, including Highlights and Ladybug. This is her debut novel. She lives in Mullica Hill, New Jersey.

Reviews

Grade 3–6—Samantha Hansen loves studying rocks, so when her mother announces that she is taking Sam and her 15-year-old sister on a vacation to the Grand Canyon, the fourth grader is in heaven. First, though, Sam has to learn to control her temper—not an easy task when her big sister seems to delight in provoking her, and when a classmate taunts her at recess and causes her to end up in the principal's office. Sam's mother comes close to canceling, and it is only Sam's redoubled efforts to count to 10 when she knows that she is about to lose control that enable the plans to go forward. During the trip, Sam discovers more about the death of her father when she was younger, and she and her sister learn to appreciate one another a little more in spite of the ongoing sibling squabbling. Overall, Sam is an engaging and realistically drawn protagonist, although some of her mannerisms are a little too reminiscent of Junie B. Jones and what works for a first grader isn't as appealing in a fourth grader. Nonetheless, Sam's love of science is refreshing, and Viau does a nice job of incorporating information about the Grand Canyon and the study of geology into the story line. Readers will easily relate to Sam as she tries to make sense of the world around her.—Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
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Edition details

• Publisher: Amulet Books
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0810972999
• ISBN 13: 9780810972995
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192