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Frank

Overview

" Frank is, frankly, a priceless gem." - Foluso Falaye

"This is a compassionate story full of adventure, lasting friendships, and the power of family love, as well as the need to feel a sense of belonging. An exciting read full of hope, promise, and, of course, science." - Emily-Jane Hills Orford

"Author Ece Gurler has crafted a truly excellent work that ticks all the boxes to engage and excite the MG reading audience. I would highly recommend Frank as a high-quality reading gift for the little bright sparks in your life to devour." - K.C. Finn

It's three weeks till Christmas and things at 11-year-old Frank's house aren't going well. With his father currently unemployed, his parents aren't in the best of moods and it looks like Christmas might be canceled. When Frank overhears a conversation between the two, he finds out he's adopted and that they might not want him anymore. Upset and confused, Frank can't concentrate on his books and tablet like he used to. One night when he gets angry, he ends up ruining his poster and finding what looks like a tunnel. Even stranger is when he enters this tunnel - it comes to an end and there is someone else on the other side. A boy named Andy who doesn't understand how Frank got in his wall. After the two work out a plan to meet each other face to face, Frank excitedly finds out that he discovered a completely different universe! The two quickly become best friends, which is a first for Frank as he has always had trouble making friends. The two learn about each other's respective universes. While some things are the same, there are a lot of things different. When Frank finds out a version of himself is in this universe, he makes a plan to meet his birth family on Andy's side. If his adoptive parents in his world don't want him, maybe his birth parents in Andy's world might. The two set off on an incredible adventure and learn a lot of lessons along the way.

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Description

Have you ever dreamt of an alternate world? A world full of second chances and lost dreams, found again. Just like the one Frank has stumbled upon.

Frank, an eleven-year-old science nerd, fashions a hiding place in his closet with his favorite things. He calls it the "Aurora Shell", where he retreats whenever he feels upset or scared. The day he learns that he was adopted, he discovers an empty space behind his Big Bang Theory poster, in the Aurora Shell. He decides to crawl in and find out what awaits him at the end of this dark tunnel. There, he meets an incredibly cheerful kid, Andy, who becomes his first true friend. Soon after they realize that this is not just a simple passage, but it is a bridge that connects two parallel universes! Frustrated that he was unwanted by his biological parents in his own world, Frank decides to take his chance in this new universe to gain acceptance. Maybe this time his parents would welcome him and love him? Grabbing their backpacks, the two friends set out on a quest to find Frank's birth parents in Andy's universe. In the beginning of their journey, everything looks brand new and astonishing to Frank. But this adventure will hold dangers they never could have imagined. Will they be able to survive the grave challenges and find Frank's family in the end? Was their secret going to cause them trouble?

Ece Gurler's middle-grade novel, Frank, is an excellent coming of age story for young readers who are 7-12 years old. Following the quest of one eleven-year-old science genius, Frank, readers will share experiences and sentiments that might mirror some of their own. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns as the two main characters, Frank and his alternate dimension counterpart, Andy, discover new realities in worlds full of chances and dreams, both lost and real. This science fiction story will introduce young readers to the wide world of fascinating discoveries, like penicillin and electricity, and how much fun learning about science can be (as well as being useful).

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About The Author

Ece Gurler, who was born and raised in Ankara, Turkey, has always believed in the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Besides her work as a School Director in Boston, she is also a full-time author and artist. She studied Geological Engineering in ODTU. But her career path deviated from science and she chose to make difference in people's lives by becoming an educator. Now, she is pursuing her Master of Arts degree in Critical and Creative Thinking at UMASS Boston. Working in the international education sector for more than a decade gave her the ability to read diverse behavior of her students. This unique skill set, combined with her love for science, gave birth to her debut book, "Frank." As an avid reader, she likes to read about history, psychology, science and fictions with strong characters. Currently, she lives in the inspiring city of Boston. When she doesn't write, she makes art. She gives real-time drawing and painting tutorials online. Learn more about her writing and art, get tips and her free resources at: www.ecegurler.com
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Book details

  • Genre:fiction
  • Sub-genre:Science Fiction / General
  • Language:English
  • Pages:224
  • Paperback ISBN:9781098320119

Book Reviews

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Yen
Uplifting and Heartwarming book! This is what my 10 year old said about Frank: “There needs to be a series on Frank and Andy’s adventures!” As she couldn’t get enough of this science-themed, fun and warm book on Frank the young boy who goes to a parallel universe through a hole in his wall to meet another boy, Andy, as they venture out to find answers about Frank’s family. It is hard to put down this book because, aside from the interesting and fun scientific factoids Frank easily weaves into his dialogues with Andy, I wanted to find out what happens next, then next, then next. Frank and his alternate universe friend Andy learns about each other’s world, share with each other their mixed emotions about their imperfect lives, and in the end learn the true meaning of family, acceptance and love. This is an uplifting book for the kids who love friendship and science. A perfect gift for young readers! Highly recommend. Read more
Hannah
A vibrant story Frank is a creative and captivating story of a young boy who goes on an exciting journey, makes an unexpected friend, and learns about different worlds (literally and figuratively) along the way. A mix of interesting facts and science fiction, the book reminded me a bit of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, which I loved as a kid. The reader cannot help but share in Frank's open-hearted curiosity and enthusiasm, and the talented author's colorful illustrations transport the reader into the vibrant adventure. Read more
Kevin
A Story with a Wonderful Lesson I enjoyed completing this book in one sitting. Frank is motivated to go on an adventure of self discovery. It gets intense at parts in ways you wouldn’t think a kid’s book would. Through it all, he learns to rely on himself and his nerdiness to get out of trouble (that he got himself into for that same reason!). He relies on his keen observation, his friendship, his wits, and his creativity. It’s a book that I would read to my son when he’s a little bit older, maybe slightly younger than Frank. I recommend this adventure for sure! Read more
Sam
Fun for kids and adults! I can’t believe that this is her first published work. I enjoyed this story so much, and I’m sure children will as well. It’s a fresh take on what it’s like to be an awkward kid in an unforgiving world. A plot twist will keep you reading. I love all of the references to scientific discoveries and the scientists themselves. Having these incorporated into the story means that kids will get curious and look these discoveries up for themselves. I’m sure a lot of kids will get into science after reading this book! Read more
Kerem
his is an immersive book and it is really good. I bought this book for my 8 years old daughter. This is her comment about the book. She read it as an ebook, but we also buy a hardcopy for our bookshelf. This is a story about two boys that go on an adventure when one of the boys find a tunnel and it leads to a different universe and the boy finds the other boy who is Andy. This is an immersive book and it is really good. Read more
mahmut
Great Story, Amazing Author I was looking sci-fi fiction book for a middle-grade student and come across this amazing author. I have a nephew who has a great imagination and I think it is gonna be a great gift for him. The story about the parallel universe and the adventure that is taking place in the story will be fun for him to read. I always take a quick look before giving him his books but this time I ended up reading the whole book in a day! It was amazing. Read more
Ipek
Great read Mixing adventure, fantasy and excitement Frank is a great read. It’s informative, very well written and I especially loved the illustrations. Frank’s adventures will inspire any kid’s imagination. Recommend you buy it for your kid. Read more
Can
Heartwarming The story is very heartwarming. It's impossible not to like and connect with the characters Frank and Andy. Makes the readers seesaw between emotions. A nice page-turner. The book reminded me of George's Secret Key to the Universe by Hawking. Gurler explains scientific concepts in a way that the kids would enjoy reading even if they are not particularly into science. Overall, very fun to read, and teaches an important life lesson. Read more
Mehmet Ali
Science, adventure, friendship Frank is a very inspiring book to read, especially for young people. It's a story that makes you totally curious and excited. Also as you read it, you understand how friendship, knowledge, family and imaginations can be valuable, even crucial for the rest of your life. I'm sure kids and young people would be impressed by this book very much. It's very easy and simple to read and extremely far from being boring. I hope we can read other books of the story in the future. Read more
V. Ximena
A moving and adventurous story! One, if not the most, valuable lesson I took from the books I read growing up, was to understand or feel what another person is experiencing. They taught me about empathy, a quality people never fail to undervalue. Frank is a story about a kid's love for science, a story about secret tunnels and wormholes, and a story about life in parallel universes, but above all Frank is a story about empathy. As I read Frank, I was once again but a kid making friends with the characters of the story, cheering for them, and sharing the pain of their misfortunes. As the reader, we are afforded the opportunity to experience life through the eyes of Frank, and with him we are welcomed into Andy’s world. As Frank reflected about Andy “maybe, I could learn something from him”, the reader is prompted to learn from both of them. It was a delight to tag along with their adventures, be part of their friendship, and experience their growth. Frank finds a secret tunnel to Andy, but Ece gave us a secret tunnel to Frank. The story was so striking that I still find myself hoping that Love, the cat, is doing well. As if all these were not enough, the reader will get a cheerful kick out of the Star Wars references. In building my child’s library, I wholeheartedly place Frank on the top shelf. Read more