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  • Charlie Numb3rs and the Man in the Moon by Ben Mezrich
  • Quinita Balderson
Mezrich, Ben Charlie Numb3rs and the Man in the Moon; by Ben and Tonya Mezrich. Simon,
2017 [208p]
Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-4847-5 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-4814-4849-9 $10.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 4-6

Presumed NASA functionary Anastasia Federov offers child prodigy Charlie "Numbers" Lewis and his band of sixth-grade geniuses a once in a lifetime opportunity for a recommendation to work at NASA. That offer is dependent on a mission: infiltrate a paper airplane–building contest to get close to Richard Caldwell, son of astronaut Buzz Caldwell, and prove that Buzz stole moon rocks that mysteriously disappeared a few months ago. Reluctant to pass up an opportunity to work for NASA in the future (even if Anastasia's intentions are shrouded in secrecy) or to jeopardize the Caldwells' reputation, Charlie justifies accepting the mission in hopes of clearing their name. Their understanding of the interactions between matter and energy has gotten the team out of jams before, but could physics even avert criminal charges? The Mezrichs take a K.I.S.S. approach to aerodynamics as it applies to [End Page 169] constructing paper planes capable of going the distance, and they make learning about resistance, gravity, lift, and thrust fun and unintimidating. Though laced with technical terminology that should appeal to the math-and science-minded, the story is lively enough to engage all kinds of readers. QB

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