George's Secret Key to the Universe

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!

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.

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.

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

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.