Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Jake McQuade, the formerly lazy now industrious genius, is back for another save his school, family, and friends adventure. In this second in series, Jake is busy showing off his intellect and makes the usurped smartest kid in the universe jealous enough to take action. Zane Zinkle, multi-millionaire tech guru and ultimate narcissist, sets up an elaborate plan to drain the brains and control the minds of anyone and everyone to make himself and his company and himself the top in everything. But, as in the series opener, Jake and his besties Grace and Kojo, prove to be more than his match in everything. The end result and even a few events during the course of the adventure are predictable, but still enjoyable. The Zinkle sponsored Genius Camp has the expected cabins and s’mores but with creative twists and the millionaire’s gifts to Jake’s school are part of the expected dastardly plot but in a pretty hilarious way. Grabenstein’s book includes current cutting edge technology as well as some imaginative possibilities for the future. Brain-teasers are scattered throughout and if so inclined, readers can try to solve them before moving on in the text to see the answer. All in all, another high interest middle grade novel for libraries with a readership in Grabenstein’s Lemoncello series or Patterson’s I Funny and Middle School books. Text is free of violence (except for a few destroyed AI bears), sexual content, and profanity (although the fart jokes are frequent). Characters come from a wide variety of races and ethnic backgrounds.

The book was received as an ARC from Random House Children's - Random House Books for Young Readers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a new modern take on the advancement of technology impacting the work ethic and intellect of today's youth. That aside, I could not get enough of this book. I was never qualified to go to genius camp, but I did have a friend who was a member of Menza, so I can understand the pressure Jake was experiencing when he was encountering the ultimate battle of the minds against Tech Mogul, Zane Zinkle's Virtuoso bot. At first, I was not immediately attracted to this book because I am very skeptical of a book that has riddles and puzzle compiled in the book, however, these puzzles were challenging, clever, and fun to complete. I shared them with some of our members of our youth book club, and they had a blast reading the book and solving the puzzles. I even got some of them to ask for the title on reserve.

A cleverly, witty interpretation of one of the most powerful issues of intellect in today's reality. This book deserved 5 stars.

I LOVE me a Chris Grabenstein book! I binge-read the Lemoncello series with my 6 year old last summer, and boy were those good. I didn’t think I could like another series as much as that. I was wrong!

Genius camp was, like all this author’s books, So Much Fun! We read Smartest Kid in the Universe first, and it was so fun seeing all the familiar characters return in this book (especially Kojo….he may be my favorite character in all the Grabenstein books I’ve read so far!) There is even a surprise cameo from a Lemoncello character! I love crossovers like that!

What a fun romp, and an absolute delight! Grabenstein has done it again!! I can’t wait to see what Jake and the gang do next!

Jake is back, along with his extraordinary intelligence and two best friends Kojo and Grace. In this adventure, Jake has caught the attention and jealousy of genius Zane Zinkle. Zane, determined to recapture the title of smartest person in the universe, sponsors a Genius Camp and invites Jake and Kojo. The boys quickly realize something is amiss as the other campers' intelligence is disappearing as they eat the marshmallows. Meanwhile, Grace is watching the students and teachers become less and less smart after interacting with the zPhones that were gifted them when Jake agreed to attend the Genius Camp.

Another fun book filled with Grabentein's humor, kids who loved the first book in this series will love this follow-up.

I was first introduced to this series when I picked up book #1 by chance through Overdrive/Libby in 2020. In the first book, we learn that Jake attends Riverview Middle School. One day he is bored and hungry during a large conference at the Imperial Marquis Hotel where his mother is an event planner. He happens upon a jar of jelly beans that he innocently snacks on, while waiting. And as fate would have it, the jelly beans turn out to be a scientific brain booster. This is what makes Jake McQuade into the “smartest kid in the universe.” Adventure ensues, but I don’t want to give any big spoilers for those who haven’t yet read it.

So book #2 starts off with Jake winning a competition against billionaire tech mogul Zane Zinkle’s super computer. After his brilliant display of intellectual skills, he and his smart friends have been invited to Camp Genius, hosted by Zinkle. Zinkle is a bit touchy about Jake’s new title because before Jake came along, Zinkle was the smartest kid in the universe. Clearly something is up. However, if Jake accepts the invitation, everyone in his school will receive a FREE Z Phone, a new pricey invention of Zinkle’s. And Jake accepts the invitation as a way to give back to his community.

After the kids arrive at camp, some of their fellow campers and counselors begin to act rather strangely. Nevertheless, whatever is going on does not seem to impact Jake and his friend, Kojo. As they begin to unfold the mystery and attempt to outwit the robots guarding the camp, they quickly discover that not only are their camp friends at risk here, but their entire Riverview Middle School community! Will they be able to reveal the plot before their entire home town is destroyed?

What a wonderful adventure! I’ve enjoyed this series and hope book #2 isn’t the end! Grabenstein’s writing is easily accessible to children, but also allows the reader to ask more philosophical questions about being smart versus being wise. This book also opens the door for valuable discussion about the addictive nature of technology apps and social media. The writing is just wonderful and I’m happy to recommend this series. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC so that I could share my honest review!

12-year-old Jake and his scientifically enhanced, super-smart brain are invited to Genius Camp for a week by Zane Zinkle, a man who had once held the title of the smartest kid in the universe. Now he owns a large corporation (the 2nd wealthiest in the world) and has created an AI computer, which he wants to pit against Jake's smarts.

This book was just as fun as its predecessor. I really appreciated that Jake was insecure about his newfound genius, partly because he wasn't sure if/when it might suddenly wear off, and partly because he knew the jelly beans don't cover every subject. I like his connection to Haazim Farooqi (jelly bean creator) and Farooqi's involvement in this story. And I LOVE that a certain other book series by Grabenstein is officially in the same universe as this series (I really want to say more, but I won't, to avoid spoilers).

Kojo started to drive me a little crazy in this book, with his insistence on adding "baby" into his dialog so often. If I met this kid in real life, I'd have to walk away pretty quickly. I also was initially put off by the incredibly ridiculous immaturity of the villain, but I mentioned this to my 11-year-old daughter who had already read the book, and she pointed out that it wasn't necessarily unrealistic, given the villain's backstory, and I was able to look past it more easily after that. I did predict the sort-of-twist at the end, but I think that's mostly because of a certain movie I've seen several times (I won't name it, because it would spoil the ending), which I'm sure kids in the age range that this book is meant for would be a lot less familiar with. As I mentioned above, my 11-year-old daughter read it before me, and she loved it as much as the previous. That's the strongest endorsement I can ever give for a middle grade book, so make sure to check it out for your kids (or you)!

Another great book by Chris Grabenstein. It is also a great addition to this series. Jake is a super smart kid thanks to some specially enhanced jelly beans. unfortunately, his brilliance upsets the previously smartest kid in the universe who is looking to fix that.

Jake and his friends experience some new and unique situations which were fun to read about. The characters are great and work well along side each other. It was also very exciting to see one of the characters from the Mr. Lemoncello books make an appearance!

I will continue to follow Grabenstein and his apparent quest to convince kids that being smart and not lazy is the coolest thing you can do.

DNF @50%

I want to start by saying this is NOT A BAD BOOK. As a reader who reads books for all ages (middle grade, young adult, and adult) I always find great delight when I find a book that can span decades of ages. Unfortunately, for me, this book did not read well for people outside the targeted age range. This of course is not a bad thing, just the reason why I DNFed it midway.

In this book, you are following Jake after the events of the first book. He is now super smart due to the special jelly beans he ate and has now been invited to go to this camp for geniuses. While there he encounters many wacky things and meets many smart people. This book is very unrealistic and silly which isn't a bad thing, but for me, I didn't find those elements enjoyable to read about. I also found the writing very childish and repetitive. A brief backstory, I have loved Christ Grabenstein's books in the past. I have read his entire Lemoncello series and a few other books including the first one of this series. However, as I get older I have found less and less pleasure reading his books and I think this book is somewhat a marker for when I have outgrown his books as a reader.

Although I have fallen out of love with his books I still fully stand by his books and they are still/always amazing reads. I just think they are best for the targeted age range. Thus comes the end of this review.

To sum up my thoughts. 1) I found the writing and plot very basic/unrealistic, therefore making it difficult to be enjoyed by an audience outside the targeted group. 2) This book series would be wonderful series for reluctant readers as Jake is a fun protagonist and the chapters are short. 3) This book has the classic witty Chris Grabenstein puzzles sprinkled throughout that I found enjoyable and I think many kids will too. 4) I think this book is best to be read by 8-12-year-olds and I don't think people above these ages will find as much delight in reading both this book and the series as a whole.

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Being a fan of Chris Grabenstein, I was excited to read his latest book, The Smartest Kid in the Universe: Genius Camp. While this book can stand on its own without having read the first in the series, The Smartest Kid in the Universe, it is highly recommended to begin with it to help make the story even more enjoyable. The premise behind the story–jelly beans making you a genius–might seem impossible (for now), but it is a fun concept that will likely have you dreaming about the future. Then throw in the idea of artificial intelligence becoming overly brilliant and readers may wish to stay in the present. Either way, you’ll be on the edge of your seat as the fast-paced story rushes from one conflict to another.

As in previous books, Grabenstein develops the characters and their relationships very well. It’s pretty comical to see how some of the characters respond to the main character, Jake, and his over-night brilliance. In addition to having great characters, this book has an abundance of jokes. Those who appreciate potty humor and references to bodily functions will certainly be a fan of this story as it is chock-full of it. Readers who enjoy puzzles will also love that a few are thrown into the story (but if you don’t, don’t worry as the answers are given). The Smartest Kid in the Universe: Genius Camp will be loved by tweens around the globe.

Genius Camp is the second adventure in Chris Grabenstein’s “The Smartest Kid in the Universe” series. After eating the Ingestible Knowledge jelly beans in the first book, Jake McQuade continues to use his newfound smarts by going up against an AI quantum computer named Virtuoso. When Jake beats the computer at an e-games tournament, the computer’s founder, tech guru (and former smartest kid in the world), Zane Zinkle, vows to get revenge on Jake and reclaim his title. Zane Zinkle invites 6 kid geniuses to a camp to see who amount them is the smartest. If you’ve read the Lemonchello series, you’ll recognize one of the characters in this book, Abia Sulayman.
This book was such a fun read! Chris Grabenstein is one of my favorite middle grade authors and everything he writes is witty and captivating, and this book is no different. This book includes laughs, mental exercises and a whole lot of fart jokes!

4.5 Stars!

I received an advance review copy for free for NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

An enjoyable sequel to the The Smartest Kid in the Universe. Jake is constantly worried that his smartness will wear off and he'll be discovered as a fraud. In this book, Jake, Kojo, and Grace must team up to try to take down the guy trying to take down Jake down...can Jake outsmart him? There are puzzles sprinkled through the book and the short chapters, will help engage reluctant readers. And I love this reminder in the book...We're given our talents to help others, not ourselves."

Bonus: I correctly solved the Bonus Puzzle at the back of the book...yay!!

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Books through the Fall Day of Dialogue.
This sequel pulls readers further into Jake, Kojo and Grace's middle school world. The adventure continues as Jake and Kojo head for a special Genius Camp run by the former smartest kid in the universe, Zink Zinkle. Grabenstein offers plenty of humor at all levels undergirded with more serious plot points about living life in community and using skills to help others. The short chapter format works well for more reluctant readers.

After accidentally giving himself super intelligence by eating scientist Farooqi's jelly beans of Ingestible Knowledge in The Smartest Kid in the Universe, Jake and his friends Grace and Kojo are back. Jake has just won a competition against Zane Zinkle's super computer, and is donating the $20,000 to charity. Zinkle, who has a tech empire that includes the Z Phone, was previously the smartest kid, but at 29, has been eclipsed by Jake in intelligence, and also in maturity. He's determined to get back at Jake and his friends. He sends the intrepid three to a tech summer camp (after Jake helps out the FBI with a thorny case), and says that he will adopt Jake's school. The first day of camp is interesting, and there are children from around the world who are also attending. After just one day, however, Jake realizes that something is wrong. The others are glued to their phones, and an app called Tweedle, and also seem addicted to the chocolate covered marshmallows that are readily available. Jake and his friends aren't all that interested in either, and notice how impaired the others are becoming. Thanks to Grace's extreme wealth (after finding a family treasure in the first book), Jake is able to travel back to his home and school and check on people, and is alarmed at what he finds. He is in contact with Farooqi, who is trying to recreate the jelly beans, having taken insufficient notes. Zinkle is not happy that Jake is messing up his plans, and kidnaps Farooqi. Will Jake be able to keep his extreme intelligence and save the day once again?
Strengths: Jake is Everykid: he was kind a of slacker, with a C average in school and not thebest basketbal game. The newfound smarts are exciting, but he really wants to use them for good. His precocious sister still makes fun of him, and his event planner mother is not immune to Zinkle's chocolate covered marshmallows, with amusing consequences. It's nice to see a character who is having adventures but also worrying about keeping his friends, family, and school safe. His worry that the effects of the jelly beans will wear off is realistic, and adds a realistic layer to what is generally a wish fulfilment fantasy. Zinkle is a ScoobyDoo type villain, but still a threat. This was a fun romp, and even brings in some shout outs to Mr. Lemoncello's Library.
Weaknesses: It seemed odd that the summer camp would let Jake go home, even if the counselors were under the effects of jelly beans. Also, the FBI mystery seemed unfinished, and a little odd to have as just a side note.
What I really think: A bit more fantastical than Wonderland Motel series, but with plenty of humor, Genius Camp is a fun romp that reads quickly. It walks the fine line of goofy, so wasn't irritating to me, but is goofy enough that young readers will laugh a lot. The two book series would make a great holiday gift, and I wouldn't be surprised if more books are in the works.