Quark’s Academy

Quark’s Academy by Catherine Pelosi (Lothian)

PB RRP $15.99

IBSN 9780734417800

Reviewed by Kate Simpson

“No parents, pets or soft toys allowed.” Quark’s Academy is the story of three young science whizz kids, Augustine, Celeste and Oscar, who are invited to spend a week at the prestigious Quark’s Academy to compete in the Best Invention Competition and win a prize of unspecified riches. But as the week progresses, it becomes clear that the academy is not what it seems and more is at stake than the offered prize money. It’s a sparkling and delightful debut from Catherine Pelosi, bursting with imagination and adventure.

Quark’s Academy is to science and invention what Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory is to candy-making. It’s packed full of fun, futuristic and sometimes downright outlandish inventions like jet packs, weather makers and an invention to combine the DNA of different animal species: fancy a lion mixed with an antelope? An anaconda crossed with an elephant? Anything is possible at Quark’s Academy.

With strong male and female protagonists, this book will appeal to both boys and girls aged 8 and up with a taste for fun and adventure. And if they weren’t science fans before they read the book, they will be afterwards.  

Book Review: Dotty Inventions and some real ones too

 Dotty Inventions: And Some Real Ones Too by Roger McGough, illustrated by Holly Swain (Walker Books)

PB RRP $ 16.95

ISBN 97881847803320

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

  

If you want children to learn things, make learning fun. If you want them to remember what they’ve learnt, make it funnier. That’s what’s going on in this wonderful book full of fun and learning. The main characters are Professor Dotty Dabble and her robot Digby. Digby has a screen across his tummy on which he searches for the real truth about inventions, for Dotty loves to claim inventions belonging to others as hers. They travel in a Gizmobile that also has wings attached which open when they need to fly high.

Dotty is invited to enter a competition for the best invention at the National Science Museum. The prize is ‘the holiday of a lifetime’. But which invention should she submit? There is the chocolate cup in which you add hot water and drink before it melts; the voice-activated socks, the nasal floss and the thermal dentures. And there are more to choose from and Dotty is getting dizzy trying to decide.

The types of inventions that enter the competition are: pens that correct spelling as you write, umbrellas with a built in stereo, and edible school scarves, amongst others.

The marvellous real inventions that readers will learn about with Professor Dotty Dabble are: when and why windscreen wipers were invented, how the parachute came to be, and how and by whom was the Biro created. Then there is Velcro, the name originating from the two words, velour and crochet. But the story behind it is so amazing, funnier even than how the Frisbee came to be.

Dotty wins the competition for her claim to having invented Digby. But what are his real origins?

This vibrantly coloured book is entertaining with knowledge at centre stage to excite the reader’s mind. Roger McGough also has a wonderful book of poetry due out next month titled Lucky, created for children and young adult audiences. He was the illustrator of his highly successful, previous collection of poetry, An Imaginary Menagerie.