Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Odd mix of cartoony space exploits and cutting-edge science.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Distracted by having to find a new home for his pet pig and by his best friend Annie's sudden interest in a new boy, George is eager for an adventure of his own. When he uses Cosmos the supercomputer to follow Annie's father, Eric, to the Moon, he unwittingly creates an opportunity for Eric to be discredited and kidnapped by protesters who object to his work on the Large Hadron Collider. In trying to save Eric, George and his friends journey to a far-flung galaxy, to a strange house with an unguessable location, and to a booby-trapped underground lab.
Is It Any Good?
Like the Hawkings' previous George books, George's Secret Key to the Universe and George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt, this one presents a strange mix of fact and fiction. This book's short essays about the creation of the universe, string theory, quantum mechanics, dark matter, and gravity are sophisticated, yet comprehensible, at least to older readers with some background in science. The fast-paced sci-fi exploits of George and his friends are clever and fun but cartoonish, sometimes seeming to rely more upon magic than upon plausible science. It's hard to imagine how many readers will be satisfied with both modes of discourse, but George and the Big Bang manages to be both silly and profound.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how George and the Big Bang promotes the idea that the scientific method is crucial to understanding how everything from galaxies to sub-atomic particles work.
Why do various groups actively oppose scientific inquiry? Why, for example, is there controversy about the experiments performed at the Large Hardon Collider in Switzerland?
How do various religions view the Big Bang Theory? Is it possible to believe in the Big Bang and to believe in God?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Garry Parsons
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , History , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster
- Publication date : August 28, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 304
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate