Next in line in for Al’s Book Club for Kids is “George’s Secret Key to the Universe,” by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. The father-daughter team collaborated to create an adventure story for kids based on “science fact” rather than science fiction. While Lucy provided the editorial craftsmanship, Stephen helped drive the story line with true-to-life details from the world of physics. To find out more about the challenges and joys of the book project, check out these two Q & As: The first is with Lucy, the second with the famous physicist himself.

Q & A: Lucy Hawking

Q: What gave you the idea for the book?

A: I have a 9-year–old son and I thought it would be wonderful if my father and I could write something together that would explain my grandfather's work to my son. In order to explain physics to kids, we decided use the events in the story to illustrate concepts.

It was clear to me that there was a wealth of science fiction available for children but not very much “science fact.” Science fiction can be exciting and very gripping, but it doesn’t tell us anything about the universe in which we live. We wrote an adventure that is based on real science rather than on fantasy. I thought it was important to weave science into the story  line because I wanted to make “George’s Secret Key to the Universe” appealing to children who wouldn’t otherwise pick up a book on physics. Obviously, we hope it will appeal to their parents, too!

Q: What is the story line?

A: The book is about this small boy called George who lives next door to the world’s greatest living scientist, Eric. George comes to the world of science with very little knowledge because his parents are fundamentally opposed to science and technology, which they blame for the problems facing the planet. Innocent as he is, George turns out to have the interest, curiosity and imagination to understand the concepts that Eric explains to him. Eric’s daughter, Annie, and his super computer, Cosmos, help to bring the world of physics alive for George and they all get drawn into the great challenge that presents itself.

Q: What was it like working together with your father on this project?

A: Integrating the physics into the story was a big challenge. We wanted to make the book flow so that it didn’t feel too didactic. It took hours of conversation to find ways to express these complicated concepts via a simple art form. I worked with both my father and one of his former Ph.D. students, Christophe Galfard, on the scientific elements in the book.

It was a fascinating process. Working with my father was a great thrill — he has the amazing ability to hold enormous amounts of information in his head, but also to pick out relevant details and make brief comments, which can completely transform your way of thinking. My father is an expert when it comes to framing difficult subjects in accessible language. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and I felt very honored to have this opportunity. Christophe Galfard also made a tremendous contribution in terms of the scientific story line, imagery and detail.

Q: How closely involved was Christophe Galfard?

A: Christophe came to the project at the end of writing his thesis. What he did so brilliantly was provide scientific content for me to translate into a story line. It helped me hugely to have someone I could consult closely throughout the process of writing this book. The grand vision of the book is based on my father’s 40-year career as a theoretical physicist — he directed, advised, corrected and wrote for the book. And Christophe worked on some of the ways to express some of these big concepts in a creative format.

Q: How did working on this book change your relationship with your father?

A: Working on this book together gave us the chance to form a relationship as adults, which was a great gift. We got to spend a lot of time kicking ideas around, so we learned so much about each other, and we had a lot of fun. It gave us something really special.

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Al's Book Club Section Front

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