It was a little intimidating to pick up a book by Stephen Hawking and hope that I would get it but I knew this one was for kids so I had a little hope. Written by Stephen Hawking and Lucy Hawking George’s Secret Key to the Universe is an entertaining and fun story. This is a book for your solar system and adventure girls and boys. George is a young and sheltered boy. His parents believe in living a simple lifestyle without electronics and marooned from popular culture. George is starting to wonder about the limitations when he follows his pet pig into the wilds of his next door neighbour’s back yard. Soon George and his new friend, Annie, are on adventures exploring the realm of outer space. Mixed in with the story are facts about outer space, the nature of matter and other astro-physics for kids. The tone and humour of this story are spot on for grade 3-5. A good addition to the K-8 library with possibilities as a read-aloud.
Rating #1 (Highly Recommended) #2 ✓ #3 #4 (Not acceptable)
Interest Level: grades 4+ Reading Level: 4+
Curriculum Area: Language Arts, Science
Themes/Topics: space, family, values, adventure