[hcrisp]

I loved these so much that I created my own Mad Scientist's Club with my neighbor friends which held meetings in our (very hot) shed loft during the summer.

I just finished reading some of them to my pre-teen girls, and they enjoyed them quite a bit despite the fact that very few girl characters are part of the plot. A few quotes made us chuckle ("Shut up and stop rocking the boat!" was one). We even figured out which boy was the narrator, even though he never mentions his name.

I guess it speaks to their universal appeal to kids of curious minds who like hearing of scrappy, madcap adventures attempted by smart but hair-brained individuals of their age. The books always gave me the sense of unbridled freedom to invent, explore, and maybe pull one over your knucklehead neighbor or unsuspecting parents.

[SgtLtBradshawDA]

It seems like the short stories mention the narrator's name (Freddy) one or possibly two times- it took me at least until my second read-through before it leapt out at me. This leads to a tidy resolution in The Big Kerplop! incidentally, which is one of the reasons I'd recommend reading the books in order of publication.

[bjelkeman-again]

I am seriously considering starting a club now actually. I have a few friends who would fit right in.