Customer Reviews

George's Secret Key to the Universe (Thorndike Literacy Bridge Middle Reader)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Except for an unbelievably clunky and clumsy first 5-6 chapters (60+ pages), this book is pretty awesome in that it both introduces very interesting, mind-blowing science concepts (black holes, radiation out of black holes, and recapture of information from black holes) and also has a very fast-paced, page-turner adventure story (escaping from a black hole). However, I doubt that many people who are used to Harry Potter-style smoothness can manage to begin wading through the first 6 chapters (60+ pages), which are super-clunky, and still keep faith that there will be a good part of the book eventually. (I almost gave up and almost stopped reading altogether.) My advice is to either (1) keep faith or, even better, (2) skip the first 5 chapters completely (but suffer with chapter 6), and you won't miss a thing. If you really worry that you've missed something, you can go back and read chapters 1-5 after finishing the book. [See footnote at bottom of this review regarding why first 6 chapters are bad.]

Some other points worth noting are that (1) this story is of the formerly common type that feels the need to have an evil villain (who murders a main character, later resurrected) for storytelling convenience, even though good-vs-"pure evil" is not a theme in this book as it is in Harry Potter, and (2) the villain in this book is surprisingly scary, and is a teacher, which parents of very young kids might object to. I think the cavalier murder in this book is more scary than the murders in Harry Potter because in this book it just happens, and no one seems very outraged by it afterward (perhaps just because the victim was later resurrected?), and there is no punishment; it's as if murder were somehow ordinary and okay in this world, which I think is unsettling (perhaps inarticulably) to a child. Another point is that the last chapter seems clunky again and not true to actual children behavior (the student body cheers wildly at George's boring science lecture for no plausible reason), and is highly skippable for anyone who doesn't like the tone-deaf, moralizing aspects of the book.

To go beyond this book, if you like science wrapped in fiction for kids, you will LOVE "Clan Apis" (Clan Apis) by Jay Hosler, which is the best science-wrapped-in-fiction book that I have ever read, and is beautiful for adults (it may make some cry, in a good way) and great for a child of any age; my boy loved it at age 2. For older kids and for adults, the classic "Mr. Thompkins In Paperback" by George Gamow is awesome, but don't bother with the "updated" version, "New Adventures of Mr. Thompkins" by Russell Stannard and the still-deceased George Gamow, because the updated version shovels boring lecture-mode verbosity into George Gamow's light and whimsical prose. Stannard's "Uncle Albert" series of books (e.g., Black Holes and Uncle Albert) is extremely good--in many ways better than this "George's Secret Key .." book by the Hawkings because the "Uncle Albert" books have better, more in-depth science. But this Hawkings' book has a more intense adventure and a slightly more mind-bending and rarely-mentioned (but superficially treated) science topic: recapture of information from a black hole. Of course, "The Magic Schoolbus" series and "The Magic Treehouse" series are good, too, for knowledge-wrapped-in-fiction. Please, fellow reviewers, tell us about other good knowledge-in-fiction stories, as did our fellow reviewer Sandhya when he mentioned "Sophie's World". Thanks.

[Footnote: The first 6 chapters (and the last chapter) of this "George's Secret Key ..." book are so bad that they almost seem to be written by a different set of authors as the rest of the book. In the first 6 chapters, instead of using science as part of the story, the book teaches science only via very boring LECTURE after LECTURE from the neighbor-girl's dad to the title character George. Also, in the first 6 chapters, there is some annoyingly heavy-handed and inelegant moralizing and social commentary. Also, there are just too many unnecessary details that don't move the story along in the first 6 chapters. The free excerpt on the Amazon site (i.e., the book's first 10 pages) give a hint of the over-verbosity of the first 60+ pages of the book. 10 whole pages into the Amazon excerpt, and nothing has happened except a pig is discovered missing, and we haven't left the house yet, and nothing will happen for many more pages! For just one example among many of over-detailedness, we can see that the authors spend many words on the pig, but the words on the pig are a big waste of time because the pig will cease to matter the second the boy goes next door! Further to the free excerpt on Amazon's page, I will in the "comments" section give another example passage that shows the clumsiness of the first 6 chapters. ]

Who says you can't explain theoretical physics to kids? Certainly not Stephen and Lucy Hawking, the authors of this children's adventure novel.

Stephen Hawking is the bestselling author of A Brief History of Time which has been said to "marry a child's wonder to a genius's intellect." Lucy Hawking is his daughter and a journalist. George's Secret Key to the Universe is their first collaboration, and what fun it is!

Alongside a tale of scientific adventure, the Hawkings provide readers with scientific diagrams, charts, and full-color photos of real images from space, with help from Christophe Galfard, a former student of Stephen Hawking. The line illustrations by Garry Parsons also add a lighthearted feel to the book--the representation of George was charmingly reminiscent of The Little Prince--and they certainly complement the voice of the novel - innocent, curious, and playful.

The novel also includes Hawking's latest ideas on black holes. They are presented within the story as a series of scientist Eric's notes, complete with handwritten doodles and age-appropriate language for Annie and George.

In the 1994 bestseller Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy (Fsg Classics), Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder gifted us with a fascinating primer on philosopher in novel form. He took us into the world of Sophie, a 15 year old who learned about the wisdom of thinkers from the pre-Socrates to St. Augustine through a series of letters from a mysterious correspondent. All the while, she was trying to solve a mystery. The device of wrapping intellectual lessons within a fictional narrative worked. It snapped up readers who might otherwise not pick up a "serious" work about high ideas--and allowed philosophy to seep into pop culture and the hands of the masses.

Lucy and Stephen Hawking's book does the same thing--it packs lessons about the science of physics into an exciting children's adventure, complete with likable (though sometimes stereotypical) characters. The end result: an informative and entertaining read for kids and adults alike. If I were a science teacher, I'd seriously consider employing the book in a middle or high school science curriculum.

Bonus: the book has a fun companion website: www.georgessecretkey.com

Early on, a character says "Science is a wonderful and fascinating subject that helps us understand the world around us and all its marvels." Having the reader appreciate this is the point of this hardback, which has science factoids and full-color photos from space scattered throughout. Co-authors Stephen and Lucy Hawking are father and daughter; he is the brilliant theoretical physicist who wrote A Brief History of Time.

This book should help make the topic of science interesting and accessible to middle school kids. Lively black and white cartoons illustrate every page spread. And though the first five chapters are snooze-worthy, once it gets going the story itself is intense and funny.

The adventure takes the reader to the far reaches of space and back, and along the way teaches a lot about science and how the world works, including Stephen Hawking's latest theories about black holes.

The story begins with the disappearance of George's (a young lad) pet pig, Freddy. Following the hoof-prints leads next door where George meets a scientist (Greg) and his young daughter (Annie). George has been raised in an "anti-technology" environment - his parents believe minds are wasted watching TV, and technology has been used too often to harm the environment. Greg, however, is an understanding adult and patiently explains various basic scientific facts (births and death of stars, shooting stars, basic atomic structure, comet tails, etc.), and introduces George to Cosmos - the world's most powerful computer (according to Cosmos, a computer that speaks and has an attitude).

George has always wanted a computer, and has been saving his money - only eight more years and he'll be able to get a used one! Cosmos, however, is no ordinary computer - not only does it speak, but it can transport approved users anywhere in space and time. Using one of Greg's extra space suits, George experiences space travel after first becoming an approved user (thanks to Greg) and taking the Oath of a Scientist - to use scientific knowledge only for good.

Unfortunately, Greg has to get back home, and then it's school the next day. As soon as possible he returns, goes on another adventure, and barely escapes a large, very dark area - thanks to Greg pushing him back to a computer portal that leads back to the house. The dark area, unfortunately, is a black hole - from which nothing ever escapes.

The good news is that George finds the new book that Greg tells him he needs, with the latest information on black holes. There, courtesy of some simplified notes Greg had written for Annie and George, he learns that black holes slowly disintegrate through Hawking radiation that also emits anything captured in the hole.

After the book is input to Cosmos, the computer arranges to fast forward billion of years, reconstruct Greg, and bring him back home. George then tells his story of the wonders of science and physics at a school science program and wins the new computer he so wanted.

I purchased this for my 13 yr old astronomy prodigy, so this is really his review of the book. Story line: George is a child growing up in a house with very little technology. The neighbors next door are scientists that have a laptop super-computer that can open windows to the universe. George befriends the neighbors and travels around the universe learning about stars, planets, black holes, and all the wonders found in space.

"This book was very interesting to read. I spent one whole night reading it from cover to cover and it was able to keep my interest. It is one of a few novels with a basis of true science, being co-written by Stephen Hawking himself, an amazing physisist. I did not find the story to be at all predictable and I would recommend it to the 8-14 year old crowd."

Grandma and Grandpa sent us this book and we are so glad they did. I started reading it out loud to my three kids, ages 11, 7 and 4. They were captivated by the fun mystery in the beginning and we got to chapter six before they would let me stop reading. Then my 11-year old took over the book and finished it the next day. He loved the suspense and the dangers in the story and also the science pictures and explanations. He said if any one asked him, he would say it is the 'best book of the year!' There you have it, from the mouth of babes.

I read it with my five year old - one chapter a night. She has been very interested in planets and stars since starting reading it. Clearly she cannot understand all of it, but she really enjoys the story and does still get a lot out of it based on her questions to me.

I bought this book for my grandson, who is now in middle school. After it arrived and before I wrapped it, I glanced through it. What an awakening! Here in clear language, are the major theories of astro-physics. Do you know why Mars is red? I did not. Do you have even a rudimentary understanding of black holes? I did not and did not realize that certain types of radiation can escape them.

Buy this book for your middle school child/grandchild, but take the time to read it with them and talk with them about it. You will learn a great deal. Read it to your kid in elementary school. It will be a time of bonding as well as a time of mutual growth. Yes, not only can we learn from our children, we can learn together with them. Stephen Hawking and his daughter have done a great thing.

The fictional story is fast paced and well written. George, whose heart's desire is a new computer, is the son of activists who believe that technology is the root of all evil. They grow all their own vegetables, knit, and keep a large pig in the backyard. But when the pig escapes, George goes looking for it and finds, instead, his unusual neighbours. Annie is a girl around George's age, and her father Eric is the classic absent-minded physicist. Eric has invented an amazing computer called Cosmos who has been able to create a portal directly into space. After Eric very patiently explains a little bit about space, technology and the good and bad ways in which it can be used, George and Lucy suddenly find themselves exploring, and what a trip it is.

What really makes this book interesting is that the concepts that underpin it are quite modern. Relatively recently, Hawkings has discovered the ways in which black holes emit energy and slowly disappear, and these are explained very simply and easily. There is a nice blend here between physical fact, science fiction (if only a computer like Cosmos existed), and that lovely sense of wonder that underpins the study of astronomy. The book make a refreshing change for young readers from the dark world of black magic that seems to have taken precedence in fiction for young adults. After all, what could be more magical than a star at the centre of a plantary nebula, or the Pillars of Creation. It wouldn't surprise me if this book inspired a few more decades of physicists ready to explore the stars or the very origins of the universe.

Magdalena Ball is the author of Sleep Before Evening

My 3.5 year old son is completely hooked on this fabulous book! We're plowing through it in just a few nights and he doesn't want it to end. I was floored when after the first night of my husband reading it to him he ran up to me excitedly the next morning and said "Mama, I know how stars are birthed, wanna hear about it?" And proceeded to give me a very sweet and stunningly accurate lecture on the topic!

I wish there were more books like this out there -- smart, not sassy and rude, fun loving, and adventurous!