Genius Camp: The Smartest Kid in the Universe, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Genius Camp is the second installment in Chris Grabenstein's series The Smartest Kid in the Universe, featuring the adventures of 12-year-old former slacker Jake McQuade, who unexpectedly became brilliant, on many subjects, after eating what he thought were jelly beans in Book 1. As it turned out, they were an eccentric scientist's latest creation, Ingested Knowledge capsules. This episode finds Jake -- between secret FBI and CIA projects -- headed off with his best friend Kojo to Genius Camp. Where things soon get weird -- the whole thing is part of a sinister plot by former child prodigy and current gazillionaire Zane Zinkle, who's not only out to regain his title of Smartest Kid in the Universe from Jake, he's using mind control devices from addictive apps to stupidity-inducing s'mores to turn people into mindless consumers and tellers of fart jokes. Lots of problem solving, quiz shows, logic problems, and frequent repetitions of the mantra that we're given our talents to help others, not ourselves. Strong themes of friendship, family, teamwork, and the joys of knowing a lot of different things.
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What's the Story?
In-between secret missions for the FBI and the CIA, 12-year-old Jake McQuade is off to GENIUS CAMP with his BFF, Kojo. Since Jake is now The Smartest Kid in the Universe after ingesting what he thought were jelly beans but were actually Ingested Knowledge capsules, he now speaks many languages, is a math whiz, and his basketball skills are all over YouTube. But what promises to be a fun, competitive getaway with uber-gifted middle-schoolers from all over quickly goes weird -- it's all the work of Zane Zinkle, former child prodigy and current gazillionaire, who's been sulking ever since Jake was proclaimed Smartest Kid. He has a sinister plot to get rich by using an addictive app to turn players into zombie-like consumers, and to dumb down the geniuses with specially engineered s'mores. Also, he wants revenge. Jake, as it turns out, hates marshmallows and left his phone in his room, so he's spared. Thus it falls to him and Kojo to save their friends -- and the world.
Is It Any Good?
Twelve-year-old former slacker Jake rises to the challenges of using his newfound brilliance for good in Chris Grabenstein's lively, wacky celebration of smarts, knowledge, teamwork, and friendship. Genius Camp finds The Smartest Kid in the Universe facing new perils, math puzzles, quiz shows, computer games, logic challenges and more -- mostly because the former Smartest Kid, now a gazillionaire, is using mind control to take over the world, and also wants revenge.
"The professors who administered the IQ test declared that Jake McQuade 'is, without a doubt, the smartest kid in the universe.'
"That used to be Zinkle's claim to fame.
"Now Zane Zinkle had to crush Jake McQuade. To erase him from the record books."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like Genius Camp, where the characters have to answer quiz questions, solve problems, and otherwise use knowledge to save the day. Do you think having a lot of brain-teasers in the plot makes it more fun, or do you think it would be better to tell the story without them?
Have you ever known someone to get so into a game or app that it changed their behavior? What happened?
No matter how much she's brainwashed by apps and marshmallows, Abia still refuses to eat food that's not halal (sanctioned by Islamic law). Do you think your own beliefs and convictions are strong enough to resist those who want to influence you in another direction?
Book Details
- Author: Chris Grabenstein
- Genre: Humor
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: November 30, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 304
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks
- Last updated: June 2, 2022
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