My children loved reading Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein so I wanted to give his latest, The Smartest Kid in the Universe, a read. It was definitely not a disappointment. The main character, Jake, is your average tween until he stumbles onto some jelly beans that make him super smart. Jake’s best friend, Kojo, is a quirky but intelligent kid who will have you laughing at his frequent references to retro T.V. shows. They both end up friends with Grace as they join the school’s Quiz Bowl team. This threesome is a force to be reckoned with. Not only are they smart but when they put their minds to something they don’t give up, especially to help those they care about. Additionally, with Jake’s newfound smarts, he’s put into some chance-of-a-lifetime situations that make things even more interesting. Spanish speakers might enjoy the bits of Spanish peppered throughout the story. It’s also fun when Grabenstein throws in a few brainteasers to give your noggin a little challenge. The end gets a bit intense as some bad guys attempt to outsmart the talented trio. Readers who enjoy a Cinderella story and love to laugh need to check out this five-star book.
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Random House Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: A few (8) incidents including character saying he will avenge his father’s death; second-hand report of character getting forced to walk the plank; reference to character getting tormented and plundering and pillaging; references to slaying zombies in a video game; adult character may be hurt; attempted murder; characters sinking on ship; characters shooting cannons at each other’s ships.
Sex/Nudity: A few (8) brief incidents including character referencing his (single) mom getting asked out on dates; character thinking a young girl has a crush on a young guy; tween girl putting hand on tween boy’s arm; tween flirting; young boy teasing another about getting married to young girl; young girl forming heart with hands toward young boy; characters reading a love poem; adult referencing a girl problem he had when he was young.
Mature Subject Matter:
Rude humor (4 incidents).
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
