Independent Reading Level: Grade 5
Awards: none

A girl's science experiment gone wrong, or vegetables from outer space? Typical of Wiesner, the illustrations are rich with detail. This could easily be a wordless book, although the text provides details such as people and place names. ( )

I liked the book “June 29, 1999” for multiple reasons. I primarily enjoyed the patterned language that was present throughout it, as well as the wonderful illustrations that enhance the matching text. The story starts off with a short background to establish time and setting, and tells the reader about a young girl who is doing a science experiment. The book then falls into a series of patterned language as it gives the reader the information of the events that follow the experiment, which is what set off the plot. For example, the little girl launches vegetable seedlings into the sky, and soon after vegetables start appearing and falling onto towns. The book then dedicates individual pages to show and explain that certain vegetables were falling from the sky and landing on towns. One page says, “Cucumbers circle Kalamazoo” while the other says “Artichokes advance on Anchorage,” and both, along with several other pages, have corresponding pictures. The pictures also really help the reader to visualize what the author is saying while reading the text. In all, the author does a great job with describing the events that follow the little girl’s experiment, making the plot very organized as it falls into a typical cause and effect pattern. The main message of the story is to show young readers that everything may not always be as it seems, that there can be alternate explanations for why things happen. Imagination, however, is something that this book also highlights as important. ( )

No one will forget June 29, 1999. That’s when Holly Evans sent seedlings aloft from her home in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. She never expected her science experiment would end in such a way. Is Holly responsible for everything that happened on June 29, 1999?

The Lexile level for this picture book is adult directed; the 810L level puts the book at a high fourth grade / fifth grade reading level. Nevertheless, young children are sure to enjoy this improbable, imaginative tale illustrated with watercolors just as incredible as the tale!

Highly recommended. ( )

Genre: Fiction

Summary: Holly Evans sent her experiment of growing vegetables in the ionosphere, but the results were startling. Weeks after sending her experiment up, vegetables larger than life began falling down to earth. Come to find out, a ship of aliens lost all of their vegetables, and they fell to earth. And Holly's experiment, well the aliens were confused about how little boxes of plants were sent up to their spaceship.

Review: While this book is not scientifically accurate, it does show how scientists big and small can dream big and create science experiments that are out of the box. It also could lead to a discussion of how as a whole people have believed that science would have been more advanced then it has come to be.