George's Secret Key to the Universe

An average story where the boy learns something and saves the world. The science is decent (I would hope so) and plot is okay. The villain is evil and the protagonists good, though that uber-computer Cosmos is a bit over-the-top. Color photos were nice, but the sidebars (on facts, planets and other relevant bits of information) definitely got in the way. They would have been better collected into an appendix or glossary that could be referred to when necessary. Read with daughter (11) and I felt it was a little below her level, both the science and the language. The one new concept from Stephen (information escaping black holes) required help from the uber-computer to fit the story, and felt clumsy. The associated sidebar was very incomplete, even for the age range (light can't escape but particles do?).