STAR Academy (novel) facts for kids
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| Author | Edward Kay |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday Canada |
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Publication date
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September 15, 2009 |
| Media type | Trade paperback |
| Pages | 256 |
| ISBN | 978-0-385-66706-7 |
STAR Academy is a funny sci-fi book for kids. It was written in 2009 by Canadian author Edward Kay. He also helped create the cartoon show Jimmy Two-Shoes. The book was published by Random House / Doubleday Canada. (ISBN: 978-0-385-66706-7)
Some people have compared STAR Academy to the Harry Potter books. This is because both stories take place at a special boarding school. But STAR Academy is different! It uses science instead of magic. It's also a satire, which means it makes fun of certain ideas or situations in a clever way.
Contents
The Story of STAR Academy
Amanda's Big Brain in a Small Town
The story starts with 11-year-old Amanda Forsythe. She lives in a boring town called Downview. Amanda is super smart, a real genius! But her teachers and classmates don't understand her. They think she's a bit strange because of her advanced science ideas.
The Science Fair Disaster
One day, Amanda enters her school's science fair. She built a cool spaceship that uses light to move, called a "photon sail." But the judges, who are her principal and teacher, don't get it. They make fun of her amazing project! Instead, they give the prize to silly exhibits. One is just a vacuum cleaner pretending to be a robot. The other suggests changing kids' genes so they can eat sticks, grass, and dirt to solve hunger.
A Scholarship to a Special School
Luckily, some scouts from a new, fancy school are watching. It's called the Superior Thinking and Advanced Research (STAR) Academy. They see how brilliant Amanda is! They offer her a scholarship to live and study there. This academy is home to 200 of the smartest kids on Earth. They are trained to become the world's top scientists. Their job is to solve humanity's biggest problems.
Life at STAR Academy
The Academy gets tons of money from "anonymous philanthropists." It's run by the mysterious Headmistress Oppenheimer and Professor Leitspied. There's also George, a super-smart but a bit scatterbrained engineer. It seems like the perfect place for a young genius! Amanda and her new friends were often outcasts before. But now, they are finally happy. Everyone at STAR Academy understands and appreciates them.
Students can work on their own science projects. They also join teams for research challenges. These challenges are supposed to make them compete in a friendly way. Amanda leads her team to victory in their first task. They have to invent a way to block bad memories using electronics.
Challenges and Suspicions
Life isn't totally perfect for Amanda. She misses her family. And she has an enemy: Eugenia Snootman. Eugenia is vain and tricky. She's also the daughter of Bill Snootman, the richest man on Earth. Eugenia is super jealous of Amanda's success. One night, she even threatens Amanda's future. She demands Amanda's secrets for the next challenge. This challenge is about sending electricity through the air to poor villages.
A Terrifying Discovery
Despite the challenges, Amanda loves the Academy. But then, one night, everything changes. Amanda and her three best friends – Derek Murphy, Evelyn Chiu, and Sanjay Dosanjh – make a shocking discovery. The Academy is not what it seems! Their teachers are actually aliens from another planet. They were sent to Earth as friendly visitors. But most of them, except George, have become greedy for power. They want to take over the world!
The Aliens' Secret Plan
In their true form, the aliens are ugly, spider-like creatures. They have huge brains and strong bodies. Amanda and her friends learn that Oppenheimer and Leitspied have been using them. The technologies the students have been developing are parts of a bigger alien plan. The aliens want to send a signal to every human on Earth. This signal would block people's brains, turning them into mindless slaves.
Cut off from outside help, it's up to Amanda, Derek, Evelyn, and Sanjay. They must outsmart the aliens and save the planet!
