This book was recommended by Lucas' 5th grade science teacher. I'm glad I read it. (I used to try to convince myself that I must read his books to be certain they contain nothing objectionable, now I just admit I love kids books) The first few chapters were very slow moving. They set up the characters of the story. George is a child of two organic loving, technology hating "save the Earth" parents. They shun technology to the point where they use candles instead of light bulbs! Eric, the scientist neighbor who loves to teach. Annie, Eric's annoying but lovable daughter. Mr. G. Reeper (known as Greeper to his students) the science teacher in George's school, Greeper is the villain of the story..OK- you knew there had to be a villain, right? And let's not forget COSMOS, the most amazing computer in the universe. COSMOS, a talking computer with an attitude, reminded me of HAL from Space Odyssey, 2001.
The book told a story of saving the planet and/or searching for other habitable planets. Should we work together to do both? Can technology be a good thing if used correctly?
This book is full of fun scientific information. There are footnotes about the planets, comets, asteroids, matter, black holes and many other astronomical objects. The illustrations that accompany the story are wonderful, courtesy of Garry Parsons. There are several color photos of planets, black holes, comets and other things discussed in the book. Kids learn about astronomy without realizing they are learning! Don't forget to check out the webpage georgessecretkey.com
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