George's Secret Key to the Universe

George: A kid who wants nothing more than to have his own computer. Unfortunately, his parents are environmentalists who won't have anything to do with technology. But his life becomes a lot more exciting when he meets his new neighbors and their powerful computer, Cosmos.

Eric: The friendly scientist who lives next door with his daughter Annie. He introduces George to the marvels of space and science.

Annie: Eric's daughter, who befriends George. She loves ballet and has a habit of making things up about her life to make it seem more exciting. But she's not lying when she tells George that she's been to outer space.

Cosmos: The most powerful computer in the world. Cosmos can open windows and doorways to space, and even speed up time so that explorers can travel from planet to planet in minutes. Cosmos is more than a little conceited, and likes singing to himself.

Dr. Reeper: A mean and creepy teacher at George's school. All the kids call him Greeper (and sometimes Greeper the Creeper) behind his back. He's a scientist like Eric, but he doesn't have good intentions.

Freddy: George's pet pig. The pig sometimes tears up George's parents' vegetable garden, much to their annoyance. He's lucky they're vegetarians.

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Using science for the greater good: Before George can explore outer space, he has to take an oath. He swears to use his scientific knowledge only for the good of humanity, to never harm another person in his search for knowledge, and to not use his knowledge for personal gain.

The story tells us that technology can be used for both good and evil. There's nothing evil about science or technology; it all depends on how we use it.

Search for knowledge: The message in George's Secret Key to the Universe is that knowledge is something to be treasured. We should always be curious and try to learn more about the wonders around us.

There are lots of science fiction books out there for kids, but hardly any of them will teach you anything about science. That was the idea behind George's Secret Key to the Universe: To write a story that's both fun and educational. Kids who might not otherwise pick up a book about physics might read this instead and learn about the wonders of the universe.

George's Secret Key to the Universe was written by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. Lucy is Stephen's daughter, and she has children of her own. Lucy thought it would be great if she and her father could write a story together that would teach her son something about Stephen Hawking's work.

One of the reasons Stephen Hawking helped write this book is that he wants to encourage a greater interest in space travel. He believes humankind doesn't have a future unless we plan for the long-term, looking beyond our overcrowded planet and its diminishing resources.

Source: Author Q&A with Lucy and Stephen Hawking

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