Hawking's Hallway

"Hawking's Hallway" is the third installment in The Accelerati Trilogy, a fast-paced science fiction adventure for middle-grade readers, approximately ages 9-13. Nick Slate finds himself in a precarious position, compelled to aid the power-mad Accelerati in their quest for world domination, all while protecting his father and younger brother. The narrative is packed with suspense as Nick races to find Tesla's final, most dangerous inventions, which hold the power to manipulate time and space. Reviews praise the book's witty narration, clever plot, and engaging characters, making it an excellent choice for fans of action-packed stories with a strong scientific bent and a good dose of humor. Parents should note the themes of good versus evil and the ethical implications of scientific discovery.

Nick Slate, in order to protect his father and little brother, reluctantly must help the Accelerati complete Tesla's great device. Their power-mad leader wants nothing less than to control the world's energy--but there are still three missing objects to track down. Nick's friends can't help him, as they are spread across the globe grappling with their own mysteries--with Vince in Scotland, Caitlin and Mitch on their way to New Jersey, and Petula's whereabouts unknown. On his own, Nick must locate Tesla's final inventions-- which are the most powerful of all, capable of shattering time and collapsing space. Praise for Tesla's Attic * "...Shusterman and Elfman have crafted a plot more devious, characters far quirkier, climaxes (yes, there are two) more breathless, and a narration much, much funnier than recent mad-science offerings. Sticking with a third-person narration frees the authors to be as wryly and sophisticatedly witty as they please without compromising the veracity of their middle-school cast, resulting in storytelling as delightful as the story being told." -Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "Lively, intelligent prose elevates this story of teenagers versus mad scientists, the third-person point of view offering a stage to various players in their play of galactic consequence. A wild tale in the spirit of Back to the Future, with a hint of Malamud's The Natural tossed in."--Kirkus Reviews "This collaboration between Shusterman and Elfman tempers the scarier elements of Nick's quest with deft, humorous writing and plenty of the ordinary adventures of a new kid in school finding his niche. Hand this one to fans of Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles or Kenneth Oppel's Airborne."--Booklist 2014 VOYA Magazine Top Shelf Honoree A Junior Library Guild Selection