Gr. 8-12 In 18-something-or-other, Mary Godwin, daughter of the late activist-writer Mary Wollstonecraft, aches to pen an epic tale. Across town, Ada Byron is furious when inventor Charles Babbage openly claims her mathematical work as his own. Enter Miss Stamp, a fae godmother who brings the girls together and teaches them how to use their powers of creation. Thus empowered, Ada constructs Practical Automaton Number One (aka PAN), made of a meticulously calculated clockwork system—that is, the first-ever computer program. However, one dark and stormy night, when lightning and Mary’s untrained fae abilities collide, PAN comes to life and falls head over heels for Mary. [Read full review here]
When Loose Ends Meet 