Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Fran With Four Brains - Jim Benton

The Fran With Four Brains
By: Jim Benton
Published: 2006
Audiobook Read by: Michele O. Medlin
My rating: Delightful

This children's book was a lot of fun to listen to with my kids! Jim's imagination is wonderful and we loved the crazy off the wall story as it unfolded!

Fran is a fun little girl who gets a little carried away. Jim has created a great character here and the lessons she learns in this book are lessons that most of us should learn! When Fran tries to make her life easier by cheating at her studies, the entire world almost has to pay the price. Her mother also learns the valuable lesson that striving too hard for excellence can end up robbing us of the part of our lives that truly is the most excellent!

We also loved Egor, Fran's "lab" assistant. He shows us what loyalty should be, willingly offering himself up to save Fran. Fortunately, he doesn't have to stay as a tuna fish sandwich too long!

Jim's imagination in this plot is nothing short of wonderful. He told us a story that made us laugh while at the same time driving home some important lessons. Fran, being the mad scientist that she is, thinks that all of her woes can be solved if there were just more of herself to go around. When she puts her plan into action, she never thinks that she is putting her family at risk! In the end, she and Egor are able to contain the problem and she learns her lessons well! The final chapter is a touching end to this fun book that left us knowing that Fran and her mother are going to be happier than ever!

We listened to the audiobook read by Michele O. Medlin. Her performance was as wonderful and full of fun as the book itself. Her voice and manner were perfectly suited to the tone of the story. She did a great job conveying the workings going on in the mad scientist brain of Fran. I would gladly listen to another of her performances!

Overall, this was a great book and the kids loved it! The next time I wish there was more of me to go around, I'll think of Fran and be content with the way I am!

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