Jack and the Geniuses: At the Bottom of the World - Hardcover

Nye, Bill; Mone, Gregory

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1419723030 ISBN 13: 9781419723032

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, 2017

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling authors Bill Nye the Science Guy and Gregory Mone take middle-grade readers on a scientific adventure in the launch of an exciting new chapter book series, Jack and the Geniuses. The perfect combination to engage and entertain readers, the series features real-world science along with action and a mystery that will leave kids guessing until the end, making these books ideal for STEM education.
 
In the series opener, Jack and the Geniuses: At The Bottom of The World, readers meet Jack and his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, who are orphans. But they’re not your typical kind of orphans—they’re geniuses. Well, Ava and Matt are, which sometimes makes life difficult for 1twelve-year-old Jack. Ava speaks multiple languages and builds robots for fun, and Matt is into astronomy and a whiz at math. As for Jack, it’s hard to stand out when he’s surrounded by geniuses all the time.
 
When the kids try to spy on Dr. Hank Witherspoon, one of the world’s leading scientists, they end up working for him in his incredible laboratory. Soon, Hank and the kids travel to Antarctica for a prestigious science competition, but they find that all is not as it seems: A fellow scientist has gone missing, and so has any trace of her research. Could someone be trying to use her findings to win the contest? It’s up to Jack, Ava, and Matt to find the missing scientist and discover who’s behind it all—before it’s too late.
 
Integrating real science facts with humor and suspense, and featuring an ensemble cast of loveable boy and girl characters, this uniquely engaging series is an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers. With easy-to-read language presented in a fun, motivating, and accessible way, this series opener is a great book for both inquisitive kids and reluctant readers. The book also includes information about the science discussed and used to solve the mystery, as well as a cool science project about density that kids can do at home or in the classroom.

Bill Nye's brand new talk show series for Netflix, "Bill Nye Saves the World" is set to launch in Spring 2017.

About this title

About the Author

Bill Nye is a science educator and media personality known for his children’s television show Bill Nye the Science Guy. He splits his time between New York and Los Angeles. Gregory Mone is a novelist, science journalist, and speaker who has written several books for children. He lives on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Review

"An adventure replete with both cool gadgets and working scientists of both sexes...The cast and plotline are strong... and two appendices fill in details about Antarctica and some of the episode’s techno wizardry. For inveterate geeks, there’s even a relevant science project!" (Booklist)

"Fast-paced enough to engage even reluctant readers, informative without being didactic, and entertaining: a solid series start." (Kirkus)

"The scientists are diverse, the educational and entertainment values are high, and there’s even good end matter (a fact vs. fiction section on what was real in the novel, cool information about Antarctica, and a science experiment), making this a promising series start." (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books)

"Readers will appreciate Jack’s humor and candor...although he may not be an official “genius,” intelligence takes many forms. This fast-paced, science-themed mystery is a strong first outing, sure to leave readers awaiting this team’s next adventure." (Publishers Weekly)

"This is a fantastic start to a new series that includes STEM concepts, facts, and excitement about the scientific world." (School Library Connection)

About this edition

• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1419723030
• ISBN 13: 9781419723032
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256
• Illustrator: Iluzada Nicholas