George's Secret Key to the Universe (George's Secret Key #1)

What better way to interest young readers in scienceand specifically in its relevance to the long-term survival of humankindthan for one of the world's most renowned theoretical physicists to put his subject at the center of a children's book? Stephen Hawking, his novelist daughter, and French physicist Galfard create two inquisitive, middle-school heroes, then send them on wondrous adventures through time and space. The characters round out their experiences with information regarding everything from nuclear fusion reactions to neutron stars to the origin of black holes. In this first volume of a projected trilogy, George Greenbywhose technophobic parents have done their best to shelter him from the dangers of the modern world (computers, television, grape soda, etc.)meets his headstrong new neighbor Annie, her scientist father and his super-computer Cosmos, a machine capable of instantaneously taking the two young explorers anywhere in the universe. His decidedly naïve worldview undergoes a breathtaking transformation when he gets the opportunity to ride a comet through the solar system and witness the death of a black hole. The authors handily explore a range of themes, among them, the moral responsibilities of science, global warming and space colonization. Four insets of color photos from outer space and Parsons's cartoons enhance the broad appeal of this book, a true beginner's guide to "A Brief History of Time". Ages 8-up. ("Oct".)

Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 4-7 When George's new neighbor, Eric, turns out to be a brilliant scientist with a supercomputer, the boy takes an educational journey through the solar system and discovers how interesting outer space can be. A rival scientist, who also happens to be George's teacher, steals the computer and sends Eric into a black hole, leaving George to save the day. While the boy travels in space and solves a mystery, readers learn many facts about science. Shaded boxes provide background information about topics related to George's adventures, ranging from the planets to organic compounds. There's also plenty of information within the narrative, often in the form of earnest speeches presented as dialogue. Though Eric states that "science is a wonderful and fascinating subject," these lectures bog down the narrative. The plot includes asteroid rides, school bullies, and a black-hole rescue, but never really takes off. Most of the science is described clearly, but the explanations detract from readers' involvement in the story, which also suffers from stock characters, artificial dialogue, and pedestrian plot twists. Plentiful black-and-white illustrations help, as do dozens of eye-catching photographs of outer space in full color, but they are not enough to bring the wooden characters to life. This is a well-intentioned attempt to combine the drama of fiction with the excitement of scientific inquiry, but the fiction is simply too weak to hold most readers. --Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.