QUARK'S ACADEMY BY CATHERINE PELOSI

Quark’s Academy is a great book for budding scientists and the mystery of what happens to those who enter will keep readers on the edge of their seats til the very end.

Augustine, Celeste and Oscar have been invited to the new prestigious science institution, Quark’s Academy, for a week-long summer camp that ends with the Best Inventor Competition. The winner of the most exciting and wonderful invention will be given an undisclosed sum of money to spend how they please, and the entire contest will be televised.

Augustine lives with her scientist parents and has invented a weather machine. It is able to produce rain or snow or sunlight on command and can be manoeuvred anywhere it is needed. Her parents pay very little attention to her as they are always busy inventing things that somehow never work.

Celeste is interested in quantum physics and is working on time travel. She is nervous about going to the science camp and although she is thoroughly supported by her parents, feels a little lost since her pet mouse was poisoned by a horrible boy at the Science Fair the year before.

Oscar battles daily with the fact that his wealthy parents believe their first-born son, Toby, is absolutely the most clever, perfect human being ever put on the planet. They totally ignore their second son and as a consequence Oscar acts up a little. His attention seeking antics unfortunately only attract distrust and contempt from his peers. His stink bombs in particular have led to many problems.

 Along with 12 other child scientists, they arrive at the academy which is a beautifully designed building that resembles the inner working of the brain. Long corridors and pods branching off in different directions, house sleeping quarters, common rooms and of course, laboratories stuffed full of the latest equipment.

The children are kept busy and must follow a strict schedule but as the week progresses, they feel something is not quite right. A prank involving Oscar leads Celeste and Augustine to be stranded outside the academy with their stink bomb competitor. With the help of Copernicus, the academy’s house cat, they get back inside only to discover the dark secret behind the academy. Nothing is as it seems – nothing.

The three must work together to escape the sinister top floor and warn everyone of Inventor Quark’s evil plan. Will their fellow contestants believe them or are they too, taken in by the silvery lies of the famous inventor?

Quark’s Academy is a roller coaster ride of adventure, suspense and of course, science. Catherine Pelosi’s novel explores what friendship means and how if we believe in ourselves others will too.

This time, and from now on, I am adding a little something extra. My family play a game when we go to the movies or an art gallery or read a book. We have to choose some element or person or picture that we’d like to take home with us. You’ll find mine at the very end of the review.

For Ages: 8-12 years old

Number of Pages: 233 in paperback form.

Published: January 2018

Themes: Friendship and family

Rating: 3/5      

I wish: : We could see Augustine’s weather machine working in some of the outback areas in Australia.