Three young inventors are delighted to begin a week-long program at an outlandish hi-tech science academy. No parents are allowed, since they could distract the scientists from their important work. The week starts with competition and suspicion as each character works on their own private inventions. But there are also sinister activities happening at the academy. A tentative friendship forms between our heroes as they figure out what's going on and find a way to escape. Quark's Academy is a rollicking read. The science is loopy and exaggerated, which makes the story entertaining and unpredictable. The plot hinges on the rich imagination of children - a sustainable resource if ever there was one. Whether or not they're interested in science, readers between eight and 12 will have fun with this book.—Adelaide Advertiser