Simon Bloom: The Octopus Effect

Simon Bloom and his friends have a cool job. They are part of the Physics Guild, for which Simon is the co-keeper of the Teacher's Edition of the Book of Physics. They have the ability to use formulas to control the different laws of physics and get to use them to save the world or just have a fun day in the park. Things take a turn for the worst, however, when the Order of Sciences decide that there can only be one Keeper of the Physics Guild. To make matters worse, Sirabetta, the tattooed, formula-wielding villain from the first book, SIMON BLOOM: THE GRAVITY KEEPER, has escaped to Biology World and is bent on taking over the world again! Will Simon be able to save the world from Sirabetta? Will he remain the keeper of the Physics Guild? This book is fast-paced, entertaining, and fun to read. The characters are well-developed, the plot is unique, and the humor throughout the book is well worth the read. Lovers of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure will enjoy reading this series. Reviewed by: Kira M

The whole family enjoyed this sequel. The author does not dumb-down the science concepts, and the action/comedy are as exciting as the last book. I do recommend reading the first book in the series "Gravity Keeper" before this one though. The characters and concepts will make more sense that way. We enjoy this series as a book on tape since it allows the scenes to come alive for my kids, and allows me to stop the tape whenever they need more info on a concept, or want to discuss an action sequence. I have two 9 year olds and a 10 year old. We took the first book on a car trip and it hooked 6 people, ages 9 to 78......definately 5 stars for us. We got home and immediately looked to see if the author had more books and were thrilled to find the Octopus Effect - can't wait for the next one.

Our whole family enjoyed Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper. The second installment in this series is a fun adventure. The action and humor have been ramped up a notch over the previous book. The movie rights have been bought for the first book--in many ways this book reads more like a screenplay than a chronicle, but it is enjoyable reading nonetheless. The Octopus Effect picks up the story five months after the Gravity Keeper ends. Simon and his friends are now in middle school. School, parents, and Lawnview NJ get set aside as things as we know them are threatened by a conspiracy that seeks to shake the very foundation of the Union. Simon, Alysha, and Owen use teamwork and tenacity to take on a dangerous and daring mission that challenges them to go beyond what they thought possible. Early on there is a scene reminiscent of Greatest American Hero where Simon learns that flying requires great concentration and even an errant helium balloon can be life threatening if one is not careful. The chapter titles are often plays on familiar phrases and the story does a great job of mixing humor and action. Another humorous moment of note occurs in the prelude to the final battle scene when Simon "practices" one of his formulas. Owen and Alysha remind him that it took a while to get the hang of gravity. Owen has more confidence and doesn't speak at rapid-fire pace as much in this book as the previous one. He still worries about danger, but doesn't whinge too much before joining his friends in their adventures. Alysha has a dominant role in the action. Simon, faced with new responsibilities and uncertainties, must learn to focus on the task at hand and take leadership responsibility. The story introduces the reader to the biology domain. Whereas the first book emphasized physics, this book focuses on biology. There is enough physics mixed in to ensure that velocity, gravity, friction, and electrical charge are useful tools--but the greatest discoveries involve biology. We learn that gravity has many more possibilities. We also see that there is a healthy dose of physics in the functioning of biology, and that understanding physics gives greater insight into the powers of biology. The Keeper of Biology plays a larger role in this book than did Ralfagon in the previous book. Many pages are devoted to exploring the world of biology. We also get the feeling that Owen is hooked on television nature shows--as are many potential readers of this book. Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper was a self-standing story. The Octopus Effect is setting the stage for a sequel (see the author's web page). One particulary ominous character is from the order of chemistry and has power over hydrogen bonds. Watch out Simon, Alysha, and Owen! Fortunately for our heros there are new characters who will join them on this great adventure. We are hooked. We are impatiently waiting for next year's chronicle.

This is a fun sequel to the first book, Simon Bloom The Gravity Keeper. The series is great for kids because it goes over various areas of science, including physics and biology. In this book, Reisman also added a glossary of science terms at the end of the book that is a useful reference for children (and me sometimes!). And, the story is really fun, too! Overall, highly recommended.