Jack and the Geniuses: At the Bottom of the World

Gr 3–7—You can't pick your parents—just ask 12-year-old Jack; he's had four sets and none were very good at the job. This prompted Jack and his siblings, Ava and Matt, to buck the foster care system and become autonomous orphans. They join forces with Dr. Hank Witherspoon, an eccentric wealthy scientist and inventor. Hank is also the judge of the annual million dollar Clutterbuck Prize, which is being awarded in Antarctica. Upon arrival in the frozen tundra, they learn a fellow scientist—and Clutterbuck entrant—is missing, and the curious siblings spring into action. The authors cleverly and subtly empower readers to act on their curiosity, explore, and discover. Notes reveal how Nye and Mone incorporated reality into the story line. Narrator Jonathan Ross lacks character distinction yet is an enjoyable storyteller and is spot-on as Jack.