“George and the Unbreakable Code” by Lucy and Stephen Hawking is the 4^th intriguing story featuring the fictional children George and Annie.

In “… The Unbreakable Code,” George and Annie, both 11-years-old must thwart the evil plans of Alioth Merak. Merak is a man on the verge of ruling the entire world, and while he is building a quantum computer that will enable him to seize control of the entire planet Earth, George and Annie are the only two who know what Merak’s malicious plans are. George and Annie have the knowledge of how to stop Merak from taking over the world.

Merak is so consumed in his insane quest to take over the world, he attempts to kill Annie and George by hurling them into outer space without spacesuits, so the two children will explode.

This book, like the three previous tales involving Annie and George is geared for grammar school aged children, yet fun, entertaining, and even informative for adult readers who enjoy learning about Earth, the planets, and the entire solar system.

“George and the Unbreakable Code,” like the other books involving Annie and George is much more then a children’s adventure. Lucy and Stephen Hawking veer off the main story and give us readers fascinating facts about the planets and their moons. In this book for example, I learned that the planet Saturn is so light in weight, that it would float in water.

This book also has two pages on internet safety for children, and how they can deal with cyber bullying. The two pages also detail how children can detect internet fraud and the importance that children should communicate with their parents / guardians about what they do on the internet.

Like the three previous books about Annie and George, these two children are able to travel into outer space and walk amid any planet they so desire, thanks to Annie’s quantum computer which is named Cosmos.

George likes Annie because she is fun, clever, cool, and brave. Nothing is beyond Annie, no adventure shunned, no theory untested, and no assumption to stay untested George says about Annie in this book.

Merak kidnaps Annie’s father Eric, and George and Annie have no choice but to go to the unknown origins of outer space and walk into the massive unknown darkness. Just before George and Annie enter into the portals of the unknown, George leaves a note that reads as follows:

If not returned by morning, please send out a space rescue mission using coordinates held by Cosmos.

Annie and George

Good note, Annie says to George. 

The unbreakable code for Annie and George is friendship. “George’s Secret Key to the Universe” is the first installment of this series of books about the adventures of Annie and George written by the late Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy. “George and the Unbreakable Code” is a solid three and a half star read for fans of children’s stories and those fascinated by the science of space and the planets.

Mark Izzy Schurr