Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Pirates, tech, shifting loyalties in wacky genius episode.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Twelve-year-old Jake McQuade has been dealing with quite a lot since mistakenly devouring the jellybeans that made him The Smartest Kid in the Universe -- but now a villain has scarfed down a whole bunch of jellybeans, too, and become an EVIL GENIUS. Worse, Jake is starting to worry that his jellybean-induced brilliance is wearing off. Which would be really unfortunate, because not one but two sets of villains are after him -- partly to take his Smartest Kid title and partly to find a long-lost orange diamond that was stolen from the family of Jake's friend Grace centuries ago. A race against time, with plenty of slapstick, brain-teasers, and clever problem-solving, follows.
Is It Any Good?
Chris Grabenstein delivers another wacky installment in the saga of suddenly brilliant middle-school prankster Jake, complete with pirates, puzzles, slapstick, and a massive orange diamond. BFFs Jake, Grace, and Kojo aren't just dealing with one Evil Genius -- there are two different villains, they're both up to no good, and one of them has awful breath besides. There's never a dull moment as the tale romps along -- but there's always time for a good quiz. Definitely worth the read, especially for fans of the author or the series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about long-lost pirate treasure, which is important in Evil Genius and the other books in this series. Why do you think it's such an appealing theme in storytelling? Do you have any favorite tales about treasure -- and treasure quests?
Have you ever made a video and put it up on YouTube or another site? What was it about? How did people respond?
Several of the book's characters are bilingual, many of them fluent in both English and Spanish. What language(s) do you speak? What languages do people speak in your neighborhood?
How do the characters demonstrate empathy? Does empathy help the characters work together as a team? If yes, how?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Humor
- Topics : STEM , Adventures , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : May 16, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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