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Hex Allen: and The Clanksmiths
STEM meets magic in this new middle grade adventure series from an MIT graduate.
Hex Allen can't do magic - a huge problem when everything from lights to locks is powered by simple spells that everyone (save a few unfortunate Undevelopeds) can do. After years of feeling useless, Hex seizes the chance to change her future by journeying to the Wishing Wyrm, a legendary dragon that will grant a single wish once a century. Unfortunately, Hex isn't the only one after the wish, and every rival wish hunter has magic on their side. Every rival except the Clanksmiths, Cam and Fuse. Like Hex, they can't do magic, but they've learned to build clank, creations made using the mysterious, forgotten arts of science and engineering.
After a fairy fiasco throws Hex and the Clanksmiths together, they agree to cooperate - for the time being. With the Clanksmiths' know-how and Hex's creativity, they outsmart monsters with everything from LEDs to electromagnets to water balloon launchers. But as they race to the Wishing Wyrm, Hex must decide between her friendship with the Clanksmiths and the wish that would give her a normal, magical life.
Pages from Hex's design notebook provide step-by-step project instructions for aspiring Clanksmiths.
Hex Allen can't do magic - a huge problem when everything from lights to locks is powered by simple spells that everyone (save a few unfortunate Undevelopeds) can do. After years of feeling useless, Hex seizes the chance to change her future by journeying to the Wishing Wyrm, a legendary dragon that will grant a single wish once a century. Unfortunately, Hex isn't the only one after the wish, and every rival wish hunter has magic on their side. Every rival except the Clanksmiths, Cam and Fuse. Like Hex, they can't do magic, but they've learned to build clank, creations made using the mysterious, forgotten arts of science and engineering.
After a fairy fiasco throws Hex and the Clanksmiths together, they agree to cooperate - for the time being. With the Clanksmiths' know-how and Hex's creativity, they outsmart monsters with everything from LEDs to electromagnets to water balloon launchers. But as they race to the Wishing Wyrm, Hex must decide between her friendship with the Clanksmiths and the wish that would give her a normal, magical life.
Pages from Hex's design notebook provide step-by-step project instructions for aspiring Clanksmiths.
- GenresMiddle GradeFantasy
256 pages, Hardcover
Published November 29, 2022
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 16, 2022
Fun story, expertly written and beautifully illustrated! I love how it incorporates STEM concepts and encourages kids to be resourceful and creative, without being preachy.
October 20, 2022
Love the book! It's got a really sweet storyline with adventure, heart, and puns that all ages can enjoy. The female engineer in me loved the main character and *science* as the tool of choice. The art is really cute as well, and would highly recommend !to anyone!
May 5, 2023
Once humans discovered how to harness and make use of the magic running through their veins, life changed dramatically. But for people like twelve-year-old Hex Allen who have been diagnosed as Undeveloped—or magic-LESS—magic becomes the barrier that prevents them from fully participating in their lives. So, when a centuries-old storm lifts unexpectedly and provides a path to the mystical Wishing Wyrm, Hex sees this as her only opportunity to make the wish that will make her magical like everyone else. But Hex is not the only person after the one wish the Wyrm can provide, and she must use all her creative capacity to traverse the Great Barren and realize her greatest desire.
This delightful middle grade adventure story focuses on the plight of one girl who is actively different from everyone around her. In an effort to fit in, Hex has developed fanciful stories and inventions that permit her to accomplish the same tasks her peers are able to do with magic. But in a society built around magic, Hex will remain an outsider no matter how hard she tries. Hex’s tenacious spirit and unfailing punny humor endear readers to her, especially as she faces down myriad obstacles in positive and uplifting ways. An assortment of colorful characters join Hex for her journey, and these enhance the overall delivery of the story as a band of non-magical misfits begins to discover just how powerful they can be on their own.
Written for a younger middle grade audience, this book flows smoothly and incorporates occasional full-page illustrations throughout. Newly confident readers will appreciate the approachable narrative and silly antics within the story as they connect ever more readily with Hex and her plight. Though this is a fanciful adventure on the surface, this book investigates many of the real feelings that come with adolescence and the ubiquitous sensation of being different from one’s peers. At the end of the book, the STEM elements of the story are brought to life in a visual representation of Hex’s notebook, which includes diagrams and guides for creating many of the inventions used throughout the story. Filled with heart and magic in various forms, this book is one that will resonate with preteens in particular. This STEM-centered narrative is a positive addition to library collections serving younger middle grade readers.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and I chose to leave this review.
This delightful middle grade adventure story focuses on the plight of one girl who is actively different from everyone around her. In an effort to fit in, Hex has developed fanciful stories and inventions that permit her to accomplish the same tasks her peers are able to do with magic. But in a society built around magic, Hex will remain an outsider no matter how hard she tries. Hex’s tenacious spirit and unfailing punny humor endear readers to her, especially as she faces down myriad obstacles in positive and uplifting ways. An assortment of colorful characters join Hex for her journey, and these enhance the overall delivery of the story as a band of non-magical misfits begins to discover just how powerful they can be on their own.
Written for a younger middle grade audience, this book flows smoothly and incorporates occasional full-page illustrations throughout. Newly confident readers will appreciate the approachable narrative and silly antics within the story as they connect ever more readily with Hex and her plight. Though this is a fanciful adventure on the surface, this book investigates many of the real feelings that come with adolescence and the ubiquitous sensation of being different from one’s peers. At the end of the book, the STEM elements of the story are brought to life in a visual representation of Hex’s notebook, which includes diagrams and guides for creating many of the inventions used throughout the story. Filled with heart and magic in various forms, this book is one that will resonate with preteens in particular. This STEM-centered narrative is a positive addition to library collections serving younger middle grade readers.
I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss+ and I chose to leave this review.
March 8, 2023
What it’s about: Unlike everyone else in her world, Hex is not able to use magic. Even her younger brother can perform spells; but Hex is one of the rare unfortunates who has no abilities whatsoever.
This is a major problem, as only people with magic can attend school after a certain age, and Hex is there. To make matters worse, there aren't really any jobs for people who can't do magic - even menial tasks are performed faster and more efficiently by spells than by hand. Hex worries she's destined to liver her life as a burden on her family, who will have to work extra hard to provide for Hex.
Then Hex learns that the 100 Year Storm in the dessert has ended, and the route to the Wish Dragon is passable by humans. The legend says that the first person to reach the Dragon each century gets their fondest wish granted. Hex knows what she has to do: She'll run away from home, travel across the country and the dessert, and get her wish granted so she can have magic just like everyone else.
As soon as Hex sets out, however, she discovers that she is far from alone in her quest. People from all over the land are on their way to become the recipient of the wish - and they all have magic. Even worse, the most powerful magic user in the land, Hex's hero the Thunder Knight, is also seeking the wish.
But Ava is surprised to find herself getting rescued from a dangerous situation by a strange boy with weird items that seem magical, but aren't. In fact, the boy and his companion have no magic; instead, they rely on "clank", a series of rules about the world that let its users perform feats that seem like magic - or maybe even better than magic.
The three non-magical kids form a temporary alliance to get to the desert ahead of the Thunder Knight, at which point the trio will split up as each vies for the wish.
Hex finds herself drawn to - and good at - clank. But she is determined to beat everyone to the wish so she can be normal and save her family from burden.
But will she and her friends be able to overcome the most powerful magic user in the kingdom? Can they avoid the many dangers awaiting them on their quest? And can Hex continue to live her life in the same way when she reaches the end of her journey?
What I thought: The idea of this book is great, and I like that at the end it includes the specifics of how to make the devices featured through the story. It's a fun way for middle school readers to get some STEM into their lives.
Why I chose those shelves: action-adventure: The story is about a dangerous journey through a fantastical land; black, bipoc, minority, own voices: The characters are all described and depicted as Black, and the author notes clearly state that she used her own interest in science to inform the evolution of the characters; issue, bullying: The story starts with Hex being bullied, and bullying pops up throughout the story; fantasy, magic: Almost everyone in Hex's world can do magic; humor: There are some funny elements to the predicaments Hex finds herself in, and Hex and Hex LOVES puns; Instructional, science & technology: Hex learns about "clank" and how to use it to perform actions she otherwise wouldn't be able to, which involves learning about some scientific principles -- and the afterword includes pages from "Hex's Sketchbook" that lay out very precise directions for readers to follow to create their own "clank" inventions
Why I rated it like I did: 3.75: This is a first book, and it shows. The writing is not bad, but there are several places where the description is lacking just enough that I had to back up and figure out if I'd accidentally skipped a bit. The narration drifts a little bit here and there. And I had a logistical issue with the central point of the story: the book demonstrates that "clank" (science) is more adaptable and useful than magic, and is essentially at (or beyond) our world's level of technology; it seems like the clank users would be a lot more well known, if they hadn't already taken over the world, whereas in the book, they and their science are virtually unknown.
But it's a middle grades story, and it holds together well enough for that. I'll get a copy for my middle school library!
This is a major problem, as only people with magic can attend school after a certain age, and Hex is there. To make matters worse, there aren't really any jobs for people who can't do magic - even menial tasks are performed faster and more efficiently by spells than by hand. Hex worries she's destined to liver her life as a burden on her family, who will have to work extra hard to provide for Hex.
Then Hex learns that the 100 Year Storm in the dessert has ended, and the route to the Wish Dragon is passable by humans. The legend says that the first person to reach the Dragon each century gets their fondest wish granted. Hex knows what she has to do: She'll run away from home, travel across the country and the dessert, and get her wish granted so she can have magic just like everyone else.
As soon as Hex sets out, however, she discovers that she is far from alone in her quest. People from all over the land are on their way to become the recipient of the wish - and they all have magic. Even worse, the most powerful magic user in the land, Hex's hero the Thunder Knight, is also seeking the wish.
But Ava is surprised to find herself getting rescued from a dangerous situation by a strange boy with weird items that seem magical, but aren't. In fact, the boy and his companion have no magic; instead, they rely on "clank", a series of rules about the world that let its users perform feats that seem like magic - or maybe even better than magic.
The three non-magical kids form a temporary alliance to get to the desert ahead of the Thunder Knight, at which point the trio will split up as each vies for the wish.
Hex finds herself drawn to - and good at - clank. But she is determined to beat everyone to the wish so she can be normal and save her family from burden.
But will she and her friends be able to overcome the most powerful magic user in the kingdom? Can they avoid the many dangers awaiting them on their quest? And can Hex continue to live her life in the same way when she reaches the end of her journey?
What I thought: The idea of this book is great, and I like that at the end it includes the specifics of how to make the devices featured through the story. It's a fun way for middle school readers to get some STEM into their lives.
Why I chose those shelves: action-adventure: The story is about a dangerous journey through a fantastical land; black, bipoc, minority, own voices: The characters are all described and depicted as Black, and the author notes clearly state that she used her own interest in science to inform the evolution of the characters; issue, bullying: The story starts with Hex being bullied, and bullying pops up throughout the story; fantasy, magic: Almost everyone in Hex's world can do magic; humor: There are some funny elements to the predicaments Hex finds herself in, and Hex and Hex LOVES puns; Instructional, science & technology: Hex learns about "clank" and how to use it to perform actions she otherwise wouldn't be able to, which involves learning about some scientific principles -- and the afterword includes pages from "Hex's Sketchbook" that lay out very precise directions for readers to follow to create their own "clank" inventions
Why I rated it like I did: 3.75: This is a first book, and it shows. The writing is not bad, but there are several places where the description is lacking just enough that I had to back up and figure out if I'd accidentally skipped a bit. The narration drifts a little bit here and there. And I had a logistical issue with the central point of the story: the book demonstrates that "clank" (science) is more adaptable and useful than magic, and is essentially at (or beyond) our world's level of technology; it seems like the clank users would be a lot more well known, if they hadn't already taken over the world, whereas in the book, they and their science are virtually unknown.
But it's a middle grades story, and it holds together well enough for that. I'll get a copy for my middle school library!
November 11, 2022
This may be one of the best books about kids going on adventures that I've ever read.
To start, the characters are wonderful. I loved each and every one of the kids in this book. They feel very real, and have interesting backgrounds and sympathetic motivations. I also enjoyed the whimsical worldbuilding.
But absolutely the best thing about this book is the plot, and the sheer consistency of it. Unlike so many other "kids on adventures" books, the stakes are actually high, but the clanksmiths' victories still feel realistic. I never once rolled my eyes at an unbelieveable escape or unlikely victory. The backstory of magic making people complacent and uncreative, and engineering being unexpected and unusual, just works really well. This is then backed up by really good writing! The world feels rich and real, and the way the characters think about their problems feels familiar.
So basically, I can't recommend this book enough. Definitely get it for any kids in your life who want to learn about STEM (and even try out some fun projects using the instructions at the back of the book!). But also get it for yourself, even if you're years out of school, because it's a delightful read for any age.
To start, the characters are wonderful. I loved each and every one of the kids in this book. They feel very real, and have interesting backgrounds and sympathetic motivations. I also enjoyed the whimsical worldbuilding.
But absolutely the best thing about this book is the plot, and the sheer consistency of it. Unlike so many other "kids on adventures" books, the stakes are actually high, but the clanksmiths' victories still feel realistic. I never once rolled my eyes at an unbelieveable escape or unlikely victory. The backstory of magic making people complacent and uncreative, and engineering being unexpected and unusual, just works really well. This is then backed up by really good writing! The world feels rich and real, and the way the characters think about their problems feels familiar.
So basically, I can't recommend this book enough. Definitely get it for any kids in your life who want to learn about STEM (and even try out some fun projects using the instructions at the back of the book!). But also get it for yourself, even if you're years out of school, because it's a delightful read for any age.
May 12, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hex Allen and The Clanksmiths, a delightful middle school book by MIT Engineer Jasmine Florentine. Jasmine wrote a children’s STEM-adventure book with the goal of introducing kids ages 8-14 to engineering in a fun context. She reached out to me because she wants to get the book into the hands of young girls to get them curious and excited about STEM early. This book should appeal to middle school girls and boys—it’s full of adventure, magic, mystery, and charming characters. Jasmine introduces the concept of the engineering design process in an appealing and approachable way. The main characters encounter a number of engineering challenges, and they solve them with curiosity, smarts, and wit. This book is a fun and uplifting read with lots of humor and, at its core, a message of friendship and acceptance.
January 18, 2023
I heard my ten-year-old mumbling to herself: "If at first you don't succeed, fail, fail, and fail again."
"What's that about?" I asked.
"It's a chapter title in my new book," she explained.
She then told me how this book (through character development and dialogue) taught the main character (Hex) how it's not just OKAY to fail, but that failing is a valuable part of the learning process.
My daughter noticed that Hex is smart, clever with puns, kind, and selfless. She also told me that this book is obviously about engineering and science, but it's also about "friendship and learning how to trust yourself and your friends." She would recommend to her friends!
"What's that about?" I asked.
"It's a chapter title in my new book," she explained.
She then told me how this book (through character development and dialogue) taught the main character (Hex) how it's not just OKAY to fail, but that failing is a valuable part of the learning process.
My daughter noticed that Hex is smart, clever with puns, kind, and selfless. She also told me that this book is obviously about engineering and science, but it's also about "friendship and learning how to trust yourself and your friends." She would recommend to her friends!
July 18, 2023
I really didn't know what to expect with this book and I have to say I found it surprisingly delightful -- mostly because STEM topics can so easily be less than riveting, but both the storytelling and the wonderful illustrations made this a really fun read. I loved that there's a straightforward quality to the storytelling. I love the easy-to-follow STEM concepts, and I loved that the heart of the story is about kindness and caring about people. That's not obvious when you first start in the book -- there's a certain callousness from magic users to those who can't, and the main characters all have mis-steps along the way.
March 21, 2023
Not only is "Hex Allen" a delightful story in a fun world with very real characters, but also the book provides actual instructions for building the devices the protagonists use in the story to overcome their obstacles, in a way that manages to be understandable without being inaccurate to the tech or infantilizing to the reader. If you have a kid -- especially if your kid isn't already thought of as a "technically minded" person in school -- I recommend this book. Maybe your kid really would enjoy STEM, but has never been given the chance to explore it fully.
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March 9, 2023Whimsical story with hands-on activities for children 8 years old and up.
As a teacher, this is a great book to read together as a class or for independent reading. My students participate in literature circles (think adult book clubs) and there is so much within the chapters to discuss. I look forward to giving my students the opportunity to try out the engineering projects within the book. Great for kids 8 years and up, home school, gifted and traditional classrooms.
As a teacher, this is a great book to read together as a class or for independent reading. My students participate in literature circles (think adult book clubs) and there is so much within the chapters to discuss. I look forward to giving my students the opportunity to try out the engineering projects within the book. Great for kids 8 years and up, home school, gifted and traditional classrooms.
November 4, 2022
Fun, inspirational book for all ages! This book is like a classic fantasy adventure, but with a twist: Instead of the protagonist having strong magical powers, she is one of the only characters without magic -- forcing her to develop impressive engineering skills and build creative contraptions to escape from perilous situations.
It’s inspirational to watch Hex and her new friends convert their disability (lack of magic) into a superpower (science and engineering) through perseverance and creativity (and perhaps some long-lost engineering knowledge).
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure, the triumph of science and engineering over innate ability, and a tale of success in the face of disability and adversity.
It’s inspirational to watch Hex and her new friends convert their disability (lack of magic) into a superpower (science and engineering) through perseverance and creativity (and perhaps some long-lost engineering knowledge).
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure, the triumph of science and engineering over innate ability, and a tale of success in the face of disability and adversity.
November 13, 2022
E ARC provided by Edelweiss or Netgalley
November 28, 2023
Sweet adventure story about finding yourself and loving others. I love how it encourages kids to be creative and resourceful to reach their goals!
July 24, 2023
This book is so special. The plot, characters, and world-building are all strong and unique, with important messages for kids that come through naturally as the book progresses. I knew I had to give this book to my niece because she loves anything with dragons. More importantly, though, the book has important messages for kids about how they belong in STEM. I’m so happy I got to give my niece a book with that message, and with hands-on activities, that I knew she would love. I also recommend this book to patrons at the library where I am a children’s librarian, as great summer reading. It would be amazing for classroom use as well because of the STEM activities included at the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews