The Summer I Shrank My Grandmother Author: Elvira Woodruff. Pages: 153. Publisher: Dell. Price: $3.25.

It's funny. It's sad. It's a mixture of all things. It made the impossible possible. What am I talking about? The Summer I Shrank My Grandmother by Elvira Woodruff.

Nelly Brown is an unusual 10-year-old. You won't find her playing Nintendo or going to slumber parties. You'll be much more likely to find her in her lab, experimenting with potions that might someday change the world.

The story begins when Nelly decides to use a magical potion to make her grandmother young again. Nelly's grandmother is tired of the aches and pains of being old. She wants a chance to live her life as a kid. Nelly feels sorry for her grandmother and wants to make her wish come true, so she decides to try out a magical "youth" formula.

Woodruff is a creative writer. It would be hard to think of and describe every little detail about the shrinking formula, but she does.

The following excerpt describes the formula that Nelly gets from a magic chemistry manual:

"The formula you seek is made up of Binazar and Celizar and two equal parts of Finazar. You can make these ancient compounds from the rare mineral powders in this set. Filter each compound with a quarter of a liter of rainwater and two drops of sea water. The proper measurements are given below for the compounds. Once you have mixed and filtered them, add them to two parts of rainwater in the large beaker. Stir and let everything sit overnight. This formula is not to be taken internally. Do not let anyone drink it. It is for external use only."

Sadness and laughter

Woodruff's understanding of family relationships combined with her imagination make this book fun to read. While reading the book, one minute you are sad and the next you can't stop laughing.

Nelly has a good relationship with her grandmother, but she gets closer as her grandmother gets younger. As Nelly sees her grandmother go through all the stages from being a senior citizen to becoming a kid, she realizes that she has a lot in common with her grandmother.

For example:

"Grandma, where are you? Where have you gone? What have I done?" Nelly fought back tears as she walked through the empty rooms. She stood in the hallway, listening to the soft drone of the refrigerator in the kitchen. She wiped away a tear and stepped on a Cheerio. It made a crunching noise under her foot. She didn't think much about it until she stepped on a second and then a third Cheerio. Looking down, she noticed a trail of Cheerios going from the kitchen into the living room. She followed the trail to the coffee table, where it came to a stop. Suddenly she heard a loud crunching noise.

Nelly bent down and found a chubby red-headed child of about four years old happily eating from a box of cereal. Nelly's face lit up at the sight of her.

"Grandma! Is it you? Is it really you?"

The little Emmy Brown laughed and threw a Cheerio, hitting Nelly on the nose.

"Now I'm sure it's you!" Nelly laughed with relief.

A lesson about life

Nelly finally realizes how much she loves her grandmother. She learns that everything her grandmother has gone through - from being a toddler to growing old - has made her the wonderful person that Nelly loves.