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The Crimson Five #2
Flip the Silver Switch
The Crimson Five are headed to the Piedmont Global Championships in Quebec, where they'll compete against the best inventor teams in the world. Kia and her New York teammates are excited to share a new amazing invention — but they're blind-sided with another task to solve, with just two weeks to do it!As the team struggles with a lack of creativity, rumors leave The Crimson Five questioning everything about each other. Kia knows she and her team must come together like never before in order to win a coveted spot on the Swirl and Spark Creativity Tour, but tragedy threatens to derail all that they've built.The Crimson Five are together again.Because sometimes it takes a whole team to help you see things clearly.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2018
74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 22, 2018
Interest Level: 5-8
Imagine that everything you ever wanted in life came true. Would you be happy? What if you realized that what you really wanted took a dramatic change in a very short time? This is exactly what happened to Kia. Her team, the Crimson Five, has just won the Piedmont Challenge and she is headed to the school of her dreams, Piedmont Inventors Prep School. First, however, her team has one more competition to face, the Piedmont Challenge Global Championship. In this challenge they are facing two other teams from the United States but also against teams from all over the world. Kia wants to win this new challenge very bad so that their invention, the Ancestor App, will be built and Grandma Kitty will have a chance to learn things about her mother. The even bigger bonus is that the top three teams will go on a year long Swirl and Spark Tour in which they travel the world inspiring other young students to achieve their best. Kia is beyond excited for this new adventure to be able to spend a year traveling the world with her friends and she doesn't understand why a couple of her teammates are not on board with this, until tragedy strikes and Kia starts to doubt the tour herself. What will Kia and her team do? Will they do their very best to win or will the issues in their life hold them back? Kia and her teammates make new friends, deal with a couple of enemies, and have to cope with so many twists and turns. This is a must read book... how else will you find out the conclusion to Spin the Golden Light Bulb?
Spin the Golden Light Bulb and Flip the Silver Switch are two MUST read books for all ages. These books show children that they can achieve anything they want with some hard work, and adults can use these books as a read-aloud to encourage creative, ambition, and imagination. There are many ups and downs in these books and in book two there is even an "oh snap did that just happen" moment. Don't miss these extraordinary books!!
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Imagine that everything you ever wanted in life came true. Would you be happy? What if you realized that what you really wanted took a dramatic change in a very short time? This is exactly what happened to Kia. Her team, the Crimson Five, has just won the Piedmont Challenge and she is headed to the school of her dreams, Piedmont Inventors Prep School. First, however, her team has one more competition to face, the Piedmont Challenge Global Championship. In this challenge they are facing two other teams from the United States but also against teams from all over the world. Kia wants to win this new challenge very bad so that their invention, the Ancestor App, will be built and Grandma Kitty will have a chance to learn things about her mother. The even bigger bonus is that the top three teams will go on a year long Swirl and Spark Tour in which they travel the world inspiring other young students to achieve their best. Kia is beyond excited for this new adventure to be able to spend a year traveling the world with her friends and she doesn't understand why a couple of her teammates are not on board with this, until tragedy strikes and Kia starts to doubt the tour herself. What will Kia and her team do? Will they do their very best to win or will the issues in their life hold them back? Kia and her teammates make new friends, deal with a couple of enemies, and have to cope with so many twists and turns. This is a must read book... how else will you find out the conclusion to Spin the Golden Light Bulb?
Spin the Golden Light Bulb and Flip the Silver Switch are two MUST read books for all ages. These books show children that they can achieve anything they want with some hard work, and adults can use these books as a read-aloud to encourage creative, ambition, and imagination. There are many ups and downs in these books and in book two there is even an "oh snap did that just happen" moment. Don't miss these extraordinary books!!
Follow me:
Facebook - Laurie’s Library Place - https://www.facebook.com/LauriesLibra...
Instagram - laurieslibrary - https://www.instagram.com/laurieslibr...
Twitter - https://twitter.com/lauriepurser27
Goodreads - Laurie Purser - https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...
Blog - Blazer Tales - https://blazertales.weebly.com/
September 15, 2018
I did not read the first book in this series and had little problems diving into the story with book two. It did, however, take a few pages to get a hold on the characters and situation. So, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series even if it's not completely necessary.
Imagination, team work and determination make this a read packed with great things for the middle grade audience.
The Crimson Five are back again, this time heading to Quebec to take part in the next level of the science/invention competition. Not only do the five face unexpected challenges, but soon uncover somethings which make them question several things about themselves and the competition.
This book is solidly written for the intended age group. The writing, vocabulary, character interactions, scenes and problems fit the age slot perfectly and never risk going over board. Each of the five kids demonstrates a distinct personality, making sure that readers will find at least one they can easily identify with. The kids have thoughts and problems which are easy to relate to, and the book is sprinkled with words of wisdom and good messages which inspire team work, friendship, determination, and inspiration.
The story takes place on a future Earth which lets imagination flow while still keeping close enough to our modern world to keep everything familiar. There's a mixture of imagination, science, math, arts, and cultures which creates a well rounded read. A little more exactness in the science area would have been nice, considering this is a science competition, but it's still an enjoyable read. There's a hint of something dark and sinister lurking in the background, but it's never really made clear what the evil intentions are...something which promises excitement for the books to come.
All in all, this is a nice futuristic and wholesome read. There are many great messages in these pages, while keeping the story exciting yet never too harsh for the age group.
I received a complimentary copy and found it such a nice read that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
Imagination, team work and determination make this a read packed with great things for the middle grade audience.
The Crimson Five are back again, this time heading to Quebec to take part in the next level of the science/invention competition. Not only do the five face unexpected challenges, but soon uncover somethings which make them question several things about themselves and the competition.
This book is solidly written for the intended age group. The writing, vocabulary, character interactions, scenes and problems fit the age slot perfectly and never risk going over board. Each of the five kids demonstrates a distinct personality, making sure that readers will find at least one they can easily identify with. The kids have thoughts and problems which are easy to relate to, and the book is sprinkled with words of wisdom and good messages which inspire team work, friendship, determination, and inspiration.
The story takes place on a future Earth which lets imagination flow while still keeping close enough to our modern world to keep everything familiar. There's a mixture of imagination, science, math, arts, and cultures which creates a well rounded read. A little more exactness in the science area would have been nice, considering this is a science competition, but it's still an enjoyable read. There's a hint of something dark and sinister lurking in the background, but it's never really made clear what the evil intentions are...something which promises excitement for the books to come.
All in all, this is a nice futuristic and wholesome read. There are many great messages in these pages, while keeping the story exciting yet never too harsh for the age group.
I received a complimentary copy and found it such a nice read that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
April 8, 2018
In this dystopia middle-school book, the Piedmont Company controls how all children, worldwide learn in the schools. The story is set 53 years in the future. Children all learn the same basic subjects, again, worldwide, and when they get into sixth grade, they will have to concentrate on one subject, only, to prepare themselves to enter the workforce.
But, if they win the Piedmont Challenge, they will be allowed to study all subjects, and be much more well-rounded people.
There is a sinister undertone to these books, this is the second in the series, that the Piedmont Company is up to something, but we never learn what that is, at least not in the last book, or the second book in the series.
Kia is an ok protagonist, but she is so unsure of herself that it drives me crazy. She was unsure of herself in the last book, as well, so no surprises there. And like the first book, this lack of confidence drives me crazy until we get to the meat of the story, about 60-70% into the book, where things start to happen.
The book stresses the importance of being well-rounded, and how kids have to work together to solve problems, and how some problems have to be thought of from a different angle in order to solve them. I sort of wish we had seen more of the puzzles the kids had to solve.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
But, if they win the Piedmont Challenge, they will be allowed to study all subjects, and be much more well-rounded people.
There is a sinister undertone to these books, this is the second in the series, that the Piedmont Company is up to something, but we never learn what that is, at least not in the last book, or the second book in the series.
Kia is an ok protagonist, but she is so unsure of herself that it drives me crazy. She was unsure of herself in the last book, as well, so no surprises there. And like the first book, this lack of confidence drives me crazy until we get to the meat of the story, about 60-70% into the book, where things start to happen.
The book stresses the importance of being well-rounded, and how kids have to work together to solve problems, and how some problems have to be thought of from a different angle in order to solve them. I sort of wish we had seen more of the puzzles the kids had to solve.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 9, 2018
Be Curious. Be Creative. Be Collaborative. Be Colorful. Be Courageous....the motto of this book and likely the series.
It took me a bit to get into the story.At first I thought it might be because I hadn't read the first book in the series and this is book two. Then I thought it might be because it's about middle-school age kids and I might not dig it.
Nope, it just took me a bit to get introduced to the characters and get a feel for the storyline. Only a page or three and I was rolling along with the Crimson Five and the ideas the author was trying to get across.
It's written by a middle school teacher and I really like the message she's getting across. She succeeds too. Each of the five has a personality trait that I could either identify with or know someone who it reminded me of even though I am a 'grownup'. The worrier, the defensive, the pretty, the showoff, the introvert. Problem solving played big throughout the book, both the contest the C5 were competing in and life lesson problems. What to do when rumors abound, who do you trust, is that person as evil as they seem. How to work through perceptions and misperceptions.
I really enjoyed the story once I got into it. It's a good tale for middle-schoolers and for their parents and teachers and really anyone who likes a good book.
I can definitely recommend this book and author.
It took me a bit to get into the story.At first I thought it might be because I hadn't read the first book in the series and this is book two. Then I thought it might be because it's about middle-school age kids and I might not dig it.
Nope, it just took me a bit to get introduced to the characters and get a feel for the storyline. Only a page or three and I was rolling along with the Crimson Five and the ideas the author was trying to get across.
It's written by a middle school teacher and I really like the message she's getting across. She succeeds too. Each of the five has a personality trait that I could either identify with or know someone who it reminded me of even though I am a 'grownup'. The worrier, the defensive, the pretty, the showoff, the introvert. Problem solving played big throughout the book, both the contest the C5 were competing in and life lesson problems. What to do when rumors abound, who do you trust, is that person as evil as they seem. How to work through perceptions and misperceptions.
I really enjoyed the story once I got into it. It's a good tale for middle-schoolers and for their parents and teachers and really anyone who likes a good book.
I can definitely recommend this book and author.
August 14, 2018
This book was not scientific enough for me. It is about a group of student inventors going to an international championship. If their idea for an invention wins, it will be developed. Their idea is an ancestry app. There is never any explanation of how it will work and what technology will make their idea possible. There are too many tasks for these students and the tasks have nothing to do with inventions. In order to explain how hover scooters work the author just says it uses hover gel--at least say air pressure here. They have things called Piedmont watches which track the students. That technology already exists--the author did not need to make up something here--our phones and smartwatches do this. The French was terrible. The author did not use any accents and just added le to English words. She also forgot to drop the e in le before a vowel. Much time was spent with the group working on a skit instead of inventing. There was no explanation of why they would do a skit at an invention competition. Finally, there were attempts at meaningful quotes that failed. "Our team is not a team until every team mate is here" was just annoying. Because there was no science in this book, I couldn't tell if the author was going for Sci Fi or Fantasy. Either way, If I can't tell what genre the author is going for, then the book is a failure.
March 22, 2019
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Flip the Silver Switch by Jackie Yeager is the second The Crimson Five book.
The Crimson Five–Kia, Ander, Mare, Jax, and Jillian–have soared through nationals and earned a spot at the Global Piedmont Championships. At Global’s they will complete against 99 other international teams and the top three teams will have their inventions created.
Kia is determined to win and get the ancestor app built, but are her teammates just as motivated? Has The Crimson Five travel to Quebec for the two week competition, they will encounter a whole new set of problems and will have to lean on each other more than ever!
Will The Crimson Five buckle under the pressure or will they meet the challenge and win the day?
I enjoyed Spin the Golden Lightbulb a lot. I thought it was a great book about sparking ideas and, especially, working together as a team. But Flip the Silver Switch was basically more of the same. Yes, there were a few unanswered questions from the first book that were resolved here but the team was pretty much dealing with the same problems/issues they had in the first book.
I did like that the team had to create something new and, on top of that, they had to fight Principle Bermuda. It was also nice to see how the team, teammates, reacted to the tour verses leaving their families behind. This is something kids do worry about.
As with the first book, the end wrapped up really quickly. There was a lot of build up to the story and then I felt like the competition itself went really fast. Maybe the pace picks up and I didn’t notice it but it felt quick.
Overall, this was a nice read and I think many kids will enjoy falling back into the story after reading the first book. This one gets three stars from me.
Flip the Silver Switch by Jackie Yeager is the second The Crimson Five book.
The Crimson Five–Kia, Ander, Mare, Jax, and Jillian–have soared through nationals and earned a spot at the Global Piedmont Championships. At Global’s they will complete against 99 other international teams and the top three teams will have their inventions created.
Kia is determined to win and get the ancestor app built, but are her teammates just as motivated? Has The Crimson Five travel to Quebec for the two week competition, they will encounter a whole new set of problems and will have to lean on each other more than ever!
Will The Crimson Five buckle under the pressure or will they meet the challenge and win the day?
I enjoyed Spin the Golden Lightbulb a lot. I thought it was a great book about sparking ideas and, especially, working together as a team. But Flip the Silver Switch was basically more of the same. Yes, there were a few unanswered questions from the first book that were resolved here but the team was pretty much dealing with the same problems/issues they had in the first book.
I did like that the team had to create something new and, on top of that, they had to fight Principle Bermuda. It was also nice to see how the team, teammates, reacted to the tour verses leaving their families behind. This is something kids do worry about.
As with the first book, the end wrapped up really quickly. There was a lot of build up to the story and then I felt like the competition itself went really fast. Maybe the pace picks up and I didn’t notice it but it felt quick.
Overall, this was a nice read and I think many kids will enjoy falling back into the story after reading the first book. This one gets three stars from me.
June 5, 2018
I was very happy to learn there was another book with the Crimson Five, since I enjoyed Spin the Golden Light Bulb so much.
Kia and the rest of the Crimson Five are of to the Piedmont Challenge Global Championships, where if they place well their invention will be developed, making the stakes even higher. Then they learn they have even more to do than they initially thought. It's good they have new tasks, because that is where the team and the narrative excel at being inventive (pun intended).
I love the group's dynamics, as the importance and power of friendship is emphasized again. Patience is a virtue and must be practiced, even if you don't understand someone else's point of view. And let us not forget teamwork.
Not sure how I feel about the return of the principal. His meddling at the beginning is just distracting. Only later does it make sense.
Sweet, charming, the author's creativity soaring again with the plethora of all the gadgets, humorous names & activities etc, gifting you with childlike enthusiasm. This book is not only extremely entertaining, but also inspiring.
Kia and the rest of the Crimson Five are of to the Piedmont Challenge Global Championships, where if they place well their invention will be developed, making the stakes even higher. Then they learn they have even more to do than they initially thought. It's good they have new tasks, because that is where the team and the narrative excel at being inventive (pun intended).
I love the group's dynamics, as the importance and power of friendship is emphasized again. Patience is a virtue and must be practiced, even if you don't understand someone else's point of view. And let us not forget teamwork.
Not sure how I feel about the return of the principal. His meddling at the beginning is just distracting. Only later does it make sense.
Sweet, charming, the author's creativity soaring again with the plethora of all the gadgets, humorous names & activities etc, gifting you with childlike enthusiasm. This book is not only extremely entertaining, but also inspiring.
August 22, 2018
Be Curious. Be Creative. Be Collaborative. Be Colorful. Be Courageous. This Crimson 5 motto is the theme of this middle grade book and its predecessor. Kids will have characters they can identify with and care for as the characters learn what their strengths and weaknesses are as well as how to be members of a team.
I read the first book Spin the Golden Bulb and I would recommend reading this before jumping into book 2. The author does reintroduce the characters to refresh the readers' memories or help those jumping in, so it's not a must to have book 1 read first, but it is helpful to better understand each character and what's happening.
The science is very cool, but not to "techy" that it would turn off any reader. I loved how all areas of life--math, science, theater, art, fashion, and more--were shown working together in real-world problem solving; no one area is more important than others. Most of the adults (with the exception of the "villain") are caring, supportive people who truly love the kids. Overall, I recommend this book to all middle grader readers and even younger, more advanced readers as it is a "clean" and non-violent, drug-free, swear-free book.
I read the first book Spin the Golden Bulb and I would recommend reading this before jumping into book 2. The author does reintroduce the characters to refresh the readers' memories or help those jumping in, so it's not a must to have book 1 read first, but it is helpful to better understand each character and what's happening.
The science is very cool, but not to "techy" that it would turn off any reader. I loved how all areas of life--math, science, theater, art, fashion, and more--were shown working together in real-world problem solving; no one area is more important than others. Most of the adults (with the exception of the "villain") are caring, supportive people who truly love the kids. Overall, I recommend this book to all middle grader readers and even younger, more advanced readers as it is a "clean" and non-violent, drug-free, swear-free book.
September 21, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I had not read the first one and was trying to figure out the characters and what had happened to lead them to the challenge they were at today. I like the premise of the story, having a group of children working together to create a new invention and compete against teams from around the world. I think I would have liked it more had the author included some of the challenges the team had to solve and how they did it.
It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I had not read the first one and was trying to figure out the characters and what had happened to lead them to the challenge they were at today. I like the premise of the story, having a group of children working together to create a new invention and compete against teams from around the world. I think I would have liked it more had the author included some of the challenges the team had to solve and how they did it.
October 20, 2018
Five kids compete in an Odyssey of the Mind-type competition set in a nebulous future. I missed the first book so I suspect a lot of the world-building happened there; it seems the world is now strictly regulated and children are forced into school matching their highest aptitudes. Kia, the protagonist, has few friends and has intensely bonded with her competition team, and the five personalities work together on the new, global challenge.
Their latest invention struck me as a dystopian nightmare, but I don't think that was the intent.
Their latest invention struck me as a dystopian nightmare, but I don't think that was the intent.
July 23, 2025
I really liked this book alot Kia and The Crimson Five had me loving middle grade books again. Since I read this one first i went back and read the first book and luked it just as well. Kia and her New York teammates travel to Quebec for the Piedmont Global Championships where they're challenged to solve a new mind-bending task against 99 international teams. Kia, Ander, Mare, Jax, and Jillian attempt to create a life-changing invention in two weeks, they find out some shocking info that could affect the Global Championships and force their team out of the competition
August 28, 2018
I was lucky enough to read an early version of the second installment The Crimson Five. Heartfelt and exciting, the kids of Crimson Five get into even more crazy adventures now that they've secured a spot in the World Finals. This sequel incorporates the same spirit and joy that Spin the Golden Light Bulb did. Readers of the first book will not be disappointed.
August 20, 2020
Finished reading and really enjoyed the new device created in the book involving ancestors. The thought of being able to talk previous family members would be really a cool thing to do. Love the creativity pool and how it stimulates their creative juices flowing. Once again a well done book that is amazing for middle grades and young adults.
July 29, 2019
This was a great sequel. I liked Spin the Golden Light Bulb and this book even more. It answered a few of the questions I had from the first in a surprising way. The futuristic tree suite colony was awesome. I can't wait to read the third!
August 27, 2018
This is a real fun book for kids, full of imagination, problem solving, teamwork, and the right amount of pathos. The series could definitely become a movie for Disney Chanel.
Free review copy.
Free review copy.
January 22, 2019
I stopped reading this book 40 pages from the end. I thought it was so boring. My mom made me finish it since I was so close to the end.
December 15, 2019
This was a great book. A little heavier, emotionally, than the previous book, but it worked well with the story and shows how the characters are growing.
December 5, 2018
Kia and her team from New York, the Crimson Five, made it through Nationals. Now they are on their way to the Piedmont Global Championships in Quebec. There they will compete against other kids just like them, inventors and problem solvers from around the world.
But when they arrive, the team is presented with a new task that they must solve, and in only two weeks. When lack of inspiration and nasty rumors leave the team with doubts. Kia knows that they will have to do something to bring them all back together before it is too late or they will lose the competition.
This was a very entertaining story about a group of five very creative and intelligent young people as they compete for the chance to have their invention created.
Kia is the main character of this story, but in reality, it follows all five of her team members. These kids are very bright for their age, but they are still young children so they have doubts, and worries and fears.
I loved the ideas and the inventions the Crimson Five and the other teams came up with. I wish I had read book one beforehand in order to know more about their first invention, but despite that fact, I was still able to follow along.
The settings were very imaginative and intriguing. Their tree-houses were very creative, as well as the thinking pool. Though I wish I had been able to know how to get across those jungle gym bars.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would give it four out of five stars. I would recommend it to young readers with a love for invention.
I received my copy of this novel from Librarything.com for the sole purpose of providing an honest review. The image featured above is my own.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
But when they arrive, the team is presented with a new task that they must solve, and in only two weeks. When lack of inspiration and nasty rumors leave the team with doubts. Kia knows that they will have to do something to bring them all back together before it is too late or they will lose the competition.
This was a very entertaining story about a group of five very creative and intelligent young people as they compete for the chance to have their invention created.
Kia is the main character of this story, but in reality, it follows all five of her team members. These kids are very bright for their age, but they are still young children so they have doubts, and worries and fears.
I loved the ideas and the inventions the Crimson Five and the other teams came up with. I wish I had read book one beforehand in order to know more about their first invention, but despite that fact, I was still able to follow along.
The settings were very imaginative and intriguing. Their tree-houses were very creative, as well as the thinking pool. Though I wish I had been able to know how to get across those jungle gym bars.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would give it four out of five stars. I would recommend it to young readers with a love for invention.
I received my copy of this novel from Librarything.com for the sole purpose of providing an honest review. The image featured above is my own.
stephanietiner.weebly.com
May 18, 2018
A really cute middle-grade story about a group of five friends and inventions. It seems futuristic and is the second in a series. This doesn't stand on its own, I felt completely lost at time times because I haven't read the first one.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews