Simple Machines (Evolution Revolution #1) by Charlotte Bennardo

Simple Machines (Evolution Revolution #1) Reviews

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  Ms. Just One More Book (Kris Miller)

  In the quiet woodlands just outside a newly developed neighborhood, lives a spunky little squirrel fondly named Jack by his young human friend. When machines come to tear down his home and the homes of the other woodland animals, Jack wants to do something never done before––fight back. Learning tactics from his human friend and enlisting the help of all the animals, his plan may just have a fighting chance. Written with the same classic flair as 'Charlotte's Web' and 'The Velveteen Rabbit', EVOLUTION REVOLUTION: Simple Machines contains everything you want in a beloved children's book. Delightful characters spring to life in a vividly described woodland, complete with beautifully illustrated pictures. Perfect for older children looking for a great read, or to read to the young ones as a bedtime story.
  
  ~ Kris Miller, certified TopShelf Reviewer. TopShelf Magazine does not offer 'paid review services’ and TopShelf Reviewers are not compensated for their reviews.
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  Suzanne

  The beautiful illustrations go along with an excellent story. There are so many worth while elements in Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines. All ages will enjoy reading it, including little ones, who would enjoy having it read to them. This is a good choice for a class to read and discuss or for a parent-child book group to delve into. I highly recommend it.
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  LitPick Book Reviews

  Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is a story of a highly intelligent squirrel, Jack, and his mission to save his forest. Machines have been cutting down trees across the road from Jack's home for weeks. One day the machines cross the road and start taking down Jack's forest. Jack must think of a way to save his forest and all his friends. He meets with a friendly human in a wheelchair and learns that the wheels in the big, scary machines can be stopped by jamming rocks in them.
  
  One night after dark, Jack and all of his animal friends (the beavers, the foxes, all the other squirrels, plus a pack of sewer rats who are ready to chew up wires, seats, and other things) take their stand. They build dams around the machines, destroy the seats, chew through the wiring in the engine, and the rats even find little tubes to chew through that make the tires deflate. But will it be enough to stop the humans from destroying the forest?
  
  Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is a story that portrays animals as smarter than they might be in real life but shows that preserving wildlife is important. I enjoyed the fact that the story was set up in an easy way to read and used simple vocabulary. I would recommend this book to readers ages 8-12. It was easy to see the story from the perspective of the forest animal characters.
  
  I look forward to reading the rest of Charlotte Bennardo’s books about Jack the squirrel and his friends. This book is very well-written and is worth being read over and over again. I think that Charlotte should write more of a story about the owl in her story because she seems interesting. Don't squirrel this story away; read it and keep it at heart. Enjoy!
  
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  Tynea Lewis

  In the book Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines, a squirrel named Jack learns from a boy named Collin how the 1st simple machine, the wheel, is used. Later, Jack sees his forest dealing with an onslaught of human-made machines trying to build some houses. Jack assembles all the animals together and tells them how they can use his knowledge to stop the machines from destroying their home. Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is the first book in the Evolution Revolution series and is all about stopping the man-made machines.
  This was a great book; I would give it 5 stars. It is suitable for ages 8-12 as it has no bad language or adult content. It is very enjoyable to read as the plot was very easy to follow. When Jack tries to get the other animals to work together you can feel the tension in the group as if you were standing beside them. The characters’ personalities came out distinctly, it wasn’t difficult to see them pop off of the page. Although the humans are the main enemy, the fox is an additional antagonist who makes the forest animals uneasy, making the story more realistic and interesting. Evolution Revolution: Simple Machines is a fun read, and I gladly give it 5 stars.
  
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  R.J.

  I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
  
  Evolution Revolution is an adventure perfect for middle graders! It's exciting, funny, and explains some of the simple machines very well.
  
  The characters are entertaining as they have their little banter, and how all of the animals work together using their strengths is educational for the young readers to learn about them and their habitats and lifestyles.
  
  The human character is a disabled boy, and I liked the author built him up and made him smart and friendly, potentially helping the youngsters to not be afraid of kids who are in wheelchairs.
  
  Overall, I was extremely pleased with Evolution Revolution and recommend it middle grade readers or as a good read aloud for families with children under 11 years old.
  
  This review was originally posted on Literature Approved (
  http://literatureapproved.wordpress.com).
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  Darlene

  "The Hundred Acre Wood" meets "Watership Down" in this outdoor romp destined to be a classic. You'll cheer for Jack the squirrel and his woodland companions as they learn to use machines to foil the humans who are bent on destroying their habitat.