2018 Book Award Shortlist
The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving
About the Book:
Matilda loves science and inventing. Her heroes are Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison, and one day she wants to be a famous inventor herself. So when she doesn’t win the school science fair, she’s devastated – especially as the judges didn’t believe she’d come up with her entry on her own. Because she’s a girl.
When Matilda shares her woes with her Grandma Joss, she’s astonished to learn her grandma was once a scientist herself – an astrophysicist, who discovered her very own planet. Trouble is, Grandma Joss was also overlooked – her boss, Professor Smocks, stole her discovery for himself. And he’s about to be presented with a Nobel Prize.
Matilda concocts a plan. They’ll crash the award ceremony and tell everyone the truth! So begins a race against time – and against Matilda’s strict mum and dad! – on a journey through Paris, Hamburg and Stockholm, and on which they encounter a famous film star, a circus, and a wanted diamond thief…
Published by Penguin Random House
About the Author:
Ellie was born in Bristol, but raised in a hamlet on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea. Ellie’s passion for writing stories flourished aged seven, when her parents bought her a Petite Super International typewriter for Christmas, and there was no stopping her. After studying for a Broadcasting Degree at the University of Leeds, Ellie worked on a number of DIY and Garden programmes for UK Style. She then returned to studying and completed an MA in Screenwriting in 2008. She lives in London.
48 responses to “The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving”
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What a lovely read!
My favourite character is Granny Joss.
what a nice book!
I love the part when Matilda is on the boat.
The Matilda Effect is an excellent book and it is very ideal for people who have a good imagination and like creating things .
I have finished the book and I love it! It is so detailed and has a few cliffhangers.I highly recommend this to people who like mystery and exciting kinds of books .The Matilda Effect has to be one of the best books I’ve read!
I really like this book…My teacher thinks that I am really like Matilda in my personalities. I really recommend
this book
The Matilda Effect is a great book because it has so much science and nature in it and it is an amazing book. Her character is so adventurous and loves to explore.
The Matilda Effect is very inspiring and you never know what is going to happen next!
I think The Matilda Effect gives a lot of inspiration to children to become a scientist. The actual message in this story is that if you believe in yourself and persevere, anything can happen. So, be determined and reach for your goal as Granny Joss and Matilda did.
‘The Matilda Effect’ is a really good book for people who like adventure. This is a really good that anyone can enjoy. The way every chapter had me hooked on and I wanted to read more. I would give this book 10/10. This book really inspired me a lot to do more in Science.
This book is very good, and we think children should read this book.We think that children the age of 7 to 13 should read the Matilda effect.
I think Matilda Effect is one of the best books I have read. It is so imaginative and clever. My favourite part is when Matilda had the planet named after her – that’s very cool. I love how Matilda and her Granny Joss go on such an adventure to get Granny Joss’s recognition for her planet and destroy Professor Smock’s dreams!
i really love this book its amaizing definetly recomend
The Matilda Effect is a really inspiring book, proving that not only men are good scientist, females can be scientific too. The adventures Matilda goes on just to help her Granny Joss are incredible. I think Matilda (my favourite character) is one of the most funny and positive characters in the book. This is why i like The Matilda Effects. She reminds me a bit of myself. I recommend this book to people who enjoy science and like humorous stories.
I absolutely loved this book. I especially liked how Matilda is not afraid to say what she thinks E.G the science competition incident when she kicks off because Thomas Thomas wins the prize even though he drank his experiment. Although she was treated outrageously, she really needs to learn to to control what she says. Also, I like how Granny Joss knows just about everything: how to fly a hot air balloon; perform surgery on a lion; and travel all the way from England to Stockholm in less than 48 hours. I really hope that Ellie Irving writes more fantastically funny and adventurous books in the future.
This book is OUTSTANDING! Every chapter i read made me more and more intrigued to read on. Ellie Irving really made me feel like i can do anything if I just believe in myself. Matilda is a courageous and humorous character that isn’t afraid of anything. Even though she is a girl, she is an amazing scientist that isn’t scared of what other people think. Ellie Irving should have more credit for the amazing books she writes.
The Matilda Effect is a really inspiring book as well as being full of funny, humorous events that are quite random. Granny Joss and Matilda encourage all girls that they can do anything they want to and that girls are just as amazing as any boy. I recommend this book for anyone with a good sense of humor or a big dream. Hopefully, this book will help more girls to change what people think about all girls and how powerful we are.
I really enjoyed reading the Matilda Effect. This book is perfect for young female scientists, encouraging them to follow their dreams and become scientists. I like how Matilda really speaks her mind and is happy to make a fool of herself in hope of getting the truth out. I really enjoyed Matilda’s ‘I can do it’ attitude and hope that there will be more Matilda books in the near future.
The Matilda Effect was very, very good. I liked how she travelled across the world with only her granny! Ellie Irving is an amazing author and full of surprises. You always want to know what will happen next…
I really liked this book and think that Matilda is a great inspiration to female scientists and will encourage lots of girls to be confident in science and that they can be just as good as any boy. It also reveals the problem about the small amount of female scientists and how that needs to change. However, despite having a serious message, it still has that humour and excitement that any book needs to keep their readers hooked. It also has a small amount of mystery with why they are being kidnapped and the odd suitcase that the clown gives him. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in science, adventure or small cute dogs. 9/10
I love this book. I think that Ellie Irving is an amazing author and deserves lots of credit. Matilda is very strong-willed, driven and open minded as shown at the school competition. She inspires me to believe in what I think is right and to never give up. Matilda shows a lot of resilience throughout the book despite all of the obstacles she faces, like: The train; Trying to cross the border; and trying to get past numerous security guards. I would definitely suggest this book and highly recommend this book for all of the people that don’t think they are good enough.
The Matilda Effect was a very thrilling book to read . I really enjoyed this book because it gives women a voice and give women the power to do what they enjoy. This inspired me!
‘The Matilda Effect’ was great. The main characters are Matilda and Granny Joss. The main story line is that Granny Joss and Matilda travel to Sweden for an award, but face many hurdles they have to overcome. Matilda’s perseverance inspired me today.
Not my type of book.
I think that this book was amazing! At first I didn’t think it would be very good so I read some other books, but once I got used to the storyline, I kept reading on.The main characters are Matilda and Granny Joss,their journey was just an idea at first, but then it turns into a series of unexpected adventures! Matilda and Granny Joss met lots of people on their travels and there was a very happy ending.I would recommend this book to any boy or girl who likes science and adventure.I really enjoyed reading this book.
The Matilda Effect is a very good book. I enjoyed reading it so much. It tells you about the greatest scientists that lived and if they still live today . If you like science and adventures then you should read this book. Matilda and her grandma are crazy to go to Sweden without any passports or money. I would do that with my grandma. Would you ?
the Matilda Effect is a brilliant book because it inspired me to do anything even if people say its a ‘boy thing’.It’s got really good description and creates real imagery. It’s very funny and mysterious because granny Joss find a planet and tried to tell the big scientists but they say to her ‘you didn’t find it you’re a girl’but then professor smocks says he found it so he get the award ! Granny Joss and Matilda try and go to Sweden to win the award . if i rate it I would give it 10/10 !!
I loved Matilda Effect because it inspired me to never give up. I really liked the characters in this book, especially Professor Smocks’s personal assistant. I also loved that this book had so many different modes of transport – some of them stranger than others and some very peculiar. A book full of science, adventure and fun.
I really enjoyed the Matilda Effect as it mixed hilarious jokes with interesting facts. There was never a dull moment – from sneaking onto a film set to landing a hot air balloon on top of the Eiffel Tower. The book was amazing! If you haven’t read it yet, I would seriously recommend you do. It has something for everyone. Go pick it up and you will not regret it!
The Matilda Effect:
I think ‘The Matilda Effect’ is a fantastic book. It’s about a girl called Matilda who is a very talented inventor (who makes an invention called the handy-handy hand). She and her gran (an amazing scientist) needs to stop this man called Professor Smocks who’s going to be awarded a Nobel for Matilda’s gran accomplishment. I enjoyed this book so much because Matilda is a scientist and I would like to be a scientist in the future.
The Matilda Effect
The Matilda Effect is about a girl who loves science. Then she finds out that her Gran (a retired scientist) found a planet but it was stolen from her by her boss. She must get to Sweden before her Granny’s boss gets the award. However it turns from a simple trip to Sweden into a huge adventure. Will they make it in time or will they never let the truth out?
I thought that this was very funny and gripping and was easy to get into. I enjoyed imagining up what the characters looked like because that way I felt that I could get into the book more. My favourite character was Granny Joss because she has many hidden talents and she is very appealing because she has a reality about her as in she could be anyone’s Granny.
The Matilda Effect is a mystical book of adventure. It’s amazing what a young girl and her granny get up to while on their way to the Sweden noble prize ceremony. : )
I think Matilda Effect is a great book I would recommend it to boys and girls who enjoy science and adventure books I really liked the part when Matilda called the dog Tag because he tags along
This book is amazing! I love that they go on lots of different adventures. I would definitely recommend this book ( especially if you love science!)
i liked Matilda effect because it was all to do with science and fun adventures. If i was Matilda i would of done exactly what she did. I would recommend this book to people who love science and cool adventures (this can be for any one like grandma ,granddad, mum ,dad and more )
I really enjoyed this book ,The Matilda Effect. The main characters where granny Joss and Matilda. I liked the fact that there was muddy dog which Matilda called Tag because it tagged along. This book inspired me to stand up and shear my ideas even if i’m afraid .I recommend this book to boys and girls who like science adventures and unexpected events .
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD BOKE
This was the best book I have read in a while. It was really funny – the best part was the hot air balloon. My favourite character was Granny Joss because she was determined to tell everyone the truth about her life as a space scientist. If you want to do something, go for it – like Matilda!
The Matilda Effect is a really good book and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to people who like science and adventure books. The main characters are Matilda and Granny Joss. The main story line is Matilda and Granny Joss go on a adventure to win the science plate but on the they have huge adventures.
I think The Matilda Effect was amazing its a book for girls and boys. This book also inspired me at how much perseverance
was in that little body of hers and all the adventures Matilda and Granny Joss had trying to get to Sweden. The journey included muddy dogs, thieves, film stars and lots more not giving too much away that is!
We think think that all girls aged 9 – 10 or 8 year old’s should read this book.
This is our favourite Book fest book so far! it was so good! It was an exciting and adventurous read. WE LOVED IT!
I liked about Matilda effect when Granny Joss was in the laundry basket
The Matilda Effect is a fascinating story about a twelve year old girl (Matilda) and her Granny (Granny Joss) going on a long, exciting journey to Sweden, where Professor Smocks is getting a Nobel Prize for Granny Joss’s work. Without passports or negative thoughts Matilda and Granny Joss try and get to Sweden and make it! I highly recommend this book to science and adventure lovers.
I really liked this book because it had so many different modes of transport, some of them stranger than others and some very peculiar. My favourite character was Granny Joss because she sounded like a very interesting lady and Matilda got to know her really well during their adventure. Matilda has inspired me to make my own invention with my Dad so I may be a famous inventor in years to come! My parents enjoyed the book with me and we all laughed at the jokes and how they ended up at the top of the Eiffel Tower! It’s a great book. I really recommend it to anyone who loves adventure!
I really liked the characters, particularly Trevor, Professor Smocks’ personal assistant. I also liked the variety of different adventures they went on and all the quirky people they meet. Sometimes, when you think they’re in trouble, they always manage to get their way out. I liked the fact that the parents had to drive a comedy car through Europe to try to find Matilda! A great, fun book to inspire young inventors.
I thought this book was a bit weird because when they landed the hot air balloon on the Eiffel Tower, the point didn’t go through the basket! But once I realised this was the point of the book – that the adventures weren’t supposed to be real – I really enjoyed it. I liked Matilda because she was so determined to carry on, whatever might happen.
I loved the Matilda Effect because it inspired me to never give up. Girls can do anything if they don’t stop trying. I liked the ending the best and all the adventures she has along the way. I would especially recommend it to any little feminists like me who enjoy science!
Girls and boys alike can learn a thing or two from Matilda! If you’re after humour, adventure and ‘nonsense’ then this is the book for you! I could feel Matilda’s determination coming from the pages as I read. Despite having no passports or money, and experiencing multiple failures and disappointments, Matilda and her Granny just HAD to get to get to Stockholm. Read and laugh as they get mixed up with famous film stars and diamond smugglers on their journey to Sweden.
I love Matilda and wish that I knew her. I think that she is a resilient, determined and inspirational character who shows us that everyone should fight for what they believe in and follow their dreams. Don’t be put off though boys – this isn’t just a book for girls. There’s plenty of excitement as you follow Matilda and and Granny Joss on their adventure across Europe – kidnap, theft, police chases and Hell’s Angels are just a few examples . Also, Matilda knows more about inventing and science than any of your teachers do so you’ll enjoy learning some of her fascinating facts as you read along.