George and the Big Bang (George's Secret Key #3)

Gr 4 Up—Once again, George and his friends, next-door neighbor Annie and her scientist dad, Eric, are on an exciting adventure. Eric is using his super-computer, Cosmos, to work on one of the biggest science experiments of all time, namely the Large Hadron Collider, to explore the earliest moments of the universe known as "The Big Bang." When George and Annie decide to use Cosmos to help find a new home for George's pet pig, who was sent to a farm when George's twin sisters were born, they accidentally discover a plot by a group of people who are trying to stop the experiment and destroy the Collider. The children then must use all the science they know to find a way to save the computer and the lives of the many scientists working on it. This addition to the series does not disappoint, and it stands on its own. The book alternates between the adventure story and factual explanations of the scientific terms and theories discussed. The science can be a bit complicated so the book also contains a series of factual essays written by Stephen Hawking and his colleagues. The series website provides additional information that will help students learn more about the science involved. This is an especially timely story now that the real Large Hadron Collider and the scientists working on it are in the news. Numerous diagrams, charts, and playful black-and-white pencil drawings add clarity and humor and help bring the characters to life. --Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY