Story summary: Lady Ada Byron (Lovelace), 11-year-old mathematical genius, and Mary Godwin (Shelley), romantic and clever 14-year-old, decide to start a clandestine detective agency. Their first case seems open and shut--the criminal has already confessed! But there's something fishy going on, and Ada and Mary must use their not-inconsiderable wits to save the day.
Also features such memorable people as Percy Shelley, Charles Babbage, and Charles Dickens.
- Ada Lovelace!
- And Mary Shelley!
- Being detectives!
And Why You Might Not:
- It's purposefully historically inaccurate (e.g. Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace being close in age). I liked this alt-history aspect, but I suppose it could be annoying to some. (There's an appendix with all the real facts at the end, so no one gets too mixed up.)
Thoughts: This was so much fun. If I have daughters, I'm going to make sure to give them this to read, and they can get all inspired by young Ada Lovelace. I, being a female computer programmer myself, am obviously quite fascinated with the woman considered to be the first person to ever write a computer program. And then it also stars Mary Shelley, who was the author of one of the very first science fiction novels, which is my favourite genre. But I think even kids who aren't inclined to that can be excited and impressed by this clever duo and their delightful romp through an alternate history.
Grade: 3 1/2 stars
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