Children's Book Review: Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion by Andrea Beaty

By Jennifer Hancock | Central Library

Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion (The Questioneers Series, Book 3)
Andrea Beaty
Ages 6–9

When the Questioneers books were first released, I was intrigued. After all, I love the idea of getting kids into S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) while they are still in the picture book stage of reading! And then Andrea Beaty released the chapter books, and I knew I had to read them. But what strikes me most about these books is that, unlike some other science-themed series, the kids in these books are not geniuses. Ada Twist, Scientist, is a girl who questions EVERYTHING (even when it drives her family mad,) and she is not afraid to look things up and do messy experiments if it means answering some of her questions. Fortunately, she has supportive parents who guide her love of science. Rosie Revere, Engineer, is fascinated with how things work and invents things constantly, but her inventions don’t usually work right away. Her family shows her that just because it doesn’t work doesn’t mean it’s a failure, because you can learn from what went wrong, and you only fail if you stop trying. Iggy Peck, Architect, loves building things from the most unusual items; and even though his teacher tries to stop his designing during class, even she learns on a field trip how wise it is to be able to create things. And Sofia Valdez, Future Prez, is a girl with a problem, but she learns how to overcome her shyness, organize her community, and lead the way toward progress.

All four kids are great friends and, in the chapter books, help each other solve problems using their skills. One of the great things about these books is the little sidebar lessons on things like “What is a valve?,” “Ode to a gas,” and “How to make ice cream.” I also think it’s important that the kids don’t always get it right the first time. Sometimes their original plan breaks down, or sometimes something as random as a dragonfly can throw their plans off. But they never give up, and they support each other completely, reminding each other to take a break to clear their heads or just helping each other to express the jumble of thoughts in their heads.

In Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion, there are some things just a little different from the others, though. Iggy tells us a lot about architecture, which is part science, but also part art and part history. In this book, they learn about the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918; the suffragist movement in America; and Ida B. Wells, journalist and one of the most influential women of the civil rights movement. And all of this history is wrapped up in tiny little tidbits and stuffed into a fascinating story about a mysterious mansion that might be haunted, but is definitely hiding secrets.

These books made me smile and giggle, and they kept my attention while making me want more. If you want your kids to understand how S.T.E.M. has a place in their own lives, these books are a definite must-read, from picture books to chapter books!