Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator Book Blog Tour, Review, and #Giveaway #LoneStarLit

I was initially worried that Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator would be too preach-y or lesson-y of a kid’s book. (I don’t read a lot of YA\Middle Grade.) How wrong I was! It was a bit slow to start for me, but once the action picks up, I was hooked!

The main middle grade lesson that Edison learns is the value of friendship. Edison was reluctant to go to public school at first; he’d been home-schooled for the 5 years after the accident that left him paralyzed. But he quickly settles into a rhythm and in the end, he learns the importance of close friends. He also quickly learns the lesson of not making too many enemies!

I especially enjoyed reading how Edison deals with his social awkwardness. He’s been so isolated from other kids that he certainly struggles with the social aspects of middle school more than the actual school workload. Learning how to ‘properly’ interact with his fellow classmates leads to some very humorous situations.

The plot has some serious heart racing moments. These include the championship football game, the robotics challenges, and especially the climactic ending. I was cheering Edison and his friends along the journeys throughout the novel.

In addition to heart racing action, I found Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator to be very emotional. Primarily, there is the parental connection. We clearly see Edison’s love for his grandfather (and vice versa) as well as Hondo’s missed relationship with his own parents. We also see the young characters faced with the first blushes of love and jealousy of middle school that we are all familiar with.

The characters, especially Edison, show a lot of growth over the course of the novel. Edison learns to appreciate his friends, how he can depend on them to have his back. Edison also learns how his disability doesn’t limit him.

“Don’t let your disability influence how you think or act. Don’t let it rule your emotions.”

As Edison discovers throughout the novel, his initial worries about fitting in at school while being disabled are unwarranted. He really learns to shine with the help of his friends.

Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator is a great showcase of science for the win. I don’t know how accurate the science and math in the novel are – I’m no NASA scientist – but it’s great to see a middle grade book emphasizing how science can solve a lot of problems. I would especially like to have Edison’s bedroom holographic walls in my own home. Imagine how frequently you could change the view or decorations without having to paint or wallpaper!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator. It demonstrates some great lessons about the importance of friends and science. Highly recommended for any middle school (or older!) reader.

I received Edison Jones and the Anit-Grav Elevator free in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to author Michael Scott Clifton and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity.