Matilda Effect, The

Description: 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...

Review: "Matilda is a great character, a brilliant role model, and the book is a real affirmation of women as scientists" * Parents in Touch * "A warm-hearted, funny, madcap adventure . . . this book is going to get kids very fired up about science" -- Robin Stevens


Author Biography: Ellie was born in Bristol, but raised in a hamlet on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea by a family of avid readers. So avid, in fact, her mum enrolled her in the local library before she'd even emerged from the womb, which was awkward for all concerned. 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 realised there were too few home makeover shows in the world, and 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.