Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brainy kids vs. genius villain in wacky, fast-paced sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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 :
- 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, Apple Books
- Last updated : December 13, 2021
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