Discovering Franny K. Stein: El Monstruo de la Calabaza is the first book in the popular children's series Mad Scientist (known in Spanish as Loca por la ciencia ) created by Jim Benton . The story follows Franny, a brilliant young girl who doesn't quite fit in with her classmates because she prefers poisonous ivy over daisies and keeps a pet snake. Book Details Original Title: Lunch Walks Among Us Author: Jim Benton Reading Age: 7 - 9 years Pages: Approximately 112 Publisher: Loqueleo (Santillana) and Alfaguara Franny K Stein. El monstruo de calabaza - Loqueleo