George and the Unbreakable Code by Lucy and Stephen Hawking: Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review.

Something mysterious has happened to the world's computers resulting in banks giving out free money, people getting free food because the supermarkets can't charge. Computer glitches resulting in free airplane tickets sounds great until the aircrafts are shut down too. Best friends and neighbors, George and Annie, set out on a cosmic space adventure to find out who is hacking computers and causing the strange events on earth.

With the help of a computer named Cosmos, Annie and George pass through a portal that will take them to space. Here they meet up with an army of space robots and a villian with a quantum computer dressed in a onesie. The seriousness of what is happening on earth is undercut by the silliness of the villain.

The budding scientist and computer wiz might love the non-fictional information dumps rampant throughout the book. However, many readers will find the information distracting from an already ho hum plot. The fiction and non-fictional information did not enhance one another as much as it should for a children's book. Best read by an older middle grade reader who loves scientific facts and has an open mind of what might happen when facts meet fiction.

Rating:  ★★★✬☆

Publishing Information

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (9/6/16)

ISBN: 9781481466271

Ages: 8-12

This book can be purchased on Amazon.

The Invasion by Zack Satriani Book Review

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Book received at no charge to facilitate review


Dray finally has the chance to prove herself as the commander in the Bellori army. Her friend, Kellor has become the new Cantor king and wants nothing more than provide good leadership while trying to change the way his people view their world. Meanwhile, their friend, Ayl, struggles  between trying to maintain peace and helping the Aquanth people understand the dangers lurking in their world.

When the evil Sudor returns with the Nara-Karith army strong enough to defeat the Bellori warriors, Dray is forced to make a decision that will change her people and those of the neighboring planets forever.

Plenty of action awaits the science fiction lover though it comes at the expense of meaningful character development. The formulaic plot resolves in a predictable ending to a three book series.

 Rating:  Good ★★★☆☆

Publishing Information:
Publisher: Hodder Books (May, 2014)
Pages: 286
Ages: 9-11
ISBN: 978-1444906622  
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