Who could have predicted we would be facing a global pandemic in 2020? Jess Keating, that’s who! Almost like she has a sixth sense, her next book in the Elements of Genius series, Traitors of the Lost Spark, has the gang from Genius Academy rushing to save the world from a deadly virus. Yikes! Since we know that things move slowly in publishing, this book was not inspired by today’s events but really it wouldn’t have been a stretch to envision a deadly virus plaguing the world. It's just so timely that the book was released this summer, the summer of COVID.

Once again, Jess Keating brings her love of science and her passion for writing strong female characters who love science to the pages. Nikki and her friends are globe trotting one again heading from Costa Rica to London to Paris, hitting some major landmarks along the way in search of the elusive Victor and the SPARK virus he is planning on unleashing into the world. The story is fast paced and suspenseful, even though you are pretty sure the good guys will win in the end, it is a middle grade novel after all, you just get a sense that maybe this time will be different, maybe this is one problem they cannot solve. The Genius Academy hits roadblock after roadblock in their attempt to save the world. Not only do we get an intriguing story with a lot of non-fiction tidbits along the way as we have come to love about the Elements of Genius series. I also very much appreciated how we got to learn a little more about Mary in this book and met a potential new member of Genius Academy in Arthur!

If you haven’t read any of the books in the series or have a new middle grader just starting their reading adventure into longer novels, you will all appreciate how the kids in the Academy are based on historical figures of importance like Nikola Tesla, Mozart, Mary Shelley, Charles Darwin, etc. The stories are adventurous and fast paced and are filled with some delicious scientific facts and information, there is truly something for everyone in this series.