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Operation Gadgetman!
Beans calls her dad “Gadgetman” because of the weird and wonderful gadgets he comes up with – from exploding biscuits to Spy Kits. But the wrong people find out and Gadgetman goes missing.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
13 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Malorie Blackman
156 books4,515 followersAn award-winning children's author, Malorie Blackman was honoured with an OBE in 2008. Her work has been adapted for TV and stage.
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British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
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More information available at:
Myspace
British Council: Contemporary Authors
British Council: Encompass Culture
Channel 4 Learning: Book Box
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2012
Operation Gadgetman is the story of Bean a.k.a Beatrice and her unconventional inventor Dad, otherwise known as 'Gadgetman'.
'Gadgetman' is an unconventional father who isn't worried about the usual parent things, such as a well stocked fridge, or clean house - instead he spends his days inventing madcap things such as animal crunchies (biscuits which cook as you throw them through the air).
Bean returns from school with her best friends; Louisa and Ann to find that her father has disappeared and left her a very cryptic note full of grammatical errors. The girls are puzzled and not sure what has happened to Bean's father, until Bean uses the spy-kit her father has given all three girls before school and realises the note has a secret message in it. The note tells them that 'Gadgetman' has been kidnapped. As the girls are about to go to the police station, a Detective Warner appears at the front door and asks Bean a lot of questions. Bean doesn't think that the Detective is doing a good job and starts to look for evidence such as finger prints around her house. Detective Warner makes the girls suspicious by asking a lot of questions about one of the 'Gadgetman's' inventions, the induction oscillator.
We find out that Bean's father had used the induction oscillator machine at his building society and money had literally fallen from the cash machine. Bean decides to visit the building society as they had written to them to tell them of the error. Whilst there, she recognises Lucas, who works there but who she realises has previously seen spying on her whilst she came back from school. The girls use detective work to find out that Lucas and Detective Warner are in fact partners in crime. They follow Lucas' car back to the house where they are holding her father. The kidnappers want to use the induction oscillator to con money out of building societies around the country, Bean's father won't tell them how it works, so they centre their efforts on Bean and her knowledge. The story culminates with the girls laying traps for Lucas and Warner which create such a din that their neighbour comes round and the girls shout for help. Bean's father is rescued and returns home.
The book is aimed at 7-8 years old. I thought it was a very accessible book, enough mystery and excitement without being too over-whelming. Bean is an appealing character, slightly irreverent, independent and cheeky which would appeal to most children! The book could be read during independent reading or together as a class. Children could create their own kidnapping letters or think of a secret code or language which they could then explain to others in the class.
'Gadgetman' is an unconventional father who isn't worried about the usual parent things, such as a well stocked fridge, or clean house - instead he spends his days inventing madcap things such as animal crunchies (biscuits which cook as you throw them through the air).
Bean returns from school with her best friends; Louisa and Ann to find that her father has disappeared and left her a very cryptic note full of grammatical errors. The girls are puzzled and not sure what has happened to Bean's father, until Bean uses the spy-kit her father has given all three girls before school and realises the note has a secret message in it. The note tells them that 'Gadgetman' has been kidnapped. As the girls are about to go to the police station, a Detective Warner appears at the front door and asks Bean a lot of questions. Bean doesn't think that the Detective is doing a good job and starts to look for evidence such as finger prints around her house. Detective Warner makes the girls suspicious by asking a lot of questions about one of the 'Gadgetman's' inventions, the induction oscillator.
We find out that Bean's father had used the induction oscillator machine at his building society and money had literally fallen from the cash machine. Bean decides to visit the building society as they had written to them to tell them of the error. Whilst there, she recognises Lucas, who works there but who she realises has previously seen spying on her whilst she came back from school. The girls use detective work to find out that Lucas and Detective Warner are in fact partners in crime. They follow Lucas' car back to the house where they are holding her father. The kidnappers want to use the induction oscillator to con money out of building societies around the country, Bean's father won't tell them how it works, so they centre their efforts on Bean and her knowledge. The story culminates with the girls laying traps for Lucas and Warner which create such a din that their neighbour comes round and the girls shout for help. Bean's father is rescued and returns home.
The book is aimed at 7-8 years old. I thought it was a very accessible book, enough mystery and excitement without being too over-whelming. Bean is an appealing character, slightly irreverent, independent and cheeky which would appeal to most children! The book could be read during independent reading or together as a class. Children could create their own kidnapping letters or think of a secret code or language which they could then explain to others in the class.
May 28, 2020
Operation Gadgetman is a terrifically thrilling mystery read packed with excitement and suspense. This is a book that has sat on my bookshelf for way too long and I’m so happy that I got around to finally reading it - I absolutely loved it! This is the kind of book that will have children reading long past their bedtime.
Nothing interesting ever happens in Cleevesdon with the exception of the odd explosion coming from the shed in Mr. Conran’s garden. So when kaboom turns to kidnap, fingerprint dust will fly.
Beans’s dad, or Gadgetman as she prefers to call him, likes nothing better than spending time in his shed working on his inventions and gadgets - inventing everything from exploding animal crackers to ever lasting lightbulbs. But when his latest invention - a machine that can be used to steal millions (and even zillions) of pounds from banks and building societies - attracts the attention of some very dangerous people, Gadgetman finds himself in a whole world of trouble.
When Beans and her school friends arrive home from school one Friday afternoon following yet another detention and there is no sign of her father, she knows something is wrong. With a bizarrely written letter on the kitchen table the only hint of her father’s whereabouts, Beans and her friends, Ann and Louisia, begin a daring race against time to find Gadgetman before it is too late. Equipped with Gadgetman's new Spy Kit, complete with Spy Kit Instruction Book, can they find Gadgetman before his money-making device ends up in the wrong hands?
This has all the best bits of a child-friendly episode of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) - looking for clues, dusting for fingerprints, gathering evidence and setting traps. Children will love working alongside the girls - playing detective and solving the mystery. Don’t be surprised to find readers going around the house with pieces of sellotape or cocoa powder on the hunt for finger prints.
It is always refreshing to read a book that has diverse characters of different ethnicities and in Beans, Ann and Louisa, Blackman has created three likeable, relatable and relevant characters. Central figure Beans is an only child who lives with her ‘eccentric’ father after the death of her mother several years ago and readers will no doubt laugh at Beans’ father as he does his best to embarrass her in-front of her friends.
An enjoyable read for readers of 7+.
Nothing interesting ever happens in Cleevesdon with the exception of the odd explosion coming from the shed in Mr. Conran’s garden. So when kaboom turns to kidnap, fingerprint dust will fly.
Beans’s dad, or Gadgetman as she prefers to call him, likes nothing better than spending time in his shed working on his inventions and gadgets - inventing everything from exploding animal crackers to ever lasting lightbulbs. But when his latest invention - a machine that can be used to steal millions (and even zillions) of pounds from banks and building societies - attracts the attention of some very dangerous people, Gadgetman finds himself in a whole world of trouble.
When Beans and her school friends arrive home from school one Friday afternoon following yet another detention and there is no sign of her father, she knows something is wrong. With a bizarrely written letter on the kitchen table the only hint of her father’s whereabouts, Beans and her friends, Ann and Louisia, begin a daring race against time to find Gadgetman before it is too late. Equipped with Gadgetman's new Spy Kit, complete with Spy Kit Instruction Book, can they find Gadgetman before his money-making device ends up in the wrong hands?
This has all the best bits of a child-friendly episode of CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) - looking for clues, dusting for fingerprints, gathering evidence and setting traps. Children will love working alongside the girls - playing detective and solving the mystery. Don’t be surprised to find readers going around the house with pieces of sellotape or cocoa powder on the hunt for finger prints.
It is always refreshing to read a book that has diverse characters of different ethnicities and in Beans, Ann and Louisa, Blackman has created three likeable, relatable and relevant characters. Central figure Beans is an only child who lives with her ‘eccentric’ father after the death of her mother several years ago and readers will no doubt laugh at Beans’ father as he does his best to embarrass her in-front of her friends.
An enjoyable read for readers of 7+.
July 11, 2017
Beans' dad, Gadgetman, invents a machine that can empty the money out of ATM machines. This lands him in the custody of a couple of thugs who want the machine to themselves. Now, Beans and her friends are on the case to find her dad and his kidnappers before they find out how the machine works. A great book for the family to read a chapter of each night. It got so suspenseful that we had to read the last two chapters in one sitting.
April 9, 2020
Read this one with my daughter and we both loved it!
Each chapter had something to keep us reading and the simple experiments were fun to read about and then we would just do them at home. It’s all stuff you will have at home like lemon juice or wax for secret writings and coco powder for searching fingerprints, great fun.
The story does not relent, it kept us reading right until the end.
It’s a great story for kids!
Enjoy
Each chapter had something to keep us reading and the simple experiments were fun to read about and then we would just do them at home. It’s all stuff you will have at home like lemon juice or wax for secret writings and coco powder for searching fingerprints, great fun.
The story does not relent, it kept us reading right until the end.
It’s a great story for kids!
Enjoy
December 23, 2025
4.5/5⭐
I KNEW IT! I KNEW FROM THE SECOND HE WAS INTRODUCED THAT WARNER WAS ONE OF THE KIDNAPPERS!! And then Sergeant Paxman walked in and I immediately knew, that is Lucas flipping Moynahan. This is why I LOVE Malorie Blackman books.
I KNEW IT! I KNEW FROM THE SECOND HE WAS INTRODUCED THAT WARNER WAS ONE OF THE KIDNAPPERS!! And then Sergeant Paxman walked in and I immediately knew, that is Lucas flipping Moynahan. This is why I LOVE Malorie Blackman books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2020
Fast pace story. Good for KS2 independent readers or as a class read.
December 20, 2022
This is a re-read from 2019 because I didn't finish the ending. The ending is disappointing to say the least.
March 30, 2024
Bah personalmente una porcheria, ma ai bambini è piaciuto un sacco. Primo libro con il mio Year 3💓
March 14, 2021
Of course, this is a book for kids but I read it anyway to get back into reading.
The whole story about a father who is a great inventor, but later gets kidnapped and his very much intelligent and adventurous daughter trying to rescue him is entertaining. There is a great description and the plot doesn't drag on. Many parts are also expected, but I think the part about the ATM invention was the best.
Definitely read if :
- You want to have a chill read
- You like children's adventures
- You are bored
The whole story about a father who is a great inventor, but later gets kidnapped and his very much intelligent and adventurous daughter trying to rescue him is entertaining. There is a great description and the plot doesn't drag on. Many parts are also expected, but I think the part about the ATM invention was the best.
Definitely read if :
- You want to have a chill read
- You like children's adventures
- You are bored
Read
October 25, 2019 This jaw dropping book is all about Beatrice and her dad who got kidnapped in his workroom. The reason he was kidnapped was because of his newest invention the induction oscillator. The job of the gadget is to take money from banks. At the end Beatrice manages to rescue her dad and get justice out of the two kidnappers.
July 23, 2013
A good mystery choice for kids: enough details to make things interesting, but not very violent or scary. The plot was a little bit predictable for me, but not too much so. And the British English is fun -- exploding biscuits!
December 5, 2012
Good pre-teen book. Short, but a nice story.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews