The Fourteenth Goldfish
by Jennifer L. Holm
"...I went into the kitchen one morning and saw my fish floating upside in the bowl. My mom groaned when I told her. "He didn't last very long" she said. "What are you talking about? I asked. "He lasted 7 years". She gave me a smile and said, "Ellie, that wasn't the original Goldie. The first fish only lasted 2 weeks. When he died, I bought another one. There have been a lot of fish over the years." "What number was this one?" "Unlucky thirteen," This was at the start of the book when her mom tells her about the goldfish. In the last chapter she refers to her grandpa as her fourteenth goldfish. And what she means is him coming then going.
"Tears prick at my eyes. I don't want him to leave. I grab him and hug him and say "I love you". My grandfather hugs me back and says " I believe in you, Ellie you are my possible. I watch him board the bus and think to myself you are my fourteenth goldfish." This part is at the end when the grandfather leaves. It shows how their relationship has changed. The part when she says "you are my fourteenth goldfish " was foreshadowed in the first chapter.
believe in the possible
Ellie is a 11 year old girl that lives with her actress mom while her dad is a traveling actor. She had just started middle school. One day her mom gets a call from the police to pick up her grandfather, but she brings home a 13 year old kid with the name of Melvin. Ellie is shocked to find out that Melvin is her grandfather! With a very special jellyfish he found a way to reverse the aging process, and used it on himself. Melvin is not able to access his lab to gain all of his data that made him change. He and Ellie form a strong bond. This fiction story was very good because it had science included in it.