THE SECRETS OF LOVELACE ACADEMY by Marie Benedict and Courtney Sheinmel

(Young Adult, ages 8-12)

5 stars

This young adult’s novel, a wondrous collaboration between best-selling adult novelist Marie Benedict and young adult writer Courtney Sheinmel, offers up a young teen’s perspective about meeting Albert Einstein’s brilliant wife Mileva Einstein, who’s behind the scenes work significantly contributed to Einstein’s famous equation and who gets featured in Benedicts’ fabulous adult novel, The Other Einstein (which all grown-ups need to read in tandem!).

The novel opens with Ada Lovelace writing from her deathbed in 1852 bemoaning that as much as she’s adored planning in her life, she now can only plan her children’s future. She uses her money as daughter of poet Lord Byron, to fund a girls’ boarding school focused on math and science. Her daughter, Lady Anne Blunt, takes over running the Lovelace Academy. On a visit to a local orphanage which she supports (run by tyrants who act nice in front of donors), she discovers Lainey Phillips doing science experiments by herself in a corner. She offers Lainey the first scholarship to the academy.

Lainey struggles to fit in with the wealthy, snobby girls at the academy and unexpectedly finds herself on a grand adventure to Switzerland to see if she can help Mileva Einstein the ground-breaking mathwork she’s doing with her husband Albert Einstein, who at the time was serving as a postal clerk. Lainey connects with other orphaned children and sets out to prove herself worthy of her place at Lovelace Academy.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.